1 THE first book have I written, O Theoph'i- lus, concerning all the things which our Lord Jesus Christ began to do and teach

2 Until the day when he ascended after he, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen;

3 The very ones to whom he had also shown himself alive, after he had suffered, with many wonders during the forty days, while appearing to them and talking with them concerning the kingdom of God:

4 And as he ate bread with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, the one of whom you have heard from me.

5 For John baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.

6 While they were assembled, they asked him, saying, Our LORD, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

7 He said to them, It is not for you to know the time or times, which the Father has put under his own authority.

8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you shall receive power and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea also in the province of Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9 And when he had spoken these things, he ascended while they were looking at him; a cloud * received him and he was hidden from their sight.

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white robes;

11 And they said to them, Men of Gal'i-lee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who has ascended from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him ascend into heaven.

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount which is called Ol'i-vet, home of Olives, which is near to Jerusalem, about a mile away.

13 And after they had entered into the city, they went up into an upper room, where stayed Peter and John and James and Andrew, and also Philip and Thomas, and Matthew and Bar-thol'o-mew and James the son of Al-phµ'us, and Simon the zealot, and Judas the son of James.

14 These all continued together in prayer with one accord, with the women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

15 And in those days Simon Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (there were there a number of men, about a hundred and twenty), and said,

16 Men and brethren, it was proper that the scripture should be fulfilled, that which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that seized Jesus.

17 For he was numbered with us and had a lot # in this ministry.

18 He is the one who earned for himself a field with the price of sin; and falling headlong, he burst open in the midst and all his bowels gushed out.

19 And this very thing is known to all who dwell in Jerusalem; so that the field is called in the language of the country, Kha'kal- De'ma which is to say Ko-ri-ath'dem, the field of blood.

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no one dwell in it; and let his duty be taken by another man.

21 It is necessary, therefore, that one of these men, who have been with us during all the time that our LORD Jesus went in and out among us,

22 Beginning from the baptism of John until the day he ascended from among us, become a partner with us as a witness of his resurrection.

23 So they appointed two: Joseph called Bar'sa-bas who was surnamed Justus, and Mat-thi'as.

24 And as they prayed, they said, O LORD, you know what is in the hearts of all men; show which of these two you choose,

25 That he may receive the lot to the ministry and apostleship, from which Judas has been relieved to go his own way.

26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Mat-thi'as; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.