Acts

Moffatt(i) 1 IN my former volume, Theophilus, I treated all that Jesus began by doing and teaching 2 down to the day when, after issuing his orders by the holy Spirit to the disciples whom he had chosen, he was taken up to heaven. 3 After his sufferings he had shown them that he was alive by a number of proofs, revealing himself to them for forty days and discussing the affairs of God's Realm. 4 Also, as he ate with them, he charged them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father promised — "for what you have heard me speak of," said he; 5 "for John baptized with water, but not many days after this you shall be baptized with the holy Spirit." 6 Now when they met, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time you are going to restore the Realm to Israel?" 7 But he told them, "It is not for you to know the course and periods of time that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses at Jerusalem, throughout all Judaea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 9 On saying this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him out of sight. 10 As he went up, their eyes were fixed on heaven; but just then two men stood beside them dressed in white, 11 who said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven? This Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back, just as you have seen him depart to heaven." 12 Then they made their way back to Jerusalem from the hill called 'The Olive-Orchard'; it is close to Jerusalem, only a sabbath day's journey from it. 13 On entering the city they went to the upper room where they were in the habit of meeting; there were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James (the son of Alphaeus) and Simon who had been a Zealot, with Judas the son of James. 14 All these men resorted with one mind to prayer, together with the women, with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers. 15 Now during these days Peter stood up among the brothers (there was a crowd of about a hundred and twenty persons all together). 16 "My brothers," said he, "it had to be fulfilled, that scripture which the holy Spirit uttered beforehand by the lips of David with regard to Judas who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 Judas did enter our number, he did get his allotted share of this our ministry. 18 With the money paid him for his crime he purchased an estate; but swelling up he burst in two, and all his bowels poured out — 19 a fact which became known to all the residents in Jerusalem, so that the estate got the name, in their language, of Akeldamach or The Ground of Blood. 20 Now it is written in the book of psalms, Desolate be his residence, may no one dwell in it: also, let another man take over his charge. 21 Well then, of the men who have been associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 from the baptism of John down to the day when he was taken up from us — of these men one must join us as a witness to his resurrection." 23 So they brought forward two men, Joseph called Bar-Sabbas (surnamed Justus) and Matthias; 24 and they prayed, "O Lord, who readest the hearts of all, do thou single out from these two men him whom thou hast chosen 25 to fill the place in this apostolic ministry which Judas left in order to go to his own place." 26 Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, who was assigned his position with the eleven apostles.