Twentieth_Century(i)
1 In the course of the Festival at the close of the Harvest the disciples had all met together,
2 When suddenly there came from the heavens a noise like that of a strong wind rushing by; it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared tongues of what seemed to be flame, separating, so that one settled on each of them;
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with strange 'tongues' as the Spirit prompted their utterances.
5 Now there were then staying in Jerusalem religious Jews from every country in the world;
6 And, when this sound was heard, numbers of people collected, in the greatest excitement, because each of them heard the disciples speaking in his own language.
7 They were utterly amazed, and kept asking in astonishment: "What! Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
8 Then how is it that we each of us hear them in our own native language?
9 Some of us are Parthians, some Medes, some Elamites; and some of us live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Roman Asia,
10 In Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the districts of Libya adjoining Cyrene; some of us are visitors from Rome,
11 Either Jews by birth or converts, and some are Cretans and Arabians--yet we all alike hear them speaking in our own tongues of the great things that God has done."
12 They were all utterly amazed and bewildered. "What does it mean?" they asked one another.
13 But there were some who said with a sneer: "They have had too much new wine."
14 Then Peter, surrounded by the eleven other Apostles, stood up, and, raising his voice, addressed the crowd. "Men of Judea," he began, "and all you who are staying in Jerusalem, let me tell you what this means. Mark well my words.
15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose; for it is only now nine in the morning! No!
16 This is what is spoken of in the prophet Joel--
17 'It shall come about in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind; your sons and your daughters shall become Prophets, your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams;
18 Yes, even on the slaves--for they are mine--both men and women, I will in those days pour out my Spirit,
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth below--Blood and fire and mist of smoke;
20 The sun shall become darkness, and the moon blood-red, Before the Day of the Lord comes--that great and awful day.
21 Then shall every one who invokes the Name of the Lord be saved.'