1I composed the first account, O Theophilus, about all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,
2until the day he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
3To them he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4And while gathering with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, “which,” he said, “you heard from me;
5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6So when they had gathered, they began asking him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority.
8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9And after he said these things, while they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
10And as they were gazing intently into heaven as he was going, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,
11who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him going into heaven.”
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
13And when they entered, they went up to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John and James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.
14All these were continually devoting themselves with one accord to prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers—the crowd of people together was about one hundred and twenty—and said,
16“Brothers, it was necessary for the Scripture to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”
18(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines spilled out.
19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20“For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’
21Therefore, of the men who have accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”
23And they put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias.
24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, knower of the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen
25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
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