A link to Luke

1The first account I prepared, Theophilus [God-lover], ⁰concerned all that Jesus began to do and to teach ¹

2until the day in which He was taken back, ²after He had given commandment, by Holy Spirit, ³to the apostles whom He had chosen;

3to whom He also showed Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing evidences, appearing to them during forty days and speaking of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. ⁴

4And being together He directed them not to go away from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, ⁵“which you heard from me;

5John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with Holy Spirit not many days from now.” ⁶

Jesus returns to Heaven

6Well then, being together ⁷they asked Him saying, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel at this time?” ⁸

7So He said to them: “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has placed within His own authority.

8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be witnesses to me ⁹—both in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and even to the last part of the earth.” ¹⁰

9Upon saying these things, as they watched, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.

10And as they were staring into the sky, while He was going, suddenly two men in white clothing ¹¹stood beside them;

11and they said: “Men of Galilee, ¹²why do you stand gazing up into the sky? This very Jesus who is being taken up from you into the sky, He will come again in the precise manner that you observed Him going into the sky.” ¹³

12They then returned to Jerusalem from the mount called ‘of Olives’, which is near Jerusalem (a Sabbath day's journey). ¹⁴

A replacement for Judas Iscariot

13When they had entered [the city] they went up into the upper room ¹⁵where they were staying: namely Peter and James, John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas of James. ¹⁶

14All these were continuing with one purpose in prayer and petition, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. ¹⁷

15Well in those days Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples ¹⁸(the number of people assembled there was about 120) and said:

16“Men, ¹⁹brothers: It was necessary that this Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by David's mouth ²⁰concerning Judas, who was guide to those who arrested Jesus;

17in that he was numbered with us and obtained his share in this ministry.”

18(In fact this man acquired a field with the wages of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle, and all his innards were spilled out. ²¹

19And it became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so that in their own language that field came to be called ‘Akeldama’, that is, ‘Field of Blood’.)

20“Because it stands written in Book of Psalms: ‘Let his residence become desolate, and may no one live in it’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’ ²²

21So then, of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when He was taken up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” ²³

23So they nominated two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

24And praying they said: “You, Lord, Knower of all hearts, show which one of these two You have chosen ²⁴

25to receive the portion of this ministry and apostleship, out of which Judas turned aside to go into his own place.” ²⁵

26And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles.