Chapter 1

1. The first book I wrote to you, Theophilus, about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning

2. until the day on which he ascended, having given commandments by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen,

3. to whom He also manifested Himself alive after His suffering, with many faithful proofs, appearing to them for forty days, and speaking of the Kingdom of God.

4. And having gathered them together, he commanded them, "Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, of which you have heard from me,

5. For John baptized with water, and you, in a few days after this, will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

6. Therefore they came together and asked him, saying, "Is it not at this time, O Lord, that you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?

7. And he said to them, "It is not your business to know the times or seasons which the Father has set in his own power,

8. but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9. When he had said this, he rose up in their eyes, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

10. And while they were looking up at heaven, while he was ascending, suddenly there appeared to them two men in white robes

11. and they said, "Men of Galilee! Why do you stand and look up to heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw Him go into heaven.

12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from a mountain called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, at the distance of the Sabbath journey.

13. And when they came, they went up into the upper room, where they dwelt, Peter and James, John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the brother of James.

14. They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with some of the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

15. And in those days Peter stood in the midst of the disciples and said

16. (And there was a congregation of about a hundred and twenty people): Men, brethren! It was necessary to fulfill what the Holy Spirit had prophesied in the Scriptures through the mouth of David concerning Judas, the former leader of those who took Jesus;

17. He was numbered among us and received the lot of this ministry;

18. But he acquired the earth with an unrighteous reward, and when he was cast down, his belly was split open, and all his intestines fell out;

19. and this became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the land in their native language is called Akeldama, that is, the land of blood.