The CleanSlate Bible

Acts Chapter 1

¹The first account I made, Theophilus, was about all that Jesus began to do and to teach, ²until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the ambassadors whom he had chosen. ³To whom he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many convincing-proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days speaking about God's Kingdom. ⁴Whilst they were gathered together he commanded them, "Don't leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. ⁵For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

⁶So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

⁷He said to them, "It isn't for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth."

⁹When he had said these things, while they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. ¹⁰While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, ¹¹who also said, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky."

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. ¹³When they had come in, they went up into the upper room where they were staying, that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴All of them with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer [*and supplication], along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and [*with] his brothers.

¹⁵In those days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, ¹⁶"Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who seized Jesus. ¹⁷For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry. ¹⁸Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness; and falling headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines gushed out. ¹⁹It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called 'Akeldama,' that is, 'The field of blood.' ²⁰For it is written in the book of Psalms,
'Let his habitation be made desolate.
Let no one live there;'

and,
'Let another take his office.'

²¹"So, from 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 to the day that he was received up from us, one of them must become a witness with us of his resurrection."

²³They put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas, [who was also] called Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴They prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show [us] which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵to take [his] place in this ministry and ambassadorship from which Judas turned away, to go to his own place." ²⁶They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was counted with the eleven ambassadors.