Acts 1:8-24

⁸But you will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹When the Lord Jesus had said these things, as they were looking up, he was raised up, and a cloud hid him from their eyes.

¹⁰While they were looking intensely to heaven as he went, suddenly, two men stood by them in white clothing.

¹¹They said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into heaven? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return in the same manner as you saw him going into heaven.”

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near to Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey.

¹³When they arrived, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were staying. They were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

¹⁴They were all united as one, as they diligently continued in prayer. Included were the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

¹⁵In those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers, about 120 people, and said,

¹⁶“Brothers, it was necessary that the scripture should be fulfilled, that the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who guided the ones who arrested Jesus.

¹⁷For he was one of us and received his share of the benefits of this ministry.”

¹⁸(Now this man bought a field with the earnings he received for his wickedness, and there he fell headfirst, and his body burst open, and all his intestines poured out.

¹⁹All those living in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language “Akeldama,” that is, “Field of Blood.”)

²⁰“For it is written in the Book of Psalms, 'Let his field be made desolate, and do not let even one person live there'; 'Let someone else take his position of leadership.'

²¹It is necessary, therefore, that one of the men who accompanied us all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

²²beginning from the baptism of John to the day that he was taken up from us, must be a witness with us of his resurrection.”

²³They put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also named Justus, and Matthias.

²⁴They prayed and said, “You, Lord, know the hearts of all people, so reveal which of these two is the one whom you have chosen