Acts 1:9-24

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 stood beside them;

¹¹and they said: “Men of Galilee, why 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.”

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

¹³When they had entered the city they went up into the upper room where 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.

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.

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

¹⁶“Men, brothers: It was necessary that this Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by David's mouth concerning 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.

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.’

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.”

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