1 Truly, O Theophilus, I made the first report as to all things that Jesus began both to do and teach 2 until the day He was taken up, having given directions to the apostles whom He chose, through the Holy Spirit; 3 to whom He also presented Himself living after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them through forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
4 And having met with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father which you heard from Me. 5 For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
6 Then, indeed, these coming together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, do You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
7 And He said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
9 And saying these things, as they watched, He was taken up. And a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they were looking intently into the heaven, He having gone, even behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, 11 who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into the heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, will come in the way you have seen Him going into Heaven.
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount Of Olive Grove, which is a sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem. 13 And when they had come in, they went up into an upper room, where Peter and James, and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James;
14 these all were continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, (the number of names together was about a hundred and twenty,) 16 Men, brothers, this Scripture must have been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, who became guide to those who seized Jesus. 17 For he was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministry. 18 Indeed, then, this one purchased a field with the reward of unrighteousness. And falling headlong, he burst apart in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it was known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem, so much so that that field is called in their own dialect, Akeldama, that is to say, Field of Blood. 20 For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "Let his estate become forsaken, and he not be living in it." And, "Let another take his overseership."
21 Therefore, it is right that one of these men who have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that same day that He was taken up from us, to become a witness with us of His resurrection.
23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, You, Lord, knower of all hearts, show which one You chose from these two, 25 to take the share of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell, to go to his own place. 26 And they gave forth their lots. And the lot fell upon Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.