Also, as he ate with them, he charged them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father promised ??"for what you have heard me speak of," said he;

But he told them, "It is not for you to know the course and periods of time that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses at Jerusalem, throughout all Judaea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

On saying this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him out of sight.

As he went up, their eyes were fixed on heaven; but just then two men stood beside them dressed in white,

Then they made their way back to Jerusalem from the hill called 'The Olive-Orchard'; it is close to Jerusalem, only a sabbath day's journey from it.

"My brothers," said he, "it had to be fulfilled, that scripture which the holy Spirit uttered beforehand by the lips of David with regard to Judas who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus.

With the money paid him for his crime he purchased an estate; but swelling up he burst in two, and all his bowels poured out ??19 a fact which became known to all the residents in Jerusalem, so that the estate got the name, in their language, of Akeldamach or The Ground of Blood.

Now it is written in the book of psalms, Desolate be his residence, may no one dwell in it: also, let another man take over his charge.

Well then, of the men who have been associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

and they prayed, "O Lord, who readest the hearts of all, do thou single out from these two men him whom thou hast chosen

Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native tongue?

They were all amazed and quite at a loss. "What can it mean?" they said to one another.

But Peter stood up along with the eleven, and raising his voice he addressed them thus: "Men of Judaea and residents in Jerusalem, let everyone of you understand this ??attend to what I say:

these men are not drunk, as you imagine. Why, it is only nine in the morning!

No, this is what was predicted by the prophet Joel ??17 In the last days, saith God, then will I pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams:

on my very slaves and slave-girls in those days will I pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

For David says of him, I saw the Lord before me evermore; lest I be shaken, he is at my right hand.

Uplifted then by God's right hand, and receiving from the Father the long-promised holy Spirit, he has poured on us what you now see and hear.)

For it was not David who ascended to heaven; David says, The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand,

When they heard this, it went straight to their hearts; they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what are we to do?"

So those who accepted what he said were baptized; about three thousand souls were brought in, that day.

Day after day they resorted with one accord to the temple and broke bread together in their own homes; they ate with a glad and simple heart,

Peter and John were on their way up to the temple for the hour of prayer at three in the afternoon,

when a man lame from birth was carried past, who used to be laid every day at what was called the 'Beautiful Gate' of the temple, to ask alms from those who entered the temple.

Peter looked at him steadily, as did John, and said, "Look at us."

But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, [get up and] walk!"

and when they recognized this was the very man who used to sit and beg at the Gate Beautiful, they were lost in awe and amazement at what had happened to him.

As he clung to Peter and John, all the people rushed awestruck to them in what was called Solomon's portico.

But when Peter saw this, he said to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you surprised at this? Why do you stare at us, as if we had made him walk by any power or piety of ours?

(He it is who has given strength to this man whom you see and know, by faith in His name; it is the faith He inspires which has made the man thus hale and whole before you all.)

Now I know, brothers, that you acted in ignorance, like your rulers ??18 though this was how God fulfilled what he had announced beforehand by the lips of all the prophets, namely the sufferings of his Christ.

Repent then, and turn to have your sins blotted out, so that a breathing-space may be vouchsafed you,

It was for you first that God raised up his Servant, and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

who were annoyed at them teaching the people and proclaiming Jesus as an instance of resurrection from the dead.

They laid hands on them and, as it was now evening, put them in custody till next morning.

They made the men stand before them and inquired, "By what authority, in whose name, have you done this?"