Acts Cross References - ISV

¹ IntroductionIn my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, ² up to the day when he was taken up to heaven after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³ After he had suffered, he had shown himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during a period of 40 days and telling them about the kingdom of God.
⁴ The Promise of the Holy SpiritWhile he was meeting with them, he ordered them, “Don’t leave Jerusalem. Instead, wait for what the Father has promised, about which you heard me speak, ⁵ because John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days from now.”
⁶ Now those who had gathered together began to ask Jesus, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He answered them, “It isn’t for you to know what times or periods the Father has fixed by his own authority. ⁸ But you’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you’ll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
⁹ Jesus Goes Up to HeavenAfter saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, two men in white robes stood right beside them. ¹¹ They asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go up into heaven.”
¹² A New Apostle Takes the Place of JudasThen they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³ When they came into the city, these men went to the upstairs room where they had been staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ With one mind, all of them kept devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women (including Mary the mother of Jesus) and his brothers.
¹⁵ At that time, Peter got up among the brothers (there were about 120 people present) and said, ¹⁶ “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus, ¹⁷ because he was one of our number and was appointed to share in this ministry.” ¹⁸ (Now this man bought a field with the money he got for his crime. Falling on his face, he burst open in the middle, and all his intestines gushed out. ¹⁹ This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that this field is called in their language Hakeldama, that is, “The Field of Blood”.) ²⁰ “For in the Book of Psalms it is written, ‘Let his estate be desolate, and let no one live on it,’ and, ‘Let someone else take over his office,’ ²¹ who was one of the men associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, ²² beginning when he was baptized by John until the day he was taken up from us. Therefore, someone like this must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”
²³ So they nominated two men—Joseph called Barsabbas, who also was called Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed, “Lord, you know the hearts of all people. Show us which one of these two men you have chosen ²⁵ to serve in this office of apostle, from which Judas left to go to his own place.”
²⁶ So they drew lots for them, and when the lot fell on Matthias, he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

²³ Jesus Ministers to Many People
Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people. ²⁴ His fame spread throughout Syria, and people brought to him everyone who was sick—those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralyzed—and he healed them.

⁵ the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the destitute hear the good news.

³ I, too, have carefully investigated everything from the beginning and have decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

²⁴ After this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and remained in seclusion for five months. She said,

²³ The Ancestry of Jesus
Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry. He was (as legally calculated) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

²¹ At that time Jesus had healed many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. ²² So he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have observed and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear again, the dead are raised, and the destitute hear the good news. ²³ How blessed is anyone who is not offended by me!”

¹⁹ He asked them, “What things?”
They answered him, “The events involving Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in what he said and did before God and all the people,

³² Jesus replied to them, “I’ve shown you many good actions from my Father. For which of them are you going to stone me?”
³³ The Jewish leaders answered him, “We are not going to stone you for a good action, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, are making yourself God!”
³⁴ Jesus replied to them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? ³⁵ If he called those to whom a message from God came ‘gods’ (and the Scripture cannot be disregarded), ³⁶ how can you say to the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You’re blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I’m the Son of God’? ³⁷ If I’m not doing my Father’s actions, don’t believe me. ³⁸ But if I’m doing them, even though you don’t believe me, believe the actions, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

¹⁹ The High Priest Questions Jesus
Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his own teaching. ²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in the synagogue or in the Temple, where all Jews meet together, and I have said nothing in secret. ²¹ Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I said. These are the people who know what I said.”

²² “Fellow Israelis, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a man authenticated to you by God through miracles, wonders, and signs that God performed through him among you, as you yourselves know.

²¹ This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because: The Messiah also suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his steps. ²² “He never sinned, and he never told a lie.” ²³ When he was insulted, he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he did not threaten. It was his habit to commit the matter to the one who judges fairly.

² The Spirit of the LORD will rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. ³ His delight will be in the fear of the LORD. He won’t judge by what his eyes see, nor decide disputes by what his ears hear,

¹ The Servant of the LORD “Here is my servant, whom I support, my chosen one, in whom I delight. I’ve placed my Spirit upon him; and he’ll deliver his justice throughout the world.

¹⁶ Draw near to me, and listen to this: ‘From the beginning I haven’t spoken in secret; at the time it happened, I was there.’ And now the LORD God, and his Spirit, has sent me.

²⁰ “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” says the LORD.
²¹ “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “And my Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, won’t depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, from now on and forever.”

¹ Good News of Deliverance “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed and to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners;

¹⁶ When Jesus had been baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Suddenly, the heavens opened up for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.

¹ Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles
Then Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and every illness. ² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.

²⁸ But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

¹⁹ Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age.”

¹⁴ He appointed the Twelve, whom he called apostles, to accompany him, to be sent out to preach, ¹⁵ and to have the authority to drive out demons. ¹⁶ He appointed the Twelve: Simon (whom he named Peter), ¹⁷ Zebedee’s sons James and his brother John (whom he named Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder), ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananaean, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

³⁰ Jesus Feeds More than Five Thousand People
The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught.

¹⁵ Then he told them, “As you go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to everyone. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever doesn’t believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ These are the signs that will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons. they will speak in new languages. ¹⁸ and they will pick up snakes with their hands.Even if they drink any deadly poison it will not hurt them; and they’ll place their hands on the sick, and they’ll recover.”
¹⁹ Jesus is Taken Up to Heaven
So the Lord Jesus, after talking with his disciples, was taken up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

¹³ When daylight came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also called apostles: ¹⁴ Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew, Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the Zealot), ¹⁶ Judas (the son of James), and Judas Iscariot (who became a traitor).

⁵¹ A Samaritan Village Refuses to Welcome JesusWhen the days grew closer for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, he was determined to continue his journey to Jerusalem.

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so that they might understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is how it is written: the Messiah was to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and then repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ I am sending to you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven.

¹⁶ We have all received one gracious gift after another from his abundance,

³⁴ The one whom God sent speaks the words of God, because God does not give the Spirit in limited measure to him.

⁶² What if you saw the Son of Man going up to the place where he was before?

⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, “I chose you, the Twelve, didn’t I? Yet one of you is a devil.”

¹ Jesus Washes the Disciples’ FeetNow before the Passover Festival, Jesus realized that his hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

³ Because Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his control, that he had come from God, and that he was returning to God,

¹⁸ I’m not talking about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: ‘The one who ate bread with me has turned against me.’

²⁸ I left the Father and came into the world. Now I’m leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

¹³ “And now I am coming to you, and I say these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.

¹⁷ Jesus told her, “Don’t hold on to me, because I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I’m ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

²¹ Jesus told them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

⁹ Jesus Goes Up to HeavenAfter saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

¹¹ They asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go up into heaven.”

¹³ When they came into the city, these men went to the upstairs room where they had been staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

³⁸ God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil.

⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear— ⁴¹ not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by God to be witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He also ordered us to preach to the people and to testify solemnly that this is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead.

¹ Greetings from PaulFrom: Paul—an apostle not sent from men or by a man, but by Jesus the Messiah, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—

²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the Messiah Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

⁸ That is why God says, “When he went up to the highest place, he led captives into captivity and gave gifts to people.”
⁹ Now what does this “he went up” mean except that he also had gone down into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ The one who went down is the same one who went up above all the heavens so that all things would be fulfilled.

¹⁶ By common confession, the secret of our godly worship is great: In flesh was he revealed to sight, kept righteous by the Spirit’s might, adored by angels singing. To nations was he manifest, believing souls found peace and rest, our Lord in heaven reigning!

¹⁹ That hope, firm and secure like an anchor for our souls, reaches behind the curtain ²⁰ where Jesus, our forerunner, has gone on our behalf, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

²⁴ For the Messiah did not go into a sanctuary made by human hands that is merely a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, to appear now in God’s presence on our behalf.

²² who has gone to heaven and is at the right hand of God, where angels, authorities, and powers have been made subject to him.

² to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the commandment of our Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles.

¹ The Revelation of Jesus the Messiah to the Seven ChurchesThis is the revelation of Jesus the Messiah, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He made it known by sending his messenger to his servant John,

⁷ ‘Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life that is in God’s paradise.’”

¹¹ ‘Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be hurt by the second death.’”

¹⁷ ‘Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone. On the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the person who receives it.’”

²⁹ ‘Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

¹³ ‘Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

¹⁶ Since you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth.

²² ‘Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the lamb were written on them.

⁹ Then I went up to the mountain to receive the two stone Tablets of the Covenant that the LORD had established with you. I stayed on the mountain for 40 days and nights without eating food or drinking water.

¹⁸ I fell down in the LORD’s presence, just as I had the first 40 days and nights. I did not eat food or drink water because of your sin. You had sinned by committing this evil in the sight of the LORD, thereby provoking him to anger.

⁸ So Elijah got up, ate and drank, and survived on that one meal for 40 days and nights as he set out on his journey to Horeb, God’s mountain.

⁴⁴ “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor its sovereignty left in the hands of another people. It will shatter and crush all of these kingdoms, and it will stand forever. ⁴⁵ Now, just as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without human hands—and that it crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold to pieces—so also the great God has revealed to the king what will take place after this. Your dream will come true, and its meaning will prove trustworthy.”

² “Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!”

² After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he finally became hungry.

⁴³ That is why I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce fruit for it.

⁹ Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They went up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him.

¹⁶ Jesus Commissions His Disciples
The eleven disciples went into Galilee to the hillside to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshipped him, though some had doubts.

¹⁰ She went and told those who had been with Jesus and who now were grieving and crying. ¹¹ When they heard that he was alive and that he had been seen by her, they refused to believe Mary.
¹² Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
After this, Jesus appeared in a different form to two disciples as they were walking into the country. ¹³ They went back and told the others, who didn’t believe them, either.
¹⁴ Jesus Commissions His Disciples
Finally he appeared to his eleven disciples while they were eating. He rebuked them for their unbelief and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who had seen him after he had risen.

²⁰ The Coming of the Kingdom
Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with a visible display. ²¹ People won’t be saying, ‘Look! Here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ because now the kingdom of God is among you.”

¹ Jesus is Raised from the Dead
But at early dawn on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they went in, they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were puzzling over this, two men in dazzling robes suddenly stood beside them. ⁵ While the women remained terrified, bowing their faces to the ground, the men asked them, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is living? ⁶ He is not here, but has been raised. Remember what he told you while he was still in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day.’”
⁸ Then the women remembered Jesus’ words. ⁹ They returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven disciples and all the others. ¹⁰ The women who told the apostles about it were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some others. ¹¹ But what they said seemed nonsense to them, so they did not believe them. ¹² Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. He stooped down and saw only the linen cloths. Then he went home, wondering about what had happened.
¹³ Jesus Meets Two Disciples
On the same day, two of Jesus’ followers were walking to a village called Emmaus, about 60 stadia from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about all these things that had taken place. ¹⁵ While they were discussing and analyzing what had happened, Jesus himself approached and began to walk with them, ¹⁶ but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing with each other as you’re walking along?” They stood still and looked gloomy.
¹⁸ The one whose name was Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know what happened there in the past few days?”
¹⁹ He asked them, “What things?”
They answered him, “The events involving Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in what he said and did before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our high priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and had him crucified. ²¹ But we kept hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel. What is more, this is now the third day since these things occurred. ²² Even some of our women have startled us by what they told us. They were at the tomb early this morning ²³ and didn’t find his body there, so they came back and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who were saying that he was alive. ²⁴ Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said. However, they didn’t see him.”
²⁵ Then Jesus told them, “O, how foolish you are! How slow you are to believe everything the prophets said! ²⁶ The Messiah had to suffer these things and then enter his glory, didn’t he?” ²⁷ Then, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them all the passages of Scripture about himself.
²⁸ As they came near the village where the two men were headed, Jesus acted as though he were going farther. ²⁹ But they strongly urged him, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the daylight is nearly gone.” So he went in to stay with them.
³⁰ While he was at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it in pieces, and gave it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened, and they knew who he was. And he vanished from them.
³² Then they asked each other, “Our hearts kept burning within us as he was talking to us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us, didn’t they?”
³³ They got up right away, went back to Jerusalem, and found the eleven disciples and their companions all together. ³⁴ They kept saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵ Then the two men began to tell what had happened on the road and how they had recognized him when he broke the bread in pieces.
³⁶ Jesus Appears to the Disciples
While they were all talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and told them, “Peace be with you.”
³⁷ They were startled and terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸ But Jesus told them, “What’s frightening you? And why are you doubting? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet, because it’s really me. Touch me and look at me, because a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰ After he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹ Even though they were still skeptical due to their joy and astonishment, Jesus asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in their presence. ⁴⁴ Then he told them, “These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.”
⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so that they might understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is how it is written: the Messiah was to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and then repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ I am sending to you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
⁵⁰ Jesus is Taken up to Heaven
Later, he led them out as far as Bethany, lifted up his hands, and blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. ⁵² They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. ⁵³ They were continually in the Temple, blessing God.

¹ Jesus is Raised from the Dead
On the first day of the week, early in the morning and while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and noticed that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ² So she ran off and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus kept loving. She told them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” ³ So Peter and the other disciple took off for the tomb. ⁴ The two of them were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and came to the tomb first. ⁵ Bending over to look inside, he noticed the linen cloths lying there, but didn’t go in. ⁶ At this point Simon Peter arrived, following him, and went straight into the tomb. He observed that the linen cloths were lying there, ⁷ and that the handkerchief that had been on Jesus’ head was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up in a separate place. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who arrived at the tomb first, went inside, looked, and believed. ⁹ For they did not yet understand the Scripture that said that Jesus had to rise from the dead. ¹⁰ So the disciples went back to their homes.
¹¹ Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
Meanwhile, Mary stood crying outside the tomb. As she cried, she bent over and looked into the tomb. ¹² She saw two angels in white clothes who were sitting down, one at the head and the other at the foot of the place where Jesus’ body had been lying. ¹³ They asked her, “Lady, why are you crying?”
She told them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him.”
¹⁴ After she had said this, she turned around and noticed Jesus standing there, without realizing that it was Jesus.
¹⁵ Jesus asked her, “Dear lady, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she told him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him away.”
¹⁶ Jesus told her, “Mary!”
She turned around and told him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means “Teacher”).
¹⁷ Jesus told her, “Don’t hold on to me, because I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I’m ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
¹⁸ So Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I’ve seen the Lord!” She also told them what he had told her.
¹⁹ Jesus Appears to the Disciples
It was the evening of the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood among them. He told them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side, and when they saw the Lord, the disciples were overjoyed. ²¹ Jesus told them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

²⁶ A week later, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were shut, Jesus came, stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.”

¹ Jesus Appears to Seven of His DisciplesLater on, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is what happened:

¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead.

³¹ and for many days he appeared to those who had come with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These are now his witnesses to the people.

³¹ He continued to preach about the kingdom of God and to teach boldly and freely about the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

¹⁷ For God’s kingdom does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit.

⁵ and he was seen by Cephas, and then by the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he was seen by more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. ⁷ Next he was seen by James, then by all the apostles,

¹³ God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves,

¹² We comforted and encouraged you, urging you to live in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

¹ Jesus, the Word of LifeWhat existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we observed and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life!

²⁰ It won’t be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

¹³ So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who keep asking him!”

¹² because at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you are to say.”

⁴¹ Even though they were still skeptical due to their joy and astonishment, Jesus asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in their presence.

⁴⁹ I am sending to you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

³⁹ Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who were believing in him were to receive, because the Spirit was not yet present and Jesus had not yet been glorified.

¹⁶ I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always.

²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have told you. ²⁷ I’m leaving you at peace. I’m giving you my own peace. I’m not giving it to you as the world gives. So don’t let your hearts be troubled, and don’t be afraid. ²⁸ You have heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away, but I’m coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I’m going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.

²⁶ “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father— the Spirit of Truth, who comes from the Father—he will testify on my behalf.

⁷ However, I’m telling you the truth. It’s for your advantage that I’m going away, because if I don’t go away, the Helper won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment— ⁹ of sin, because they don’t believe in me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I’m going to the Father and you will no longer see me; ¹¹ and of judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
¹² “I still have a lot to say to you, but you cannot bear it now. ¹³ Yet when the Spirit of Truth comes, he’ll guide you into all truth. He won’t speak on his own accord, but he’ll speak whatever he hears and will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said, ‘He will take what is mine and declare it to you.’

²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

³³ He has been exalted to the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, and has caused you to experience what you are seeing and hearing.

⁴¹ not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by God to be witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

²⁸ The Day of the LORD“Then it will come about at a later time that I will pour out my Spirit on every person. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your elderly people will dream dreams, and your young people will see visions. ²⁹ Also at that time I will pour out my Spirit upon men and women servants. ³⁰ I will display warnings in the heavens, and on the earth blood, fire, and columns of smoke. ³¹ The sun will be given over to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and terrifying Day of the LORD. ³² And everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD will be delivered. For as the LORD has said, ‘In Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, the survivors whom the LORD is calling.’”

¹⁸ It will come about at that time that the mountains will drip with newly pressed wine, the hills will flow with milk, and the streams of Judah will flow abundantly. A fountain will spring from the Temple of the LORD, to water the Valley of the Acacias.

¹¹ I am baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

⁸ I baptized you with water, but it is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁶ John replied to all of them, “I’m baptizing you with water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I’m not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

³¹ I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

¹ The Coming of the Holy SpiritWhen the day of Pentecost was being celebrated, all of them were together in one place. ² Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

¹⁶ Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸ In those days I will even pour out my Spirit on my slaves, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹ I will display wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and clouds of smoke. ²⁰ The sun will become dark, and the moon turn to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord. ²¹ Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

⁴⁵ Then the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the gentiles, too,

¹⁵ “When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he was first given to us. ¹⁶ Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

⁴ Then Paul said, “John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.”

¹³ For by one Spirit all of us—Jews and Greeks, slaves and free—were baptized into one body and were all privileged to drink from one Spirit.

⁵ ‘Twas not for deeds that we had done, but by his steadfast love alone, he saved us through a second birth, renewed us by the Spirit’s work,

¹⁰ The scepter will never depart from Judah, nor a ruler’s staff from between his feet, until the One comes, who owns them both, and to him will belong the allegiance of nations.

²⁶ Let me restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you’ll be called ‘The Righteous City’ and ‘The Faithful City of Zion’.

⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the growth of his government and peace there will be no end. He will rule over his kingdom, sitting on the throne of David, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will accomplish this.

⁵ “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I’ll raise up a righteous branch for David. He will be a king who rules wisely, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ In his time Judah will be delivered and Israel will dwell in safety. This is the name by which he will be known: ‘The LORD Our Righteousness.’

¹⁵ In those days and at that time I’ll cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he will uphold justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶ At that time Judah will be delivered and Jerusalem will dwell in safety. And this is the name people will call it, “The LORD is Our Righteousness.”’ ¹⁷ For this is what the LORD says: ‘David will never be without a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel,

²⁶ then I might reject the descendants of Jacob and my servant David by not taking some of his descendants as rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Indeed, I’ll restore their fortunes, and I’ll have compassion on them.’”

²⁴ David’s Rule as King“‘“My servant King David will be there for them, and one shepherd will be appointed for them. They will live according to my decrees, keep my regulations, and practice them. ²⁵ They will live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob and on which your ancestors lived. They will live in that land, along with their children and grandchildren, forever. David my servant will be their everlasting leader. ²⁶ I’ll make a secure covenant with them, one that will last forever. I will establish them, make them increase in population, and will place my sanctuary in their midst forever. ²⁷ I will pitch my tent among them and will be their God. They will be my people,

²⁷ Then the kingdom, authority, and magnificence of all nations of the earth will be given to the people who are the saints of the Highest One. His kingdom will endure forever, and all authorities will serve him and obey him.’

⁴ Likewise, the people of Israel will dwell a long time without a king, without a prince, without sacrifice, without sacred pillars, and with neither ephod nor teraphim.

¹⁶ “The LORD will roar from Zion, and shout from Jerusalem. The heavens and the earth will shake, but the LORD will be the refuge of his people, and the strength of the people of Israel.”
¹⁷ God’s Blessings on His People“And truly you will know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no foreigners will invade her again. ¹⁸ It will come about at that time that the mountains will drip with newly pressed wine, the hills will flow with milk, and the streams of Judah will flow abundantly. A fountain will spring from the Temple of the LORD, to water the Valley of the Acacias. ¹⁹ Egypt will be desolate, and Edom will be a desert, because of violence against the people of Judah since they shed innocent blood in their land. ²⁰ But Judah will live forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. ²¹ I will acquit their bloodguilt that has not yet been acquitted. For the LORD lives in Zion!”

¹¹ Israel to be Restored“At that time I will restore David’s fallen tent, restoring its torn places. I will restore its ruins, rebuilding it as it was long ago,

¹⁷ “But there will be a delivered remnant on Mount Zion. There will be holiness, and the house of Jacob will take back their possessions. ¹⁸ “The house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau will be kindling. Then Jacob and Joseph will burn and consume Esau, and no survivor will remain from the house of Esau.” Indeed, the LORD has spoken it. ¹⁹ “Those in the Negev will possess Esau’s Mountain, and those in the Shephelah the Philistines. They will possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria, while Benjamin will possess the territory of Gilead. ²⁰ The exiles, the Israeli host, will possess the territory of the Canaanites all the way to Zarephath. The exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev. ²¹ Deliverers will assemble on Mount Zion to judge Esau’s Mountain, and to the LORD will the kingdom belong!”

² The Ruler from Bethlehem“As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the clans of Judah, nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me will emerge from you. His existence has been from antiquity, even from eternity.

¹⁵ The LORD has acquitted you; turning back your adversaries. Israel’s king, the LORD, is among you; you will not fear disaster anymore. ¹⁶ “When all of this happens, it will be told Jerusalem, ‘Don’t be afraid!” and to Zion, ‘Don’t lose courage!” ¹⁷ The LORD your God among you is powerful— he will save and he will take joyful delight in you. In his love he will renew you with his love; he will celebrate with singing because of you.

⁹ The Coming of Zion’s King“Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; cry out, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you. He is righteous, and he is able to save. He is humble, and is riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

¹¹ He answered them, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things.

²¹ He asked her, “What do you want?”
She told him, “Promise that in your kingdom these two sons of mine will sit on your right and on your left.”

³ Cults, Revolutions, Famines, and Earthquakes
While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things take place, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

¹² He told them, “Elijah is indeed coming first and will restore all things. Why, then, is it written that the Son of Man must suffer a great deal and be treated shamefully?

²⁰ The Coming of the Kingdom
Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with a visible display.

¹¹ The Parable about the CoinsAs they were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and because the people thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately.

²⁹ And I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred a kingdom on me,

²¹ When Peter saw him, he said, “Lord, what about him?”

²⁹ “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but what has been revealed belongs to us and to our children forever, so that we might observe the words of this Law.”

²¹ It is God who alters the times and seasons, and he removes kings and promotes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

²³ He told them, “You will indeed drink from my cup. But it’s not up to me to grant you a seat at my right hand or at my left. These positions have already been prepared for others by my Father.”

³⁶ The Unknown Day and Hour of Messiah’s Return
“No one knows when that day or hour will come—not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,

⁴⁰ But it’s not up to me to grant you a seat at my right or my left. Those positions have already been prepared for others.”

³² The Unknown Day and Hour of the Messiah’s Return
“No one knows when that day or hour will come—not the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.

²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword and be carried off as captives among all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the unbelievers until the times of the unbelievers are fulfilled.”

²⁶ From one man he made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth, fixing the seasons of the year and the national boundaries within which they live,

¹⁰ to usher in the fullness of the times and to bring together in the Messiah all things in heaven and on earth.

¹ Be Ready for the Day of the LordNow you do not need to have anything written to you about times and dates, brothers, ² for you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

¹⁵ At the right time, he will make him known. God is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

¹ What People will be Like in the Last DaysYou must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come.

²⁷ All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD; all the families of the nations will bow in submission to the LORD.

³ He has remembered his gracious love; his faithfulness toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth saw our God’s deliverance.

¹⁰ Praise in Song to GodSing to the LORD a new song, and his praise from the ends of the earth, you who sail down the sea and by everything in it, you coastlands and their inhabitants.

⁶ he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Israel and bring back those of Jacob I have preserved. I’ll also make you as a light to the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.

¹⁰ The LORD has bared his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

¹⁹ “I will put up signs among them, and from them I will send survivors to the nations—to Tarshish, Libya, and Lydia, (who draw the bow), to Tubal and Greece, to the far off coastlands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. Then they will proclaim my glory among the nations.

¹⁹ LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a time of difficulty, to you the nations will come, and from the ends of the earth they’ll say, “Surely our ancestors inherited deception, things that are worthless, and in which there is no profit.”

⁸ The Message of God’s Prophet“As for me, I am truly filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, filled with judgment and power to announce to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.

⁶ The LORD’s First Charge to ZerubbabelThen he replied to me, “This is this message from the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by valor nor by strength, but only by my Spirit,’ says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

¹⁹ Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

¹⁵ Then he told them, “As you go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to everyone.

³⁵ The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will surround you. Therefore, the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God.

¹⁹ Look! I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to destroy all the enemy’s power, and nothing will ever hurt you.

²⁹ But they strongly urged him, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the daylight is nearly gone.” So he went in to stay with them.

²⁷ You will testify also, because you have been with me from the beginning.

⁵ because John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days from now.”

²² beginning when he was baptized by John until the day he was taken up from us. Therefore, someone like this must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”

³² “It was this very Jesus whom God raised—and we’re all witnesses of that.

¹⁵ and you killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses to that.

³³ With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was on them all,

³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him.”

⁸ Stephen is ArrestedNow Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

¹ The Church is ScatteredNow Saul heartily approved of putting Stephen to death. That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except for the apostles was scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.

⁵ Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began to preach the Messiah to the people. ⁶ The crowds, hearing his message and seeing the signs that he was doing, paid close attention to what was said by Philip. ⁷ Unclean spirits screamed with a loud voice as they came out of the many people they had possessed, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. ⁸ As a result, there was great rejoicing in that city.
⁹ Now in that city there was a man named Simon. He was practicing occult arts and thrilling the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. ¹⁰ Everyone from the least to the greatest paid close attention to him, saying, “This is what we call the great power of God!” ¹¹ They paid careful attention to him because he had thrilled them for a long time with his occult performances. ¹² But when Philip proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and about the name of Jesus the Messiah, men and women believed and were baptized. ¹³ Even Simon believed, and after he was baptized he became devoted to Philip. He was amazed to see the signs and great miracles that were happening.
¹⁴ Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaritans had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵ They went down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ Before this, he had not come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money ¹⁹ and said, “Give me this power too, so that when I lay my hands on someone, he will receive the Holy Spirit.”
²⁰ But Peter told him, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s free gift with money! ²¹ You have no part or share in what we’re saying, because your heart isn’t right with God. ²² So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you’re being poisoned by bitterness and you’re a prisoner of wickedness!”
²⁴ Simon answered, “Both of you pray to the Lord for me that none of the things you have said will happen to me.”
²⁵ After they had given their testimony and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, continuing to proclaim the good news in many Samaritan villages.

³⁸ God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil. ³⁹ We are witnesses of everything Jesus did in the land of the Jews, including Jerusalem.
“They hung him on a tree and killed him, ⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear— ⁴¹ not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by God to be witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

¹⁵ because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.

¹⁸ But I ask, “Didn’t they hear?” Certainly they did! In fact, “Their voice has gone out into the whole world, and their words to the ends of the earth.”

¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of the Messiah from Jerusalem as far as Illyricum.

²³ However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

³ I will give my two witnesses who wear sackcloth the authority to prophesy for 1,260 days.”
⁴ These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands standing in the presence of the Lord of the earth. ⁵ And if anyone should want to hurt them, fire comes out of their mouths and burns up their enemies. If anyone wants to hurt them, he must be killed in this manner. ⁶ These witnesses have authority to close the heavens in order to keep rain from falling while they are prophesying. They also have authority to turn bodies of water into blood and to strike the earth with any plague, as often as they desire.

⁹ The LORD told Moses, “Look, I’m coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may listen when I speak with you and always believe you.” Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.

⁵ The LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

¹⁸ You ascended to the heights, you took captives. You received gifts among mankind, even the rebellious, so the LORD God may live there.

¹ A Rebuke to EgyptA message about Egypt: “Watch out! The LORD rides on a swift cloud, and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.

¹³ The Vision of the Son of Man“I continued to observe the night vision—and look!—someone like the Son of Man was coming, accompanied by heavenly clouds. He approached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

¹⁹ Jesus is Taken Up to Heaven
So the Lord Jesus, after talking with his disciples, was taken up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

²⁷ Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.

⁵⁰ Jesus is Taken up to Heaven
Later, he led them out as far as Bethany, lifted up his hands, and blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven.

² up to the day when he was taken up to heaven after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

⁸ That is why God says, “When he went up to the highest place, he led captives into captivity and gave gifts to people.”
⁹ Now what does this “he went up” mean except that he also had gone down into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ The one who went down is the same one who went up above all the heavens so that all things would be fulfilled. ¹¹ And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints, to do the work of ministry, and to build up the body of the Messiah

⁷ Look! He is coming in the clouds. Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him.So be it! Amen.

¹² Then the witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven calling to them, “Come up here!” So they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.

⁴ They have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins, and they follow the lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from among humanity as the first fruits for God and the lamb.

¹¹ As they continued on, talking as they went, suddenly chariots blazing with fire and pulled by fiery horses appeared, separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a wind storm to heaven! ¹² As Elisha continued to watch, he cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and its cavalry!” Then he did not see Elijah anymore.
After this, Elisha gripped his clothes that he was wearing, tore them apart into two pieces,

⁹ The Vision of the Ancient of Days“I kept on watching until the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothes were white, like snow, and the hair on his head was like pure wool. His throne burned with flaming fire, and its wheels burned with fire.

² His appearance was changed in front of them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.

³ His appearance was bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

⁵ As they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were utterly astonished.

⁴ While they were puzzling over this, two men in dazzling robes suddenly stood beside them.

¹² She saw two angels in white clothes who were sitting down, one at the head and the other at the foot of the place where Jesus’ body had been lying.

³ One day, about three in the afternoon, he had a vision and clearly saw an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

³⁰ Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my home. All at once a man in radiant clothes stood in front of me

⁴ But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me in white clothes because they are worthy.

¹⁴ I told him, “Sir, you know.”
Then he told me, “These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.

¹³ The Vision of the Son of Man“I continued to observe the night vision—and look!—someone like the Son of Man was coming, accompanied by heavenly clouds. He approached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. ¹⁴ To him dominion was bestowed, along with glory and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and languages are to serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion—it will never pass away—and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

²⁷ The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to what he has done.

³⁰ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all ‘the tribes of the land will mourn’ when they see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory.

³¹ The Judgment of the Nations“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.

²⁶ Then people will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory.

⁷⁰ Again he denied it.
After a little while, the people who were standing there began to say to Peter again, “Obviously you’re one of them, because you are a Galilean!”

⁵ While the women remained terrified, bowing their faces to the ground, the men asked them, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is living?

³ And since I’m going away to prepare a place for you, I’ll come back again and welcome you into my presence, so that you may be where I am.

⁷ Stunned and amazed, they asked, “All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren’t they?

¹² When Peter saw this, he told the people: “Fellow Israelis, why are you wondering about this, and why are you staring at us as if by our own power or godliness we made him walk?

¹⁰ and to wait for his Son whom he raised from the dead to come back from heaven. This Jesus is the one who rescues us from the coming wrath.

¹⁶ With a shout of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of God’s trumpet, the Lord himself will come down from heaven, and the dead who belong to the Messiah will rise first.

⁷ and to give us who are afflicted relief when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ⁸ in blazing fire. He will take revenge on those who do not know God and on those who refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ Such people will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction by being separated from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious power ¹⁰ when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be regarded with wonder on that day by all who have believed—including you, because you believed our testimony.

⁴ His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a very large valley, with half of the mountain moving toward the north and half toward the south.

¹ The King Enters Jerusalem
When they came near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples on ahead and

³⁰ After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³⁷ Now during the day Jesus would teach in the Temple, but when evening came he would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives.

⁵⁰ Jesus is Taken up to Heaven
Later, he led them out as far as Bethany, lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

⁵² They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy.

¹⁸ Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away,

¹⁸ Jesus Calls Four Fishermen
While Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, because they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fishers of people!” ²⁰ So at once they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ Going on from there he saw two other brothers—James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee repairing their nets. When he called them, ²² they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.

⁹ Jesus Calls Matthew
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s desk and told him, “Follow me.” So he got up and followed him.

¹⁴ As he was walking along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax collector’s desk. Jesus told him, “Follow me!” So Levi got up and followed him.

³⁷ Jesus allowed no one to go further with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

² Jesus’ Appearance is Changed
Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone with him. His appearance was changed in front of them,

¹⁵ Then he will show you a large upstairs room that is furnished and ready. Get everything ready for us there.”

³³ He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to feel distressed and troubled.

²⁷ Jesus Calls Levi
After that, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector’s desk. He told him, “Follow me!” ²⁸ So Levi left everything behind, got up, and followed him.
²⁹ Later, Levi gave a large banquet at his home for Jesus. A large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

¹² Then he will show you a large upstairs room that is furnished. Get things ready for us there.”

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and say to him, “We have found the Anointed One!” (which is translated “Messiah”).
⁴² He led Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him intently and said, “You are Simon, John’s son. You will be called Cephas!” (which is translated “Peter”).
⁴³ Jesus Calls Philip and NathanielThe next day, Jesus decided to go away to Galilee, where he found Philip and told him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.
⁴⁵ Philip found Nathaniel and told him, “We have found the man about whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote—Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
⁴⁶ Nathaniel asked him, “From Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?”
Philip told him, “Come and see!”

⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ Jesus said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.
⁷ Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread isn’t enough for each of them to have a little.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas, who was called the Twin, told his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too, so that we may die with him!”

²¹ They went to Philip (who was from Bethsaida in Galilee) and told him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”
²² Philip went and told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

²³ One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus kept loving, had been sitting very close to him.
²⁴ So Simon Peter motioned to this man to ask Jesus about whom he was speaking. ²⁵ Leaning forward on Jesus’ chest, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

⁸ Philip told him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will satisfy us.”
⁹ “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?” Jesus asked him. “The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

¹⁷ The young woman at the gate asked Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples, too, are you?”
“I am not,” he replied.

²⁵ Peter Denies Jesus Again
Meanwhile, Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. Some people asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples, too, are you?”
He denied it by saying, “I am not!”
²⁶ Then one of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “I saw you in the garden with Jesus, didn’t I?” ²⁷ Peter again denied it, and immediately a rooster crowed.

²⁶ A week later, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were shut, Jesus came, stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he told Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Take your hand, and put it into my side. Stop doubting, but believe.”
²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
²⁹ Jesus told him, “Is it because you’ve seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!”

² Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two of his other disciples were together.

¹⁵ Jesus Speaks with PeterWhen they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Peter told him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.”
¹⁶ Then he asked him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter told him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus told him, “Take care of my sheep.” ¹⁷ He asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So he told him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!”
Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ “Truly, I tell you emphatically, when you were young, you would fasten your belt and go wherever you liked. But when you get old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten your belt and take you where you don’t want to go.” ¹⁹ Now he said this to show by what kind of death he would glorify God.
After saying this, Jesus told him, “Keep following me.”
²⁰ Jesus and the Beloved DisciplePeter turned around and noticed the disciple whom Jesus kept loving following them. He was the one who had put his head on Jesus’ chest at the supper and had asked, “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”
²¹ When Peter saw him, he said, “Lord, what about him?”
²² Jesus told him, “If it’s my will for him to remain until I come back, how does that concern you? You must keep following me!” ²³ So the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple wasn’t going to die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to Peter that he wasn’t going to die, but, “If it’s my will for him to remain until I come back, how does that concern you?”
²⁴ This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them down. We know that his testimony is true.

¹⁴ Peter Addresses the CrowdThen Peter stood up among the eleven apostles and raised his voice to address them:
“Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand something, so pay close attention to my words.

³⁸ Peter answered them, “Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.

¹ A Crippled Man is HealedOne afternoon, Peter and John were on their way to the Temple for the three o’clock prayer time. ² Now a man who had been crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day people would lay him at what was called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from those who were going into the Temple. ³ When he saw that Peter and John were about to go into the Temple, he asked them to give him something.
⁴ Peter, along with John, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look at us!” ⁵ So the man watched them closely, expecting to get something from them. ⁶ However, Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold, but I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus the Messiah from Nazareth, walk!” ⁷ Then Peter took hold of his right hand and began to help him up. Immediately his feet and ankles became strong, ⁸ and he sprang to his feet, stood up, and began to walk. Then he went with them into the Temple, walking, jumping, and praising God.
⁹ When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they knew that he was the man who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

¹³ Now when the Jewish leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus.

¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, “You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God,

³² Aeneas is HealedNow when Peter was going around among all of the disciples, he also visited the saints living in Lydda. ³³ There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. ³⁴ Peter told him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Messiah is healing you. Get up and put away your mat!” At once he got up, ³⁵ and all the people who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
³⁶ Tabitha is HealedIn Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was known for her good actions and acts of charity that she was always doing. ³⁷ At that time, she got sick and died. After they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room. ³⁸ Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him and begged him, “Come here quickly!” ³⁹ So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him upstairs. All the widows gathered around Peter, crying and showing him all the shirts and coats Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
⁴⁰ Peter made them all go outside. After kneeling down, he prayed, turned to the body, and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹ He extended his hand and helped her get up. Then he called the saints, including the widows, and gave her back to them alive. ⁴² What happened became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ Meanwhile, Peter stayed in Joppa for several days with Simon, a leatherworker.

⁹ Peter Has a VisionAround noon the next day, while they were on their way and coming close to the town, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became very hungry and wanted to eat, and while the food was being prepared, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and saw heaven open and something like a large linen sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the ground. ¹² In it were all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds of the air.
¹³ Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter! Kill something and eat it.”
¹⁴ But Peter said, “Absolutely not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean!”
¹⁵ Again the voice came to him a second time, “You must stop calling unclean what God has made clean.” ¹⁶ This happened three times. Then the sheet was quickly taken back into heaven.
¹⁷ While Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men sent by Cornelius asked for Simon’s house and went to the gate. ¹⁸ They called out and asked if Simon who was called Peter was staying there. ¹⁹ Peter was still thinking about the vision when the Spirit told him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. ²⁰ Get up, go downstairs, and don’t hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
²¹ So Peter went to the men and said, “I’m the man you’re looking for. Why are you here?”
²² The men replied, “Cornelius, a centurion and an upright and God-fearing man who is respected by the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his home to hear what you have to say.”
²³ So Peter welcomed them as his guests. The next day, he got up and went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along with him.
²⁴ Peter Speaks with CorneliusThe next day, they arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called his relatives and close friends together. ²⁵ When Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him, bowed down at his feet, and began to worship him. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up! I, too, am only a man.”
²⁷ As Peter talked with him, he went in and found that many people had gathered. ²⁸ He told them, “You understand how wrong it is for a Jew to associate or visit with unbelievers. But God has shown me that I should stop calling anyone common or unclean, ²⁹ and that is why I didn’t hesitate when I was sent for. Now may I ask why you sent for me?”
³⁰ Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my home. All at once a man in radiant clothes stood in front of me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard. God has remembered your gifts to the poor, ³² so send messengers to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, to come to you. He is a guest in the home of Simon, a leatherworker, by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. All of us are here now in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has ordered you to say.”

² He even had James, the brother of John, killed with a sword. ³ When he saw how this was agreeable to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter, too. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

¹⁷ He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet, and then he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He added, “Tell this to James and the brothers.” Then he left and went somewhere else.

⁷ After a lengthy debate, Peter stood up and told them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days, God chose me to be the one among you through whom the gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows everyone’s heart, showed them he approved by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. ⁹ He made no distinction between them and us, because of their faith-cleansed hearts. ¹⁰ So why do you test God by putting on the disciples’ neck a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we could carry? ¹¹ We certainly believe that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, that we are saved, just as they are.”

¹³ After Paul and Barnabas had finished speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me:

⁸ Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.

⁷ Next he was seen by James, then by all the apostles,

¹⁹ But I did not see any other apostle except James, the Lord’s brother.

⁹ So when James, Cephas, and John (who were reputed to be leaders) recognized the grace that had been given me, they gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised.

¹ GreetingsFrom: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.
To: The twelve tribes in the Dispersion.
Greetings.

¹ Jesus, the Word of LifeWhat existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we observed and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life! ² This life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. ³ What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Messiah. ⁴ We are writing these things so that our joy may be full.
⁵ Living in the LightThis is the message that we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness—none at all!

¹ Greetings from JohnFrom: The Elder
To: The chosen lady and her children, whom I genuinely love, and not only I but also all who know the truth, ² that is present in us and will be with us forever.
³ Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus the Messiah, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
⁴ Living in the TruthI was overjoyed to find some of your children living truthfully, just as the Father has commanded us. ⁵ Dear lady, I am now requesting of you that we all continue to love one another. It is not as though I am writing to give you a new commandment, but one that we have had from the beginning. ⁶ And this is what demonstrates love: that we live according to God’s commandments. Just as you have heard from the beginning what he commanded, you must live by it.
⁷ Reject False TeachersFor many deceivers have gone out into the world. They refuse to acknowledge Jesus the Messiah as having become human. Any such person is a deceiver and an antichrist. ⁸ See to it that you don’t destroy what we have worked for, but that you receive your full reward. ⁹ Everyone who does not remain true to the teaching of the Messiah, but goes beyond it, does not have God. The person who remains true to the teaching of the Messiah has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you but does not present his teachings, do not receive him into your house or even welcome him, ¹¹ because the one who welcomes him shares in his evil deeds.
¹² Final GreetingAlthough I have a great deal to write to you, I would prefer not to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. ¹³ The children of your chosen sister greet you.

¹ Greetings from JohnFrom: The Elder
To: My dear friend Gaius, whom I genuinely love.
² Encouragement for GaiusDear friend, I pray that you are doing well in every way and that you are healthy, just as your soul is healthy. ³ I was overjoyed when some brothers arrived and testified about your truthfulness and how you live according to the truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living according to the truth.
⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in whatever you do for the brothers, especially when they are strangers. ⁶ They have testified before the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. ⁷ After all, they went on their trip for the sake of the Name, accepting no support from gentiles. ⁸ Therefore, we ought to support such people so that we can become genuine helpers with them.
⁹ Criticism of DiotrephesI wrote a letter to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge, will not recognize our authority. ¹⁰ For this reason, when I come I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with that, he refuses to receive the brothers. He even tries to stop those who want to accept them and throws them out of the church.
¹¹ Praise for DemetriusDear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The person who does what is good is from God. The person who does what is evil has never seen God. ¹² Demetrius has received a good report from everyone, including the truth itself. We, too, can testify to this report, and you know that our testimony is true.
¹³ Final GreetingAlthough I have a great deal to write to you, I would rather not write with pen and ink. ¹⁴ Instead, I hope to see you soon and speak face to face.
May peace be with you! Your friends greet you. Greet each of our friends by name.

¹ GreetingsFrom: Jude, a servant of Jesus the Messiah, and yet a brother of James.
To: Those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept safe by Jesus, the Messiah.

¹ The Revelation of Jesus the Messiah to the Seven ChurchesThis is the revelation of Jesus the Messiah, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He made it known by sending his messenger to his servant John, ² who testified about this message from God and the testimony about Jesus the Messiah. ³ How blessed is the one who reads aloud and those who hear the words of this prophecy and obey what is written in it, for the time is near!

⁴⁶ The True Family of Jesus
While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.

⁵⁵ This is the builder’s son, isn’t it? His mother is named Mary, isn’t she? His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, aren’t they? ⁵⁶ And his sisters are all with us, aren’t they? So where did this man get all these things?”

¹⁹ Furthermore, I tell all of you with certainty that if two of you agree on earth about anything you request, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven, ²⁰ because where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.”

²² You will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe.”

⁵⁵ Now many women were also there, watching from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to him.

³¹ The True Family of Jesus
Then his mother and his brothers arrived. Milling around outside, they sent for him, continuously summoning him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him. They told him, “Look! Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”
³³ He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ Then looking at the people sitting around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

⁴⁰ Now there were women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of young James and Joseph, and Salome.

¹ Jesus is Raised from the Dead
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Jesus.

² as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses: Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; ³ Joanna, the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza; Susanna; and many others. These women continued to support them out of their personal resources.

¹ The Parable about the Judge and the WidowJesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray all the time and never give up.

⁴⁹ But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, were standing at a distance watching these things.

⁵⁵ So the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee, following close behind, saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

¹⁰ The women who told the apostles about it were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some others.

⁵³ They were continually in the Temple, blessing God.

²⁵ Meanwhile, standing near Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he kept loving standing there, he told his mother, “Dear lady, here is your son.”

¹ The Coming of the Holy SpiritWhen the day of Pentecost was being celebrated, all of them were together in one place.

⁴² Life among the BelieversThe believers continued to devote themselves to what the apostles were teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to times of prayer.

⁴⁶ United in purpose, they went to the Temple every day, ate at each other’s homes, and shared their food with glad and humble hearts.

²⁴ When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, you made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵ You said by the Holy Spirit through the voice of our ancestor, your servant David,‘Why do the unbelievers rage, and the people devise useless plots? ²⁶ The kings of the earth take their stand, and rulers meet together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’
²⁷ For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ²⁸ to carry out everything that your hand and will had predetermined to take place. ²⁹ Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow your servants to speak your word boldly ³⁰ as you stretch out your hand to heal and to perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
³¹ When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak messages from God boldly.

⁴ Then we’ll devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in trouble, and persistent in prayer.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request. Likewise, be alert with your most diligent efforts and pray for all the saints.

² Closing ExhortationsDevote yourselves to prayer. Be alert and thankful when you pray.

⁵ My sin I acknowledged to you; my iniquity I did not hide. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin! Interlude ⁶ Therefore every godly person should pray to you at such a time. Surely a flood of great waters will not reach him.

⁹ Hide your countenance from my sins and erase the record of my iniquities. ¹⁰ God, create a pure heart in me, and renew a right attitude within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence; do not take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and let a willing attitude control me. ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors about your ways, and sinners will turn to you.

³¹ The Parables about a Mustard Seed and Yeast
He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom from heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.

³² but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail. When you have come back, you must strengthen your brothers.”

¹² Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, the one who believes in me will also do what I’m doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I’m going to the Father.

¹⁵ Jesus Speaks with PeterWhen they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Peter told him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.”
¹⁶ Then he asked him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter told him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus told him, “Take care of my sheep.” ¹⁷ He asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So he told him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!”
Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.

²³ So the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple wasn’t going to die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to Peter that he wasn’t going to die, but, “If it’s my will for him to remain until I come back, how does that concern you?”

²⁰ When they heard about it, they praised God and told him, “You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and all of them are zealous for the Law.

⁶ After that, he was seen by more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

¹³ At that moment a powerful earthquake struck. One-tenth of the city collapsed, 7,000 people were killed by the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

² The Spirit of the LORD speaks within me; his word is on my tongue!

⁹ As for my best friend, the one in whom I trusted, the one who ate my bread, even he has insulted me!

¹² For it is not an enemy who insults me— I could have handled that— nor is it someone who hates me and who now arises against me— I could have hidden myself from him— ¹³ but it is you— a man whom I treated as my equal— my personal confidant, my close friend! ¹⁴ We had good fellowship together; and we even walked together in the house of God! ¹⁵ Let death seize them! May they be plunged alive into the afterlife, for wicked things are in their homes and among them.

⁴⁷ Jesus is Arrested
Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. A large crowd armed with swords and clubs was with him. They were from the high priests and elders of the people.

⁵⁴ How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say this must happen?”

⁵⁶ But all of this has happened so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Then all the disciples deserted Jesus and ran away.

³⁶ David himself said by the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord told my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

⁴³ Jesus is Arrested
Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. A crowd armed with swords and clubs was with him. They were from the high priests, the scribes, and the elders.

⁴⁷ Jesus is Arrested
While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd arrived. The man called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them, and he came close to Jesus to kiss him.

³⁵ If he called those to whom a message from God came ‘gods’ (and the Scripture cannot be disregarded),

³⁸ so that what the prophet Isaiah spoke might be fulfilled when he said: “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the Lord’s power been revealed?”
³⁹ This is why they could not believe: Isaiah also said, ⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they might not perceive with their eyes, and understand with their mind and turn, and I would heal them.”

² Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. ³ So Judas took a detachment of soldiers and some officers from the high priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
⁴ Then Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen, went forward and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
⁵ They answered him, “Jesus from Nazareth.”
Jesus told them, “I AM.” Judas, the man who betrayed him, was standing with them.
⁶ When Jesus told them, “I AM,” they backed away and fell to the ground.
⁷ So he asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus from Nazareth.”
⁸ Jesus replied, “I told you that I am the one, so if you are looking for me, let these men go.”

²⁸ Jesus Dies on the Cross
After this, when Jesus realized that everything was now completed, he said (in order to fulfill the Scripture), “I’m thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of sour wine was standing there, so they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. ³⁰ After Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.

³⁶ because these things happened so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “None of his bones will be broken.”

²⁰ “For in the Book of Psalms it is written, ‘Let his estate be desolate, and let no one live on it,’ and, ‘Let someone else take over his office,’

²³ After he was arrested according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified this very man and killed him using the hands of lawless men.

²⁹ “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and that his tomb is among us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, since he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him with an oath to put one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he looked ahead and spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah: ‘He was not abandoned to Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.’

³⁷ When the crowd that had gathered heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

²⁵ You said by the Holy Spirit through the voice of our ancestor, your servant David,‘Why do the unbelievers rage, and the people devise useless plots? ²⁶ The kings of the earth take their stand, and rulers meet together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’
²⁷ For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ²⁸ to carry out everything that your hand and will had predetermined to take place.

² Stephen replied: “Listen, brothers and fathers! “The glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran.

¹⁵ After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders asked them, “Brothers, if you have any message of encouragement for the people, you may speak.”

²⁶ “My brothers, descendants of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the message of this salvation has been sent. ²⁷ For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders, not knowing who Jesus was, condemned him and so fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. ²⁸ Although they found no reason to sentence him to death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ When they had finished doing everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.

³⁸ “Therefore, brothers, you must understand that through him the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

⁷ After a lengthy debate, Peter stood up and told them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days, God chose me to be the one among you through whom the gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe.

¹ “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I am now making before you.”

¹ Paul Defends HimselfPaul looked straight at the Council and said, “Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty before God up to this very day.”

⁶ When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, “Brothers, I’m a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I’m on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected.”

¹⁷ Paul in RomeThree days later, Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. When they assembled, he told them, “Brothers, although I haven’t done anything against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

²⁵ They disagreed with one another as they were leaving, so Paul added this statement: “The Holy Spirit was so right when he spoke to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah!

⁷ A Rest for the People of GodTherefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, ⁸ do not harden your hearts as they did when they provoked me during the time of testing in the wilderness.

¹¹ They tried to find out what era or specific time the Spirit of the Messiah in them kept referring to when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.

²¹ It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and turn their backs on the holy commandment that was committed to them.

⁴ Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.

¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

¹⁶ Judas (the son of James), and Judas Iscariot (who became a traitor).

⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, “I chose you, the Twelve, didn’t I? Yet one of you is a devil.” ⁷¹ Now he was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, because this man was going to betray him, even though he was one of the Twelve.

¹² While I was with them, I protected them by the authority that you gave me. I guarded them, and not one of them became lost except the one who was destined for destruction, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

²⁵ to serve in this office of apostle, from which Judas left to go to his own place.”

²⁵ When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission, they returned to Jerusalem, bringing with them John who was also called Mark.

²⁴ But I don’t place any value on my life, if only I can finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

¹⁹ After greeting them, Paul related one by one the things that God had done among the gentiles through his ministry.

¹ Treasure in Clay JarsTherefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown to us, we do not get discouraged.

¹⁸ All of this comes from God, who has reconciled us to himself through the Messiah and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

⁷ So the elders of Moab and Midian left to visit Balaam, bringing an honorarium with them, and communicated Balak’s concerns to him.

¹⁷ I’m determined to reward you generously, and I’ll do everything you tell me to do. So come right away and curse this people for me.’”

²¹ I noticed among the war spoils a beautiful mantle from Shinar, 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels. Because I wanted them, I took them, and they’re buried in the ground inside my tent. The silver is underneath.”
²² So Joshua sent some messengers, who ran to the tent. And there it was, hidden in the tent with the silver underneath. ²³ They took the things from the tent that had been turned over to destruction, brought them to Joshua and all of the Israelis, and laid them out in the presence of the LORD. ²⁴ Then Joshua, with all Israel accompanying him, took Zerah’s son Achan, along with the silver, the mantle, the gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and everything that belonged to him to the Valley of Achor.
²⁵ Joshua announced, “Why did you bring trouble to us? Today the LORD is bringing trouble to you!” So all Israel stoned him to death, incinerated them, and buried them with stones, ²⁶ piling up a large mound of boulders that remains to this day. After this, the LORD turned his burning anger away, and that is why that place is called “the Valley of Achor” to this day.

²⁰ Gehazi, the attendant to Elisha, the man of God, told himself, “Look how my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman! He declined to take from him what he brought. As the LORD lives, I’m going to run after him and get something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi ran after Naaman.
When Naaman noticed someone running after him, he came down from his chariot, greeted him and asked, “Is everything all right?”
²² Gehazi said, “Everything’s all right. My master sent me to tell you, ‘Just now two men from the Guild of Prophets have arrived from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them each a talent of silver bullion and two sets of clothes.’”
²³ But Naaman said, “Please accept my invitation to take two talents of silver.” He urged him, binding two talents of silver in two bags, along with two sets of clothes. He placed them in the care of two of his young men, and they went on ahead of Gehazi. ²⁴ When he arrived at the stronghold, Gehazi took the bags from their custody and hid them away in the house. Then he sent the men away and they left.
²⁵ Later he went to address his master. Elisha asked him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?”
“Your servant went nowhere in particular,” he said.
²⁶ But Elisha responded, “Didn’t my heart break as the man was turning from his chariot to greet you? Is now the time to receive money? To receive clothes? And olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, servants, or female attendants? ²⁷ Naaman’s leprosy will plague you and your descendants forever!” As he left Elisha’s presence, he was infected with leprosy that looked like white snow.

¹² Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth, though he conceals it under his tongue, ¹³ though he savors it and delays swallowing it so he can taste it again and again in his mouth, ¹⁴ his food will turn rancid in his stomach— it will become a cobra’s poison inside him. ¹⁵ “Though he swallows wealth, he will vomit it; God will dislodge it from his stomach.

¹⁵ Let death seize them! May they be plunged alive into the afterlife, for wicked things are in their homes and among them.

²³ But you, God, bring them down to the Pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful people will not live out half their days. But I put my full confidence in you.

¹⁵ To one man he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, based on their ability. Then he went on his trip.

¹⁴ Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests ¹⁵ and inquired, “What are you willing to give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They offered him 30 pieces of silver,

³ The Death of Judas
Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders, ⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
But they replied, “What do we care? Attend to that yourself.” ⁵ Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, went outside, ran away, and hanged himself.
⁶ The high priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the Temple treasury, because it is blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the Potter’s Field as a burial ground for foreigners. ⁸ That is why that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then what had been declared through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said, “They took the 30 pieces of silver, the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelis, ¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

¹⁵ They have left the straight path and wandered off to follow the path of Bosor’s son Balaam, who loved the reward he got for doing wrong. ¹⁶ But he was rebuked for his offense. A donkey that normally cannot talk spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s insanity.

¹⁶ Each man grabbed his opponent by the head, plunged his sword into his opponent’s side, and then they both fell together. That’s why the place at Gibeon was named The Field of Swords.

¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money, did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

⁴⁰ The tribune gave him permission, and Paul, standing on the steps, motioned for the people to be silent. When everyone had quieted down, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language:

²⁵ May their camp become desolate and their tents remain unoccupied.

⁸ May his days be few; may another take over his position. ⁹ May his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow. ¹⁰ May his children roam around begging, seeking food while driven far from their ruined homes. ¹¹ May creditors seize all his possessions, and may foreigners loot the property he has acquired. ¹² May no one extend gracious love to him, or show favor to his fatherless children. ¹³ May his descendants be eliminated, and their memory be erased from the next generation. ¹⁴ May his ancestors’ guilt be remembered in the LORD’s presence, and may his mother’s guilt not be erased. ¹⁵ May what they have done be continually in the LORD’s presence; and may their memory be excised from the earth.

³ He responded to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the surface of the whole earth, because, according to this side of the scroll, all thieves will be ejected, and according to the other side of the scroll, all liars will be ejected.”
⁴ “I am bringing this about,” declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. “The curse will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who lies in my name. The curse will remain in his house until that house has been completely destroyed, right down to its timber and stones.”

⁴² Because David himself in the book of Psalms says, ‘The Lord told my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,

⁴⁴ Then he told them, “These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.”

³³ he has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’

¹⁷ who will go in and out before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in so that the LORD’S community won’t be like a flock without a shepherd.”

² Then he concluded, “I’m now 120 years old. I’m not able to get around anymore,

² Even back when Saul was our king, it was you who kept on leading Israel out to battle and bringing them back again. The LORD told you, ‘You yourself will shepherd my people Israel and serve as Commander-in-Chief over Israel.’”

⁷ Now, LORD my God, you have set me as king to replace my father David, but I’m still young. I don’t have any leadership skills.

¹ The Mission of the SeventyAfter this, the Lord appointed 70 other disciples and was about to send them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place that he intended to go. ² So he instructed them, “The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest.

¹ The Illustration of the Sheepfold “Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, the person who doesn’t enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a bandit. ² The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ It’s to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it’s his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. ⁵ They’ll never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus used this illustration with them, but they didn’t understand what he was saying to them.
⁷ Jesus the Good ShepherdSo again Jesus said, “Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, I’m the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. ⁹ I’m the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. He’ll come in and go out and find pasture.

¹ John the Baptist Prepares the Way
About this time, John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the Judean wilderness, ² “Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!” ³ He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said, “He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!’” ⁴ John had clothing made of camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of grasshoppers and wild honey.
⁵ Then the people of Jerusalem, all Judea, and the entire region along the Jordan began flocking to him, ⁶ being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins.
⁷ But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! ⁹ Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have father Abraham!’ because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn’t producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I am baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clean up his threshing floor and gather his grain into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire.”
¹³ Jesus is Baptized
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?”
¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be this way for now, because this is the proper way for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
At this, he permitted him to be baptized. ¹⁶ When Jesus had been baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Suddenly, the heavens opened up for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. ¹⁷ Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him!”

¹ John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus
This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. ² As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See! I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way. ³ He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”
⁴ John was baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ People from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were flocking to him, being baptized by him while they confessed their sins. ⁶ Now John was dressed in camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. He ate grasshoppers and wild honey. ⁷ He kept proclaiming, “The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps. ⁸ I baptized you with water, but it is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

¹ John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ² and Annas and Caiaphas high priests, a message from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. ³ John went throughout the entire Jordan region, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight! ⁵ Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled. The crooked ways will be made straight, and the rough roads will be made smooth. ⁶ Everyone will see the salvation that God has provided.’”
⁷ John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have father Abraham!’ because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! ⁹ The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”
¹⁰ The crowds kept asking him, “What, then, should we do?”
¹¹ He answered them, “The person who has two coats must share with the one who doesn’t have any, and the person who has food must do the same.”
¹² Even some tax collectors came to be baptized. They asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
¹³ He told them, “Stop collecting more money than the amount you are told to collect.”
¹⁴ Even some soldiers were asking him, “And what should we do?”
He told them, “Never extort money from anyone by threats or blackmail, and be satisfied with your pay.”
¹⁵ Now the people were filled with expectation, and all of them were wondering if John was perhaps the Messiah. ¹⁶ John replied to all of them, “I’m baptizing you with water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I’m not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor. He’ll gather the grain into his barn, but he’ll burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire.”
¹⁸ With many other exhortations John continued to proclaim the good news to the people.

²⁸ This happened in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
²⁹ The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks above me, because he existed before me.’ ³¹ I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”
³² John also testified, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The person on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen this and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
³⁵ The First DisciplesThe next day, John was standing there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ As he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
³⁸ But when Jesus turned around and saw them following, he asked them, “What are you looking for?”
They asked him, “Rabbi,” (which is translated “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
³⁹ He told them, “Come and see!” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.
⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and say to him, “We have found the Anointed One!” (which is translated “Messiah”).
⁴² He led Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him intently and said, “You are Simon, John’s son. You will be called Cephas!” (which is translated “Peter”).
⁴³ Jesus Calls Philip and NathanielThe next day, Jesus decided to go away to Galilee, where he found Philip and told him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.
⁴⁵ Philip found Nathaniel and told him, “We have found the man about whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote—Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
⁴⁶ Nathaniel asked him, “From Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?”
Philip told him, “Come and see!”
⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said about him, “Look, a genuine Israeli, in whom there is no deceit!”
⁴⁸ Nathaniel asked him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
⁴⁹ Nathaniel replied to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
⁵⁰ Jesus told him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that.” ⁵¹ Then he told him, “Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, you will see heaven standing open and the angels of God going up and coming down to the Son of Man.”

⁸ But you’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you’ll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
⁹ Jesus Goes Up to HeavenAfter saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

²⁴ Before Jesus’ appearance, John had already preached a baptism of repentance to all the people in Israel. ²⁵ When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the Messiah. No, but he is coming after me, and I’m not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’

³ how will we escape if we neglect a salvation as great as this? It was first proclaimed by the Lord himself, and then it was confirmed to us by those who heard him,

²⁶ So they drew lots for them, and when the lot fell on Matthias, he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

²² The Reply of the ChurchThen the apostles, the elders, and the whole church decided to choose some of their men to send with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. These were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, who were leaders among the brothers.

¹⁶ “May the LORD God of the spirits of all living creatures appoint a man over the community

⁷ The LORD told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or his height, for I’ve rejected him. Truly, God does not see what man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”

³⁹ then hear from heaven, the place where you reside, and forgive, repaying each person according to all of his ways, since you know their hearts—for you alone know the hearts of all human beings—

⁹ David Addresses Solomon Directly“Now as for you, my son Solomon, get to know the God of your father. Serve him with a sound heart and a devoted soul, because the LORD is searching every heart, every plan and thought. He will be found by you, assuming you are seeking him, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you forever.

¹⁷ And I know, God, that it is you who searches the heart and you who finds pleasure in righteousness. With a righteous heart I have freely given all these things, and now I have seen all of these people of yours giving freely and joyfully to you!

⁹ Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. For you are the righteous God who discerns the inner thoughts.

²¹ wouldn’t God find out since he knows the secrets of the heart?

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

¹¹ Since Sheol and Abaddon lie open in the LORD’s presence, how much more the hearts of human beings!

²⁰ LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the righteous judge, the one who tests feelings and the heart, let me see your vengeance on them, for I’ve committed my cause to you.

¹⁰ I am the LORD who searches the heart, who tests the inner depths to give to each person according to what he deserves, according to the fruit of his deeds.

¹² LORD of the Heavenly Armies, who tests the righteous, who sees the inner motives and the heart, let me see you take vengeance on them, for I’ve committed my case to you.

¹² Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles
Now it was in those days that Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. ¹³ When daylight came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also called apostles:

²⁴ Jesus, however, did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵ and didn’t need anyone to tell him what people were like, because he himself knew what was in every person.

¹⁷ He asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So he told him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!”
Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.

⁶ They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me to do the work for which I called them.” ³ Then they fasted and prayed, laid their hands on them, and let them go.

²³ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

⁸ God, who knows everyone’s heart, showed them he approved by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.

²⁷ and the one who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, for the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to God’s will.

¹³ No creature can hide from him, but everyone is exposed and helpless before the eyes of the one to whom we must give a word of explanation.

²³ I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will reward each of you as your actions deserve.

¹³ So Saul died for his transgressions; that is, he acted unfaithfully to the LORD by transgressing the message from the LORD (which he did not keep), by consulting a medium for advice, ¹⁴ and by not seeking counsel from the LORD, who therefore put him to death and turned the kingdom over to Jesse’s son David.

⁷ When he is judged, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be regarded as sin.

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who are accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!

⁴⁶ These people will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

²⁴ The Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him. How terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”

³ The Death of Judas
Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders, ⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
But they replied, “What do we care? Attend to that yourself.” ⁵ Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, went outside, ran away, and hanged himself.

²⁷ After he had taken the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus told him, “Do quickly what you are going to do!”

¹⁶ “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus, ¹⁷ because he was one of our number and was appointed to share in this ministry.” ¹⁸ (Now this man bought a field with the money he got for his crime. Falling on his face, he burst open in the middle, and all his intestines gushed out. ¹⁹ This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that this field is called in their language Hakeldama, that is, “The Field of Blood”.) ²⁰ “For in the Book of Psalms it is written, ‘Let his estate be desolate, and let no one live on it,’ and, ‘Let someone else take over his office,’ ²¹ who was one of the men associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus came and went among us,

⁵ Through him we received grace and a commission as an apostle to bring about faithful obedience among all the gentiles for the sake of his name.

² If I am not an apostle to other people, surely I am one to you, for you are the evidence of my apostolic authority from the Lord.

⁸ For the one who worked through Peter by making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me by sending me to the gentiles.

³ In their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. The ancient verdict against them is still in force, and their destruction is not delayed.
⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but threw them into the lowest hell and imprisoned them in chains of deepest darkness, holding them for judgment; ⁵ and if he did not spare the ancient world but protected Noah, a righteous preacher, along with seven others when he brought the flood on the world of ungodly people; ⁶ and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed them by burning them to ashes, making them an example to ungodly people of what is going to happen to them;

⁶ He has also held in eternal chains those angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their assigned place. They are held in deepest darkness for judgment on the great day. ⁷ Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities near them, which like them committed sexual sins and pursued homosexual activities, serve as an example of the punishment of eternal fire.

⁸ Aaron is to cast lots over the two male goats—one lot for the LORD and the other one for the scapegoat.

¹⁰ Joshua threw lots in Shiloh in the LORD’s presence and divided the land accordingly among the Israelis according to their divisions.

⁴¹ Then Saul told the LORD God of Israel, “Judge us properly.” Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the army was cleared. ⁴² Saul said, “Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan,” and Jonathan was selected.

⁵ They were chosen by impartial lottery, since there were trustees of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s descendants and among Ithamar’s descendants.

²² Anyone who has understanding is a fountain of life, but foolishness brings punishment to fools.

⁷ Meanwhile, each crewman told another, “Come on! Let’s cast lots to find out whose fault it is that we’re in this trouble.” So they cast lots, and the lot indicated Jonah!

¹⁹ he destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan. Then God gave their land to the Israelis as an inheritance