Acts 1
1 Truly, I made the first history, O Theophilus, concerning all things which Jesus began both to do and to teach,
[Dear] Theophilus, In my first book [that I wrote for you], I wrote about many of the things that Jesus did and taught
2 from the day on which, having given commandment through the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom He had chosen, He was received up.
until the day on which he was taken {[God] took him} up [to heaven]. Before [he went to heaven], saying what the Holy Spirit [told him], he told the apostles whom he had chosen [the things that he wanted them to know].
3 To whom He also, after He suffered, manifested Himself alive in many testimonials, being seen by them forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God:
After he had suffered [and died on the cross], [he became alive again]. As he appeared to them [often] during [the next] 40 days, the apostles saw him many times. He proved to them in many ways that he was alive again. He talked [with them] about [how] God would rule [MET] [the lives of people who accepted him as their king].
4 and being assembled together with them, He commanded them, Not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father which ye heard from me;
[One time] while he was with them, he told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem [yet]. Instead, wait [here] until my Father sends [his Spirit] [MTY] [to you], as he promised [to do]. You have heard me speak [to you] about that.
5 that John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
John baptized people in water [because they said that they wanted to change their lives], but after a few days [LIT] [God] will put the Holy Spirit within you(pl) [to truly change your lives].”
6 Therefore indeed having assembled, they asked Him saying, Lord, do you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
One day when the [apostles] met together [with Jesus], they asked him, “Lord, will you [(sg)] now become the King [MET] over [us] Israelite people [like King David, who ruled long ago]?” (OR, “Lord, will you [(sg)] now [defeat the Romans and] restore the kingdom [to us] Israelite people?”)
7 He said to them; It is not your province, to know the times or seasons, which the Father placed in His own authority.
He replied to them, “You do not [need] to know the time [periods] and days [when that will happen]. My Father alone has decided [when he will make me king].
8 But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost having come upon you, and shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and in Samaria, and into the extremity of the earth.
But [you do need to know that] the Holy Spirit will make you [spiritually] strong when he comes to live in you. Then you will [powerfully] tell people about me in Jerusalem and in all [the other places in] Judea [district], in Samaria [district], and in places far away all over [IDM] the world.”
9 And having spoken these words, they looking, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him from their eyes.
After he said that, he was taken {[God] took him} up [to heaven], while they were watching. [He went up into] a cloud [PRS], which prevented them from seeing him [any more].
10 And while they were gazing up into the heaven, He going, and behold, two men stood by them in white garments, who also said,
While [the apostles] were [still] staring towards the sky as he was going up, suddenly two men who were wearing white clothes stood beside them. [They were angels].
11 Ye Galilean men, why stand you looking up into the heaven? this same Jesus, the One having been received up into the heaven, will so come in the manner in which you saw Him going up into the heaven.
One [of] them said, “You men from Galilee [district], (you do not need to stand [here any longer] looking up at the sky!/why do you still stand [here] looking up at the sky?) [RHQ] [Some day] this same Jesus, whom [God] took from you up to heaven, will come back [to earth]. He will return in the same manner as you [just now] saw him when he went up to heaven, [but he will not return now].”
12 Then they returned into Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, being a journey of a Sabbath day.
Then [after the two angels left], the apostles returned to Jerusalem from Olive [Tree] Hill, which was about (a half mile/one kilometer) [MTY] from Jerusalem.
13 And when they came in, they went up into the upper room, where Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James, were abiding.
When they entered [the city], they went upstairs to the room [in the house] where they were staying. [Those who were there included] Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, [another] James [the son] of Alphaeus, Simon who belonged to the group that wanted to expel the Romans, and Judas [the son] of [another man named] James.
14 They were all persevering of one accord in prayer along with the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.
All these apostles agreed concerning the things about which they continually were praying [together. Others who prayed with them] included the women [who had accompanied Jesus], Mary who was Jesus’ mother, and his [younger] brothers.
15 And during those days, Peter standing up in the midst of the brethren, said (and the number of names were about one hundred and twenty),
During those days Peter stood up among his fellow believers. There were [at that place] a group of about 120 of [Jesus’ followers]. Peter said,
16 Men, brethren, it behooved the scripture which the Holy Ghost predicted through the mouth of David concerning Judas, the one becoming leader to those arresting Jesus, to be fulfilled;
“My fellow believers, [there are words that King] David wrote [MTY] in the Scriptures long ago that needed to be fulfilled {to happen [as he said they would]}. The Holy Spirit, [who knew that Judas would be the one who would fulfill those words], told David what to write.
17 because he was numbered among us and received the lot of this ministry.
[Although] Judas had been chosen {[Jesus] had chosen Judas}, along with [the rest of] us [(exc)] to serve [as an apostle], Judas was the person who led to Jesus the people who seized him.”
18 Then indeed he purchased a field by the reward of iniquity, and falling headlong, burst asunder in the middle, and all his bowels burst out;
[The Jewish leaders] gave Judas money when he [promised to] treacherously/wickedly [betray Jesus. Later Judas returned that money to them]. When Judas [hanged himself], his body fell down [to the ground]. His abdomen burst open, and all his intestines spilled out. [So] the [Jewish leaders] bought a field [using] that money.
19 which indeed was known to all those dwelling at Jerusalem, so that field, in their own dialect, is called Acheldamach; that is, field of blood.
All the people who reside in Jerusalem heard [about that], so they called that field in their own [Aramaic] language, Akeldama, which means ‘Field of Blood’, [because it was where someone bled and died].
20 For it has been written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let there be no one dwelling in it, and let another take his pastorate.
[Peter also said], “[I perceive that what happened to Judas is like what the writer of] Psalms [desired to happen]: ‘May his house become deserted, and may there be no one to live in it.’ (OR, ‘[Judge him, Lord, so that neither he nor] anyone [else] may live in his house!)’ And it seems that [these other words that David wrote also refer to Judas: ] ‘Let someone else take over his work as a leader.’”
21 Therefore the men having come together with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus came in unto us and went out,
“So it is necessary [for us apostles] to choose a man [to replace Judas. He must be one who] accompanied [MTY] us all the time when the Lord Jesus was with us.
22 beginning from the baptism of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us, it behooveth one of these to be witness of His resurrection along with us.
[That would be] from [the time when] John [the Baptizer] baptized [Jesus] until the day when Jesus was taken {when [God] took Jesus} from us up [to heaven]. He must be one who saw Jesus alive again [after he died].”
23 And they nominated two, Joseph, called Barsabas who was called Justus, and Matthias.
So the [apostles and other believers] suggested [the names of two men who qualified. One man was] Joseph, who was called {whom people called} Barsabbas (OR, Joseph Barsabbas) who [also] had the [Roman] name Justus. The other man was Matthias.
24 And praying they said, Thou, O Lord, Heart-searcher of all, show up the one of these two, whom thou hast chosen
Then they prayed like this: “Lord [Jesus], Judas stopped being an apostle. [He died and] went to the place where he [deserved to be] [EUP]. [So we(exc) need to choose someone] to replace [Judas in order] that he can serve [you(sg) by becoming] an apostle. You [(sg)] know what everyone is really like. So [please] show us which of these two men you have chosen.”
25 to receive the place of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas departed to go into his own place.
26 And they gave lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Then they cast lots [to choose between the two of] them, and the lot fell for Matthias. (OR, Then [one of] the [apostles] shook [in a container] small objects/stones [that] they [had marked to determine which man God had chosen]. And the small object/stone [that they had marked] for Matthias fell [out of the container]). So Matthias was considered {they considered Matthias} [to be an apostle] along with the [other] eleven apostles.
