Prologue
(Luke 1:1-4)

1In the first account I composed, O Theophilus, concerning all the things that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2until the day He was taken up, having given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering with many proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God.

4And being assembled together,a He instructed them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father: “That which you heard of Me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized withb the Holy Spirit not many days after these.”

The Ascension
(Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53)

6So indeed those having come together were asking Him, saying, “Lord, at this time are you restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

7And He said to them, “It is not yours to know times or seasons that the Father put in place by His own authority. 8But you will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and you will be witnesses for Me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.”

9And having said these things, they beholding, He was lifted up, and a cloud hid Him from their eyes. 10And as they were looking intently into heaven as He was going, then behold, two men in white apparel stood by them, 11who also said, “Men, Galileans, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, having been taken up from you into heaven, will thus come in that manner you beheld Him going into heaven.”

Matthias Replaces Judas

12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, holding a Sabbath day’s journey.c 13And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying, both Peter and John, and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14All these were steadfastly continuing with one accord in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

15And in these days, Peter having stood up in the midst of the brothers, and the number of names was about a hundred twenty together, the same said, 16“Men, brothers, it was necessary for the Scripture to have been fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, the one having become guide to those having arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered with us, and was allotted a share of this ministry.”

18(Then indeed this man acquired a field out of the reward of unrighteousness, and having fallen headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. 19And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

20“For it has been written in the book of Psalms:

‘Let his homestead become desolate,

and let there be not one dwelling in it,’d

and,

‘Let another take his position.’e

21Therefore it behooves the men having accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us, 22having begun from the baptism of John until the day in which He was taken up from us, one of these, to become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was called Justus, and Matthias. 24And having prayed, they said, “You Lord, knower of the hearts of all, show which one of these two You have chosen 25to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas turned aside to go to the own place.” 26And they gave lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.