¹ THE former treatise, Theophilus, I composed, concerning all things which Jesus began both to do and to teach,

² until that day, when having given a charge to his apostles through the Holy Ghost, whom he had chosen, he was taken up:

³ to whom also he had shewed himself alive, after he had suffered, by many infallible proofs, during forty days being frequently seen by them, and speaking of the things which relate to the kingdom of God:

⁴ and assembling them together, commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye have heard from me.

⁵ For John indeed baptised with water; but ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost not many days after the present.

⁶ They then accordingly assembling together, asked him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time reestablish the kingdom of Israel?

⁷ But he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which the Father hath reserved under his own authority.

⁸ But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses for me, both in Jerusalem, and throughout all Judea, and Samaria, and unto the extremity of the earth.

⁹ And as he was speaking these things, while they were looking upon him, he was taken up; and a cloud enveloping him hid him from their eyes.

¹⁰ And as they looked up earnestly into the heaven, while he was passing, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

¹¹ who also said to them, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up to heaven? this Jesus, who hath been taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in the same manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

¹² Then they returned unto Jerusalem, from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, about a sabbath-day’s journey distant.

¹³ And when they had arrived, they went up to an upper room, where abode Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James son of Alpheus, and Simon the zealous, and Jude brother to James.

¹⁴ These all persevered unanimously in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

¹⁵ And in those days arose Peter in the midst of the disciples, and said, (there was a number of persons together, about an hundred and twenty,)

¹⁶ Men and brethren, it must needs be that this scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost delivered before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the conductor of those who seized on Jesus.

¹⁷ For he was reckoned of our number, and had obtained an appointment to this ministry.

¹⁸ This man indeed accordingly purchased a spot of ground with the wages of iniquity; and projected forward, he burst in the midst, and all his bowels fell out.

¹⁹ And it was a fact known to all who dwelt at Jerusalem; so that this field is called in their own dialect, Aceldama, that is, The field of blood.

²⁰ For it is written in the book of Psalms¹, Let his habitation be desolate, and let there be no man to dwell in it: and his office, as bishop, let another take².

1. Psalm lxix. 25.
2. Psalm cix. 8.

²¹ Wherefore from among the men who have associated with us always during the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

²² beginning from his baptism by John, until the day in which he was taken up from us, must there be chosen with us a witness of his resurrection, even one of these.

²³ So they appointed two persons, Joseph called Barsabas, whose sirname was Justus, and Matthias.

²⁴ And joining in prayer, they said, Do thou, O Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, point out the one of these two which thou hast chosen,

²⁵ to take a part in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, to go to his own place.

²⁶ And they drew lots for them and the lot fell to Matthias and he was by unanimous suffrage numbered with the eleven apostles.