1 The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2 until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 to whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God: 4 and, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye heard from me: 5 For John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence.

6 They therefore, when they were come together, asked him, saying, Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within his own authority. 8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they were looking stedfastly into heaven as he went, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? this Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven.

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nigh unto Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey off. 13 And when they were come in, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were abiding; both Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

15 And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren, and said (and there was a multitude of persons gathered together, about a hundred and twenty), 16 Brethren, it was needful that the scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us, and received his portion in this ministry. 18 (Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.) 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms,

Let his habitation be made desolate,

And let no man dwell therein:

and,

His office let another take.

21 Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of his resurrection. 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show of these two the one whom thou hast chosen, 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place. 26 And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

1 Esimese raamatu, Teofilos, ma kirjutasin kõigest sellest, mida Jeesus algusest peale tegi ja õpetas

2 selle päevani, mil Ta võeti üles pärast seda kui Ta Püha Vaimu läbi oli andnud käsu Apostlitele, keda Ta oli valinud,

3 kellele Tema ka pärast Oma kannatamist oli mitme tõestusmärgiga Ennast näidanud elavana, neile ilmudes nelikümmend päeva ning neile rääkides Jumala riigist.

4 Ja kui Ta nendega koos oli, keelas Ta neid Jeruusalemmast ära minemast, käskis aga oodata Isa tõotust, „mis teie," ütles Tema, „olete kuulnud Minult.

5 Sest Johannes ristis veega, aga teid peab ristitama Püha Vaimuga mitte kaua pärast neid päevi!"

6 Siis küsisid Temalt need, kes olid kokku tulnud, ning ütlesid: „Issand, kas sa sel ajal jälle ehitad Iisraelile kuningriigi?"

7 Tema ütles neile: „Teile ei sünni teada aegu ega hetki, mis Isa Omas meelevallas on määranud;

8 aga te saate Püha Vaimu väe, Kes tuleb teie peale, ja peate olema Minu tunnistajad Jeruusalemmas ja kõigel Juuda- ja Samaariamaal ja maailma otsani!"

9 Kui Ta seda oli öelnud, siis tõsteti Ta üles nende nähes ja pilv viis Ta nende silme eest ära.

10 Ja kui nad vaatasid üksisilmi taeva poole, kuidas Ta ära läks, vaata, siis seisid nende juures kaks meest valgeis riideis,

11 ja need ütlesid: „Galilea mehed, miks te seisate ja vaatate üles taeva poole? See Jeesus, Kes teilt üles võeti taevasse, tuleb samal kombel kui te nägite Teda taevasse minevat!"

12 Siis nad läksid tagasi Jeruusalemma mäelt, mida kutsutakse Õlimäeks ja mis on Jeruusalemma lähedal ühe hingamispäeva teekonna maad.

13 Ja kui nad olid jõudnud linna, siis nad läksid ülemisse tuppa, kus nad olid asumas, Peetrus ja Jakoobus ja Johannes ja Andreas, Filippus ja Toomas, Bartolomeus ja Matteus, Jakoobus, Alfeuse poeg ja Siimon Selootes ja Juudas, Jakoobuse vend.

14 Need kõik olid alati ühel meelel üheskoos palves naistega ja Maarjaga, Jeesuse Emaga, ja Jeesuse vendadega.

15 Neil päevil tõusis Peetrus vendade seas üles — rahvast aga oli koos umbes sada kakskümmend isikut — ning ütles:

16 „Mehed, vennad, täide on pidanud minema Kirjasõna, mis Püha Vaim on ette kuulutanud Taaveti suu kaudu Juuda kohta, kes hakkas juhiks Jeesuse kinnivõtjaile.

17 Sest ta oli arvatud meie sekka ja oli saanud selle ameti osaliseks.

18 Aga tema hankis enesele põllu ülekohtu palgaga, ja kui ta ülepeakaela alla kukkus, lõhkes ta keskpaigast ja kogu ta sisikond vajus välja.

19 Ja see on saanud teatavaks kõigile Jeruusalemma elanikele, nõnda et seda põldu nende oma keelemurdes hüütakse Akeldaamaks, see on Verepõlluks.

20 Sest Psalmide raamatus on kirjutatud: „Tema elamu saagu tühjaks ja ärgu olgu selles elanikku, ja tema ülevaatajaamet saagu teisele!"

21 Sellepärast peab nüüd üks neist meestest, kes on käinud ühes meiega kõige selle aja, mil Issand Jeesus meie juures käis sisse ja välja,

22 alates Johannese ristimisest kuni selle päevani, mil Ta meilt võeti üles, saama Tema ülestõusmise tunnistajaks ühes meiega!"

23 Ja nad seadsid üles kaks meest: Joosepi, keda hüütakse Barsabaseks, lisanimega Justuseks, ja Mattiase.

24 Ja nad palvetasid ning ütlesid: „Sina, Issand, kõikide südametundja, näita meile, kumma neist kahest Sina oled valinud

25 saama selle tunnistuse ja Apostliameti koha, millest Juudas ära astus, et minna oma paika!"

26 Ja nad heitsid liisku nende kohta; ja liisk langes Mattiasele, ja tema arvati nende üheteistkümne Apostli juurde.