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¹ THE former book have I written, O Theophilus concerning all the things which our Lord Jesus Messiah began to do and teach,² until the day when he was taken up, after he had instructed those legates whom he had chosen by the Holy Spirit.³ To whom also he showed himself alive after he had suffered, by numerous signs, during forty days, while he was seen by them, and spoke of the kingdom of God.⁴ And when he had eaten bread with them, he instructed 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 baptized with water; but ye will be baptized with the Holy Spirit after not many days.

⁶ And they, when assembled, asked him and said to him: Our Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?⁷ He said to them: It is not yours, to know the time or times which God hath placed in his own power.⁸ But when the Holy Spirit shall come upon you, ye will receive energy, and will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and also among the Samaritans, and unto the ends of the earth.⁹ And when he had said these things, while they beheld him, he was taken up, and a cloud received him, and he was hidden from their eyes.¹⁰ And while they were looking toward heav, as he departed, two men were found standing near them, in white garments,¹¹ and saying to them: Ye Galilean men, why stand ye and look toward heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up from you to heaven, will so come, as ye have seen him ascend to heaven.

¹² And afterwards they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called the place of Olives, which was near to Jerusalem, and distant from it about seven furlongs.¹³ And when they had entered, they went to an upper chamber; where were Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, and Philip, and Thomas, and Matthew, and Bartholomew, and James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the son of James.¹⁴ All these unitedly persevered in prayer, with one soul, together with the women, and with Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

¹⁵ And in those days stood up Simon Cephas in the midst of the disciples, (the persons there assembled being about one hundred and twenty,) and said:¹⁶ Men, brethren, it was right that the scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake, by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to them that apprehended Jesus.¹⁷ For he was numbered with us, and had a part in this ministry.¹⁸ He purchased a field with the wages of sin; and he fell upon his face on the ground, and burst in the middle, and all his entrails were poured out.¹⁹ And this was known to all that dwelt at Jerusalem; so that the field was called, in the language of the country, Aceldama, which is interpreted Field of Blood.²⁰ For it is written, in the book of Psalms: Let his habitation be desolate, and let no resident be in it; and let another take his service.²¹ It should therefore be, that one of these persons, who have been with us all the time that our Lord Jesus went in and out with us,²² commencing from the baptism of John, unto the day he was taken up from us, should be, with us, a witness of his resurrection.²³ And they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias.²⁴ And when they had prayed, they said: Thou, Lord, knowest what is in the hearts of all, manifest which thou hast chosen of these two,²⁵ that he should take part in this ministry and legateship, from which Judas broke away, that he might go to his own place.²⁶ And they cast lots, and it came upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven legates.