Prologue (Luke 1:1–4)
2 UDB until the day on which God took him up to heaven. Before he went to heaven, he told the apostles by the power of the Holy Spirit the things that he wanted them to know. BSB BSB: until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.
3 UDB After he had suffered and died on the cross, he became alive again. As he appeared often during the next forty 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 the lives of people in his kingdom. BSB BSB: After His suffering, He presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
5 UDB John baptized people in water, but after a few days God will baptize you in the Holy Spirit." BSB BSB: For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
The Ascension (Mark 16:19–20; Luke 24:50–53)
9 UDB After he said that, he rose up into heaven, and a cloud kept them from seeing him any longer. BSB BSB: After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
10 UDB While the apostles were still staring toward the sky as he was going up, suddenly two men wearing white clothes stood beside them. They were angels. BSB BSB: They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 UDB One of them said, "You men from Galilee, you do not need to stand here any longer looking up at the sky! 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 go when he went up to heaven." BSB BSB: “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
Matthias Replaces Judas 12 UDB Then after the two angels left, the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which was a short distance from Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near the city, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
13 UDB After they entered the city, they went into the upstairs 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 the Zealot, and Judas the son of another man named James. BSB BSB: When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
15 UDB During those days Peter stood up among his fellow believers. There was a group of about 120 followers of Jesus at that place. He said, BSB BSB: In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty) and said,
17 UDB Although Judas was an apostle like us, he guided the people who arrested Jesus and killed him." BSB BSB: He was one of our number and shared in this ministry.”
19 UDB All the people who reside in Jerusalem heard about that, so according to their own Aramaic language they called that field "Akeldama," which means "Field of Blood," because it was where someone died. BSB BSB: This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so they called that field in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 UDB Peter also said, "I see that what happened to Judas is like what the Psalms says: 'May his family line die out; may there be no one left in it at all.' And it seems that these other words that David wrote also refer to Judas: 'Let someone else take over his work as a leader.'" BSB BSB: “For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his position.’
21 UDB "So it is necessary for us apostles to choose a man to replace Judas. He must be one who was with us all the time when the Lord Jesus was with us; BSB BSB: Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 UDB that is, from the time when John the Baptizer baptized Jesus until the day when Jesus left us and rose up to heaven. The man to replace Judas must join us in telling people about Jesus and how he came to life again after he died." BSB BSB: beginning from John’s baptism until the day Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
23 UDB So the apostles and other believers suggested the names of two men. One man was Joseph Barsabbas, who also had the name Justus. The other man was Matthias. BSB BSB: So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.
24 UDB Then they prayed: "Lord Jesus, Judas stopped being an apostle. He sinned and went to the place where he deserves to be. You know what every man thinks in his own heart, so please show us which of these two men you have chosen to take the place of Judas." BSB BSB: And they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen
26 UDB Then they cast lots to choose between the two of them, and the lot fell for Matthias, and he became an apostle along with the other eleven apostles. BSB BSB: Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias. So he was added to the eleven apostles.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.