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This content from OpenEnglishBible (public domain)
Once, when the people were pressing around Jesus as they listened to Godâs message, he happened to be standing by the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats close to the shore. The fishermen had gone away from them and were washing the nets. So, getting into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, Jesus asked him to push off a little way from the shore, and then sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, âPush off into deep water, and throw out your nets for a haul.â
âWe have been hard at work all night, Sir,â answered Simon, âand have not caught anything, but, at your bidding, I will throw out the nets.â They did so, and enclosed such a great shoal of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; and they came and filled both the boats so full of fish that they were almost sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he threw himself down at Jesusâ knees, exclaiming, âMaster, leave me, for I am a sinful man!â For he and all who were with him were lost in amazement at the haul of fish which they had made; and so, too, were James and John, Zebedeeâs sons, who were Simonâs partners. âDo not be afraid,â Jesus said to Simon, âfrom today you will catch people.â And, when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything, and followed him.
On one occasion Jesus was staying in a town, when he saw a man who was covered with leprosy. When the leper saw Jesus, he threw himself on his face and implored his help, âMaster, if only you are willing, you are able to make me clean.â Stretching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying as he did so, âI am willing; become clean.â
Instantly the leprosy left the man; and then Jesus impressed on him that he was not to say a word to anyone, âbut,â he added, âset out and show yourself to the priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing, in the manner directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure.â However, the story about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came together to listen to him, and to be cured of their illnesses; but Jesus used to withdraw to lonely places and pray.
On one of those days, when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and Doctors of the Law were sitting near by. (They had come from all the villages in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was on Jesus, so that he could work cures.) And there some men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed. They tried to get him in and lay him before Jesus; but, finding no way of getting him in owing to the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles, with his pallet, into the middle of the people and in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, Jesus said, âFriend, your sins have been forgiven you.â The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began debating about this. âWho is this man who speaks so blasphemously?â they asked. âWho can forgive sins except God?â
When Jesus became aware of the way in which they were debating, he turned to them and exclaimed, âWhat are you debating with yourselves? Which is the easier? â to say âYour sins have been forgiven youâ? Or to say âGet up, and walkâ? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sinsâ â he spoke to the paralyzed man â âTo you I say, Get up, and take up your pallet, and go to your home.â Instantly the man stood up before their eyes, took up what he had been lying on, and went to his home, praising God. The people, one and all, were lost in amazement, and praised God; and in great awe they said, âWe have seen marvelous things today!â
After this, Jesus went out; and he noticed a tax-gatherer, named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and said to him, âFollow me.â Levi left everything and got up and followed him. And Levi gave a great banquet at his house, in honor of Jesus; and a large number of tax collectors and others were having dinner with them.
The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law belonging to their party complained of this to the disciples of Jesus. In answer Jesus said, âIt is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to call the religious, but the outcast, to repent.â
âJohnâs disciples,â they said to Jesus, âOften fast and say prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, while yours are eating and drinking!â
But Jesus answered them, âCan you make the groomâs friends fast while the groom is with them? But the days will come â a time when the groom will be taken away from them; and they will fast then, when those days come.â Then, as an illustration, Jesus said to them, âNo one ever tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old one; for, if they do, they will not only tear the new garment, but the piece from the new one will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wine-skins; for, if they do, the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine itself will run out, and the skins be lost. But new wine must be put into fresh skins. No one after drinking old wine wishes for new. âNo,â they say, âthe old is excellent.ââ (OEB)
This content from World English Bible (public domain)
It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to Yahweh your Godâs voice, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you today, that Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you, and overtake you, if you listen to Yahweh your Godâs voice. You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field. You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock. Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed. You shall be blessed when you come in, and you shall be blessed when you go out. Yahweh will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways. Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to. He will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. Yahweh will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you shall keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and walk in his ways. All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by Yahwehâs name, and they will be afraid of you. Yahweh will grant you abundant prosperity in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you. Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow. Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you today, to observe and to do, and shall not turn away from any of the words which I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to Yahweh your Godâs voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you and overtake you. You will be cursed in the city, and you will be cursed in the field. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock will be cursed. You will be cursed when you come in, and you will be cursed when you go out. Yahweh will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the evil of your doings, by which you have forsaken me. Yahweh will make the pestilence cling to you, until he has consumed you from off the land where you go in to possess it. Yahweh will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with the sword, with blight, and with mildew. They will pursue you until you perish. Your sky that is over your head will be bronze, and the earth that is under you will be iron. Yahweh will make the rain of your land powder and dust. It will come down on you from the sky, until you are destroyed. Yahweh will cause you to be struck before your enemies. You will go out one way against them, and will flee seven ways before them. You will be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth. Your dead bodies will be food to all birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth; and there will be no one to frighten them away. Yahweh will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with the tumors, with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you can not be healed. Yahweh will strike you with madness, with blindness, and with astonishment of heart. You will grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. You will only be oppressed and robbed always, and there will be no one to save you. You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. You will build a house, and you wonât dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, and not use its fruit. Your ox will be slain before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from before your face, and will not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you. Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people. Your eyes will look and fail with longing for them all day long. There will be no power in your hand. A nation which you donât know will eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always, so that the sights that you see with your eyes will drive you mad. Yahweh will strike you in the knees and in the legs with a sore boil, of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. Yahweh will bring you, and your king whom you will set over yourselves, to a nation that you have not known, you nor your fathers. There you will serve other gods of wood and stone. You will become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where Yahweh will lead you away. You will carry much seed out into the field, and will gather little in, for the locust will consume it. You will plant vineyards and dress them, but you will neither drink of the wine, nor harvest, because worms will eat them. You will have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you wonât anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off. You will father sons and daughters, but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity. Locusts will consume all of your trees and the fruit of your ground. The foreigner who is among you will mount up above you higher and higher, and you will come down lower and lower. He will lend to you, and you wonât lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.
All these curses will come on you, and will pursue you and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you didnât listen to Yahweh your Godâs voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you. They will be for a sign and for a wonder to you and to your offspring forever. Because you didnât serve Yahweh your God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things; therefore you will serve your enemies whom Yahweh sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies: a nation whose language you will not understand, a nation of fierce facial expressions, that doesnât respect the elderly, nor show favor to the young. They will eat the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed. They also wonât leave you grain, new wine, oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish. They will besiege you in all your gates until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout all your land. They will besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land which Yahweh your God has given you. You will eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom Yahweh your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies will distress you. The man who is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye will be evil toward his brother, toward the wife whom he loves, and toward the remnant of his children whom he has remaining, so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left to him, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in all your gates. The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye will be evil toward the husband that she loves, toward her son, toward her daughter, toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of all things in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in your gates. If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, YAHWEH your God, then Yahweh will make your plagues and the plagues of your offspring fearful, even great plagues, and of long duration, and severe sicknesses, and of long duration. He will bring on you again all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of; and they will cling to you. Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, Yahweh will bring them on you until you are destroyed. You will be left few in number, even though you were as the stars of the sky for multitude, because you didnât listen to Yahweh your Godâs voice. It will happen that as Yahweh rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so Yahweh will rejoice over you to cause you to perish and to destroy you. You will be plucked from the land that you are going in to possess. Yahweh will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. There you will serve other gods which you have not known, you nor your fathers, even wood and stone. Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul. Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day, and will have no assurance of your life. In the morning you will say, âI wish it were evening!â and at evening you will say, âI wish it were morning!â for the fear of your heart which you will fear, and for the sights which your eyes will see. Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I told to you that you would never see it again. There you will offer yourselves to your enemies for male and female slaves, and nobody will buy you. (WEB)
This content from World English Bible (public domain)
Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, looking to yourself so that you also arenât tempted. Bear one anotherâs burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each man examine his own work, and then he will have reason to boast in himself, and not in someone else. For each man will bear his own burden.
But let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches.
Donât be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Letâs not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season if we donât give up. So then, as we have opportunity, letâs do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.
See with what large letters I write to you with my own hand. As many as desire to make a good impression in the flesh compel you to be circumcised, just so they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even they who receive circumcision donât keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, so that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. As many as walk by this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on Godâs Israel.
From now on, let no one cause me any trouble, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus branded on my body.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. (WEB)
This content from World English Bible (public domain)
I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, âBehold, Godâs dwelling is with people; and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.â
He who sits on the throne said, âBehold, I am making all things new.â He said, âWrite, for these words of God are faithful and true.â He said to me, âI am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son. But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, [TR and NU omit âsinnersâ ]abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, [The word for âsorcerersâ here also includes users of potions and drugs. ]idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.â
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls which were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, âCome here. I will show you the bride, the Lambâs wife.â He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; having a great and high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
He who spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. The city is square. Its length is as great as its width. He measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand twelve stadia. [12,012 stadia = 2,221 kilometers or 1,380 miles. TR reads 12,000 stadia instead of 12,012 stadia. ]Its length, width, and height are equal. Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, [144 cubits is about 65.8 meters or 216 feet ]by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass. The foundations of the cityâs wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire; [or, lapis lazuli ]the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there), and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter. There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lambâs book of life. (WEB)
Revelation 21:3-5: Revelation 21:3-5
This content from World English Bible (public domain)
âYes, at this my heart trembles,
and is moved out of its place.
Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice,
the sound that goes out of his mouth.
He sends it out under the whole sky,
and his lightning to the ends of the earth.
After it a voice roars.
He thunders with the voice of his majesty.
He doesnât hold back anything when his voice is heard.
God thunders marvelously with his voice.
He does great things, which we canât comprehend.
For he says to the snow, âFall on the earth ,â
likewise to the shower of rain,
and to the showers of his mighty rain.
He seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he has made may know it.
Then the animals take cover,
and remain in their dens.
Out of its room comes the storm,
and cold out of the north.
By the breath of God, ice is given,
and the width of the waters is frozen.
Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture.
He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning.
It is turned around by his guidance,
that they may do whatever he commands them
on the surface of the habitable world,
whether it is for correction, or for his land,
or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come.
âListen to this, Job.
Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
Do you know how God controls them,
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
Do you know the workings of the clouds,
the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?
You whose clothing is warm
when the earth is still by reason of the south wind?
Can you, with him, spread out the sky,
which is strong as a cast metal mirror?
Teach us what we will tell him,
for we canât make our case by reason of darkness.
Will it be told him that I would speak?
Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?
Now men donât see the light which is bright in the skies,
but the wind passes, and clears them.
Out of the north comes golden splendor.
With God is awesome majesty.
We canât reach the Almighty.
He is exalted in power.
In justice and great righteousness, he will not oppress.
Therefore men revere him.
He doesnât regard any who are wise of heart.â
(WEB)
This content from OpenEnglishBible (public domain)
âSore have they vexed me from youthâ
thus let Israel say
âSore have they vexed me from youth,
but they have not prevailed against me.
âThe ploughers ploughed on my back,
they made their furrows long.
But the Lá´Ęá´ , who is righteous, has cut
the cords of the wicked.â
Let all who are haters of Zion
be put to shame and defeated.
May they be as the grass on the house-top,
which withers before it shoots up;
which fills not the arms of the reaper,
nor the lap of the binder of sheaves
whereof no one says as they pass,
âThe blessing of God be upon you.â
In the name of the Lá´Ęá´ we bless you.
(OEB)
This content pulled from bible.org.
My child, if you have made a pledge for your neighbor, if you have become a guarantor for a stranger, if you have been ensnared by the words you have uttered and have been caught by the words you have spoken, then, my child, do this in order to deliver yourself, because you have fallen into your neighborâs power: Go, humble yourself, and appeal firmly to your neighbor. Permit no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from a snare and like a bird from the trap of the fowler. Go to the ant, you sluggard; observe her ways and be wise! It has no commander, overseer, or ruler, yet it would prepare its food in the summer;it gathered at the harvest what it will eat. How long, you sluggard, will you lie there?When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber,a little folding of the hands to relax, and your poverty will come like a robber, and your need like an armed man. A worthless and wicked person walks around saying perverse things; he winks with his eyes,signals with his feet,and points with his fingers; he plots evil with perverse thoughts in his heart;he spreads contention at all times. Therefore, his disaster will come suddenly;in an instant he will be broken, and there will be no remedy. There are six things that the Lord hates,even seven things that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift to run to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who spreads discord among family members. My child, guard the commands of your fatherand do not forsake the instruction of your mother. Bind them on your heart continually;fasten them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you;when you wake up, they will talk to you. For the commandments are like a lamp; instruction is like a light,and rebukes of discipline are like the road leading to life by keeping you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the loose woman. Do not lust in your heart for her beauty,and do not let her captivate you with her alluring eyes; for on account of a prostitute one is brought down to a loaf of bread,but the wife of another man preys on your precious life. Can a man hold fire against his chest without burning his clothes? Can a man walk on hot coalswithout scorching his feet? So it is with the one who sleeps with his neighborâs wife;no one who touches her will escape punishment. People do not despise a thief when he stealsto fulfill his need when he is hungry. Yet if he is caught he must repay seven times over;he might even have to give all the wealth of his house. A man who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense; whoever does it destroys his own life. He will be beaten and despised, and his reproach will not be wiped away; for jealousy kindles a husbandâs rage,and he will not show mercy when he takes revenge. He will not consider any compensation; he will not be willing, even if you multiply the compensation.
(NET)
This content from World English Bible (public domain)
Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His motherâs name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. He did that which was right in Yahwehâs eyes, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. However he didnât enter into Yahwehâs temple. The people still acted corruptly. He built the upper gate of Yahwehâs house, and he built much on the wall of Ophel. Moreover he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers. He also fought with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them. The children of Ammon gave him the same year one hundred talents [A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds ]of silver, ten thousand cors [1 cor is the same as a homer, or about 55.9 U. S. gallons (liquid) or 211 liters or 6 bushels. 10,000 cors of wheat would weigh about 1,640 metric tons. ]of wheat, and ten thousand cors of barley. [10,000 cors of barley would weigh about 1,310 metric tons. ]The children of Ammon also gave that much to him in the second year, and in the third. So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before Yahweh his God. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Davidâs city; and Ahaz his son reigned in his place. (WEB)
This content from World English Bible (public domain)
Yahwehâs word came to me, saying, âSon of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy to them, and say, âYou mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh! The Lord Yahweh says to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: âBehold, I, even I, will bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places. Your altars will become desolate, and your incense altars will be broken. I will cast down your slain men before your idols. I will lay the dead bodies of the children of Israel before their idols. I will scatter your bones around your altars. In all your dwelling places, the cities will be laid waste and the high places will be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am Yahweh.
âââYet I will leave a remnant, in that you will have some that escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries. Those of you that escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken with their lewd heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the prostitute after their idols. Then they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. They will know that I am Yahweh. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them .ââ
âThe Lord Yahweh says: âStrike with your hand, and stamp with your foot, and say, âAlas !â, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel; for they will fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. He who is far off will die of the pestilence. He who is near will fall by the sword. He who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus I will accomplish my wrath on them. You will know that I am Yahweh when their slain men are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree, and under every thick oak â the places where they offered pleasant aroma to all their idols. I will stretch out my hand on them and make the land desolate and waste, from the wilderness toward Diblah, throughout all their habitations. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.ââ
(WEB)
This content from OpenEnglishBible (public domain)
The first account which I drew up, Theophilus, dealt with all that Jesus did and taught from the very first, down to that day on which he was taken up to heaven, after he had, by the help of the Holy Spirit, given instructions to the apostles whom he had chosen. With abundant proofs, he showed himself to them, still living, after his death; appearing to them from time to time during forty days, and speaking of all that related to the kingdom of God. And once, when he had gathered them together, he charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the fulfillment of the Fatherâs promise â âthat promise,â he said, âof which you have heard me speak; for, while John baptized with water, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit before many days have passed.â
So, when the apostles had met together, they asked Jesus this question â âMaster, is this the time when you intend to re-establish the kingdom for Israel?â His answer was, âIt is not for you to know times or hours, for the Father has reserved these for his own decision; but you will receive power, when the Holy Spirit will have descended on you, and will be witnesses for me not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.â
No sooner had Jesus said this than he was caught up before their eyes, and a cloud received him from their sight. While they were still gazing up into the heavens, as he went, suddenly two men, clothed in white, stood beside them, and said, âPeople of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up into the heavens? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into the heavens, will come in the same way in which you have seen him go into the heavens.â
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called Olivet, which is about three quarters of a mile from the city. When they reached Jerusalem, they went to the upstairs room, where they were staying. There were there Peter, John, James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. They all united in devoting themselves to prayer, and so did some women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
About this time, at a meeting of the Lordâs followers, when there were about a hundred and twenty present, Peter rose to speak. âFriends,â he said, âit was necessary that the prediction of scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit made by the lips of David about Judas, who acted as guide to the men who arrested Jesus, for he was one of our number and had his part allotted him in this work of ours.â (This man had bought a piece of land with the price of his treachery; and, falling heavily, his body had burst open, and all his bowels protruded. This became known to everyone living in Jerusalem, so that the field came to be called, in their language, âAkeldama,â which means the âField of Blood.â)
âFor in the book of Psalms,â Peter continued, âit is said â
âLet his home become desolate,
and let no one live in itâ;
and also â
âHis office let another take.â
Therefore, from among the men who have been with us all the time that Jesus, our Master, went in and out among us â from his baptism by John down to that day on which he was taken from us â someone must be found to join us as a witness of his resurrection.â So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas, whose other name was Justus, and Matthias; and they offered this prayer â
âLord, who reads all hearts, show which of these two men you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic work, which Judas has abandoned, to go to his proper place.â
Then they drew lots between them; and, the lot having fallen to Matthias, he was added to the number of the eleven apostles. (OEB)