Prologue
(Luke 1:1–4)

1The former treatise, O Theophilus, I made concerning all that Jesus undertook both to do and to teach; 2till the day in which He was taken up, after He had by the holy Spirit given instructions to the apostles whom He had chosen: 3to whom also He presented Himself alive, after He had suffered, by many certain proofs; being seen among them for forty days, and speaking of the things relating to the kingdom of God.

4And meeting them together He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said He, ye have heard from me; 5for John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall within a few days be baptized with the holy Spirit.

The Ascension
(Mark 16:19–20; Luke 24:50–53)

6Being therefore come together they asked Him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or seasons, which the Father hath reserved in his own power. 8But ye shall receive power from the holy Spirit coming upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.

9And having said these things, as they were looking upon Him, He was lifted up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And while they were looking stedfastly toward heaven, as He went up, behold two men in white stood by them; 11who said, Ye men of Galilee, why do ye stand gazing up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in the manner ye have seen Him going into heaven.

Matthias Replaces Judas

12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath-day's journey. 13And when they were come in to the city, they went up into an upper room, where Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon the zealot, and Jude the brother of James, usually abode. 14These all persevered with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brethren.

15And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, (now the number of the persons that were together was about an hundred and twenty,) 16and said, Men and brethren, it was necessary that this scripture should be fulfilled, which the holy Ghost spake by the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was guide to them that apprehended Jesus: 17for he was numbered with us, and had obtained a part of this ministry. 18(Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling down on his face, burst asunder in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out: 19(and it was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field is called in their own dialect, Aceldama, that is, the field of blood:)

20for it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let none dwell in it; and again, Let another take his office.)

21Wherefore it is necessary that one of these men, who have been conversant with us all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and out among us, 22from the baptism of John, till the day that He was taken up from us, should be joined with us as a witness of his resurrection. 23And they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all, shew us, which of these two Thou hast chosen, 25to take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas is fallen by his transgression, that he might go to his own place. 26And they gave out their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the apostles.