Acts 2

2 ¹When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. ^a a v1 Pentecost was the Jewish Festival of Weeks, celebrated fifty days after Passover. ²Suddenly a sound like a violent, rushing wind came from heaven and filled the entire house where they sat. ³What looked like divided tongues of fire appeared and rested on each one of them. ⁴All were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them words to say.

⁵At that time devout Jews from every nation under heaven were living in Jerusalem. ⁶When this sound rang out, a crowd gathered, confused, since each one heard them speak in his own language. ⁷They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸How is it, then, that each of us hears them in our own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, Jews and converts to Judaism; ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of our Father!" ¹²They were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" ¹³But others mocked and said, "They are full of sweet wine."

Peter Announces the Risen Lord

¹⁴But Peter stood with the eleven, raised his voice, and declared to them: "Men of Judea, everyone living in Jerusalem—know this and listen carefully to my words. ¹⁵These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. ^b b v15 The third hour of the day was about nine o'clock in the morning—far too early for the drunkenness the crowd assumed. ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷'And in the last days, says our Father, I will pour out my Spirit on all people; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸Even on my male servants and my female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below—blood and fire and billows of smoke. ²⁰The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. ²¹And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"

²²"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth—a man our Father attested to you through miracles, wonders, and signs our Father did through him among you, as you yourselves know. ²³This man, handed over by our Father's set plan and foreknowledge, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴But our Father raised him, freeing him from death's agony, since death could not hold him. ²⁵For David says of him: 'I saw our Father always before me, for he's at my right hand, so I won't be shaken.' ²⁶Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my body also will rest in hope. ²⁷For you will not abandon my soul to the grave, nor let your Holy One see decay. ²⁸You have shown me the paths of life; you will fill me with gladness in your presence."

²⁹"Brothers, I can tell you plainly: our ancestor David died, was buried, and his tomb remains with us to this day. ³⁰Since he was a prophet, he knew our Father had sworn an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹he foresaw and spoke of the Christ's resurrection, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor his body saw decay. ³²This Jesus our Father raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. ³³So, lifted up to our Father's right hand, having received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out what you now see and hear.

³⁴For David never went up into heaven, but he himself says: "Our Father said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, ³⁵until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'"

³⁶"So let the whole house of Israel know for certain: our Father made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

³⁷Cut to the heart at this, they asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"

³⁸Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is for you, your children, and all far off—as many as the Sovereign our Father will call to himself." ⁴⁰And with many other words he warned and urged them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." ⁴¹So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and about 3,000 people were added that day.

Living as the Father's Family

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and deep communion, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³Awe came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴All who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵They sold their property and possessions and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone needed. ⁴⁶Every day, devoting themselves together in the temple, breaking bread house to house, they shared food with joyful, sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising our Father, with favor among all the people. The Lord added to their number daily those being saved.