Acts 1

1 ¹For my first book, Theophilus, I write about everytin wey Jesus start to do and to teach, ²reach di day wey dem carry am go up, afta e don give command through di Holy Spirit to di apostle dem wey e don choose. ³Afta e don suffer, e show imsef alive to dem through plenty proof, e appear to dem for forty days, e dey talk about di kingdom of our Papa. ^a a v3 Di kingdom wey Jesus dey teach about na di reign of our Papa wey dey break enta di world — di same reign wey e invite im disciple dem make dem live under am and preach am.

⁴As e still dey with dem, e order dem say make dem no comot Jerusalem but make dem wait for di promise of my Papa—“wey,” e talk, “una don hear from me; ⁵because John baptize with water, but for inside small days una go baptize with di Holy Spirit.”

⁶So, as dem gada togeda, dem ask am say, “Oga, you go bring back di kingdom to Israel now?”

⁷E tell dem say, “E no be una own to know di times or seasons wey my Papa don set by im own authority. ⁸But wen di Holy Spirit fall on una, una go get power to be my witness dem—for Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and reach di far-far end of di earth.”

⁹Afta e talk dis tins, as dem dey watch, dem lift am go up, and one cloud carry am comot from dem eye. ¹⁰As dem dey look sotay enta heaven while e dey go, one time so, two men wey wear white cloth stand for dem side. ¹¹Dem talk say, “Una people of Galilee, why una dey look di sky so? Dis Jesus, wey dem carry comot from una go heaven, go come back exactly as una see am dey go.”

Dem Choose Witness for Im Place

¹²Den dem go back Jerusalem from di Mount wey dem dey call Olivet, wey dey near Jerusalem, about half-mile away. ¹³As dem enta, dem go up to di upstairs room where dem dey stay: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James di pikin of Alphaeus, Simon di Zealot, and Judas di pikin of James. ¹⁴All dis people continue togeda for prayer, with di women dem, Mary di mama of Jesus, and im brother dem.

¹⁵For dose days Peter stand up among di brothers (about 120 people altogeda) and e talk, ¹⁶“My brothers, di Scripture wey di Holy Spirit talk before before through di mouth of David about Judas—wey become di guide to di people wey arrest Jesus—suppose come to pass. ¹⁷Because dem count am among us and e get im own share for dis ministry.” ¹⁸(Dis man buy one field with di money wey e collect for im bad-bad work, den e fall head first, im belle bust for di middle, and all im inside pour comot. ¹⁹Dis tin come known to everybody wey dey live for Jerusalem, so dem name di field for dem own language Akeldama, wey mean, Field of Blood.). ²⁰“Because dem write am for di Book of Psalms: ‘Make im camp become empty, make nobody dey live dere,’ and ‘Make anoda person take im position.’

²¹So one of di men wey follow us all di time, while di Oga Jesus dey go in and out among us, ²²from di baptism of John reach di day wey dem carry am go up comot from us—one of dis men suppose become witness with us to im resurrection.”

²³And dem bring two people forward—Joseph wey dem dey call Barsabbas, wey dem also dey call Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴Dem pray and talk say, “You, Oga Jesus, wey know all heart, show us wey one of dis two you don choose, ^b b v24 Di apostle dem dey pray to Jesus — di one wey choose di original Twelve and now sabi who e dey choose take replace Judas. Na only am be Oga of di apostle calling. ²⁵make e take di place for dis ministry and apostleship wey Judas leave go im own place. ²⁶Dem cast lot for dem; di lot fall on Matthias, and dem count am with di eleven apostle dem.” ^c c v26 To cast lot na old-time practice — like to draw straw — wey dem dey use make God determine di outcome.