The Coming of the Spirit
1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a violent wind rushing through, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3Tongues that seemed to be of fire appeared to them, dividing and settling on each one of them, 4and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them the words. 5Now there were devout Jews living in Jerusalem, from every nation under heaven. 6When that sound was heard, a crowd gathered and stood bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Astonished and amazed, they said, “Aren’t all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in the language of his own birth? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, of Judea and Cappadocia, of Pontus and Asia, 10of Phrygia and Pamphylia, of Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, 11Jews and converts alike; Cretans and Arabs — we hear them telling the great deeds of God in our own tongues.” 12They were all astounded and at a loss. “What does this mean?” they kept asking one another. 13But others sneered, “They are full of new wine.”
Peter Speaks to the Crowd
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and spoke out to them: “Men of Judea, and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you; listen closely to my words. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose; it is only the third hour of the day. 16This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Yes, even on my servants, men and women alike, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19I will set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a haze of smoke. 20The sun will turn to darkness and the moon to blood before the day of the Lord comes, that great and shining day. 21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 22Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus the Nazarene was a man marked out for you by God through the mighty deeds, wonders and signs that God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man, handed over by God’s settled purpose and foreknowledge, you nailed up by the hands of the lawless and killed. 24But God raised him, loosing the pangs of death, because death had no power to hold him. 25David says of him: ‘I kept the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. 26That is why my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body, too, will rest in hope, 27because you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your Holy One see decay. 28You have shown me the paths of life; you will fill me with gladness in your presence.’ 29Brothers, I may speak to you plainly about the patriarch David: he died and was buried, and his tomb is here among us to this day. 30He was a prophet, and he knew that God had sworn him an oath to seat one of his own descendants on his throne. 31He saw it in advance and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ: that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his body see decay. 32This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses. 33Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you now see and hear. 34For David did not go up into the heavens, yet he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand 35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ 36So let all the house of Israel know for certain: God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
What Are We to Do?
37When they heard this they were cut to the heart, and they said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?” 38Peter answered them, “Repent, and let 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. 39The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40With many other words he bore witness and urged them: “Be saved from this crooked generation.” 41Those who welcomed his message were baptized, and about three thousand people were added that day.
Life Together
42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the common life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. 43Awe came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44All the believers were together and held everything in common. 45They would sell their property and their goods and share out the proceeds to anyone in need. 46Day after day they gathered with one mind in the temple, broke bread in their homes, and shared their food with glad and simple hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
