Acts 2
2
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers gathered in one place. 2Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It was like a strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw something that looked like fire in the shape of tongues. The flames separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages they had not known before. The Spirit gave them the ability to do this.
5Godly Jews from every country in the world were staying in Jerusalem. 6A crowd came together when they heard the sound. They were bewildered because each of them heard their own language being spoken. 7The crowd was really amazed. They asked, “Aren’t all these people who are speaking Galileans? 8Then why do we each hear them speaking in our own native language? 9We are Parthians, Medes and Elamites. We live in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia. We are from Pontus, Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia. Others of us are from Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene. Still others are visitors from Rome. 11Some of the visitors are Jews. Others have accepted the Jewish faith. Also, Cretans and Arabs are here. We hear all these people speaking about God’s wonders in our own languages!” 12They were amazed and bewildered. They asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13But some people in the crowd made fun of the believers. “They’ve had too much wine!” they said.
Peter Speaks to the Crowd
14Then Peter stood up with the 11 apostles. In a loud voice he spoke to the crowd. “My fellow Jews,” he said, “let me explain this to you. All of you who live in Jerusalem, listen carefully to what I say. 15You think these people are drunk. But they aren’t. It’s only nine o’clock in the morning! 16No, here is what the prophet Joel meant. 17He said,
“ ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Holy Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions.
Your old men will have dreams.
18In those days, I will pour out my Spirit on my servants.
I will pour out my Spirit on both men and women.
When I do, they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the heavens above.
I will show signs on the earth below.
There will be blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20The sun will become dark.
The moon will turn red like blood.
This will happen before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21Everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Joel 2:28–32)
22“Fellow Israelites, listen to this! Jesus of Nazareth was a man who had God’s approval. God did miracles, wonders and signs among you through Jesus. You yourselves know this. 23Long ago God planned that Jesus would be handed over to you. With the help of evil people, you put Jesus to death. You nailed him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead. He set him free from the suffering of death. It wasn’t possible for death to keep its hold on Jesus. 25David spoke about him. He said,
“ ‘I know that the Lord is always with me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will always be secure.
26So my heart is glad and joy is on my tongue.
My whole body will be full of hope.
27You will not leave me in the place of the dead.
You will not let your holy one rot away.
28You always show me the path that leads to life.
You will fill me with joy when I am with you.’ (Psalm 16:8–11)
29“Fellow Israelites, you can be sure that King David died. He was buried. His tomb is still here today. 30But David was a prophet. He knew that God had made a promise to him. God had promised that he would make someone in David’s family line king after him. 31David saw what was coming. So he spoke about the Messiah rising from the dead. He said that the Messiah would not be left in the place of the dead. His body wouldn’t rot in the ground. 32God has raised this same Jesus back to life. We are all witnesses of this. 33Jesus has been given a place of honor at the right hand of God. He has received the Holy Spirit from the Father. This is what God had promised. It is Jesus who has poured out what you now see and hear. 34David did not go up to heaven. But he said,
“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand.
35I will put your enemies
under your control.” ’ (Psalm 110:1)
36“So be sure of this, all you people of Israel. You nailed Jesus to the cross. But God has made him both Lord and Messiah.”
37When the people heard this, it had a deep effect on them. They said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
38Peter replied, “All of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then your sins will be forgiven. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children. It is also for all who are far away. It is for all whom the Lord our God will choose.”
40Peter said many other things to warn them. He begged them, “Save yourselves from these evil people.” 41Those who accepted his message were baptized. About 3,000 people joined the believers that day.
The Believers Share Their Lives Together
42The believers studied what the apostles taught. They shared their lives together. They ate and prayed together. 43Everyone was amazed at what God was doing. They were amazed when the apostles performed many wonders and signs. 44All the believers were together. They shared everything they had. 45They sold property and other things they owned. They gave to anyone who needed something. 46Every day they met together in the temple courtyard. They ate meals together in their homes. Their hearts were glad and sincere. 47They praised God. They were respected by all the people. Every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.
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Acts 2: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Acts 2
2
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
1When #ch. 20:16; 1 Cor. 16:8; [Lev. 23:15]the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like #[1 Kgs. 19:11; Job 38:1; Ezek. 1:4] a mighty rushing wind, and #[ch. 4:31; 16:26]it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues #Matt. 3:11as of fire appeared to them and rested#2:3 Or And tongues as of fire appeared to them, distributed among them, and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all #ch. 4:31; 13:52 filled with the Holy Spirit and began #See Mark 16:17 to speak in other tongues #[1 Cor. 12:10, 11]as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And #ver. 2at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7And #ver. 12 they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking #ch. 1:11; [Matt. 26:73]Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9Parthians and #2 Kgs. 17:6 Medes and #Gen. 14:1, 9; Isa. 11:11; Dan. 8:2Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and #ch. 6:5; 13:43; Matt. 23:15proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And #ver. 7all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others #[ch. 17:32; 1 Cor. 14:23]mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, #[1 Thess. 5:7]since it is only the third hour of the day.#2:15 That is, 9 a.m. 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 # Cited from Joel 2:28-32 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
# ver. 18, 33; Isa. 32:15; 44:3; Ezek. 36:27; See Rom. 5:5 that I will pour out my Spirit #[ch. 10:45; Titus 3:6] on all flesh,
and your sons and #ch. 21:9your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and #ch. 11:28; 21:10; 1 Cor. 12:10they shall prophesy.
19And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 # See Matt. 24:29 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before #[1 Thess. 5:2; Rev. 16:14]the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21And it shall come to pass that #Rom. 10:13; [ch. 16:31]everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, #See John 3:2 a man attested to you by God #ch. 10:38; Luke 24:19 with #2 Cor. 12:12; 2 Thess. 2:9; Heb. 2:4 mighty works and wonders and signs that #[Matt. 12:28]God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23this Jesus,#2:23 Greek this one #Matt. 26:24; [ch. 3:13; Matt. 20:19]; See Luke 24:20 delivered up according to #Luke 22:22; [ch. 3:18; 4:28; 13:27] the definite plan and #1 Pet. 1:2; [1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8] foreknowledge of God, #See ch. 5:30you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24#ver. 32; ch. 3:15; 4:10; 10:40; 13:30, 33, 34, 37; 17:31; Rom. 4:24; 6:4; 8:11; 10:9; 1 Cor. 6:14; 15:15; 2 Cor. 4:14; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12; 1 Thess. 1:10; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 1:21; [Eph. 2:5] God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because #[Luke 24:5; John 10:18; 2 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 2:14; Rev. 1:17, 18]it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25For David says concerning him,
# Cited from Ps. 16:8-11 “‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell #Rom. 4:18in hope.
27For you will not abandon my soul to #ver. 31; See Matt. 11:23 Hades,
# ch. 13:35 or let your #See Heb. 7:26 Holy One #[Luke 2:26]see corruption.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about #ch. 7:8, 9; Heb. 7:4 the patriarch David #[ch. 13:36] that he both died and #1 Kgs. 2:10 was buried, and #Neh. 3:16his tomb is with us to this day. 30#[2 Sam. 23:2; Matt. 22:43; Heb. 11:32] Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that #See Luke 1:32God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that #ver. 27he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32This Jesus #ver. 24 God raised up, #ch. 1:22; 4:33and of that we all are witnesses. 33#ch. 5:31; Eph. 1:20; Phil. 2:9; Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 3:22 Being therefore #Ex. 15:6; Ps. 98:1 exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from #ch. 1:4; [John 16:7] the Father #Gal. 3:14 the promise of the Holy Spirit, #ver. 17he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34For #[John 3:13] David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
# Cited from Ps. 110:1 “‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that #See Matt. 28:18 God has made him #Rom. 14:9; 2 Cor. 4:5 both Lord and Christ, this Jesus #ver. 23whom you crucified.”
37Now when #[ch. 5:33; 7:54] they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, #ch. 16:30; Luke 3:10what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, #ch. 3:19; 20:21; 26:18, 20; Luke 24:47 “Repent and #ch. 22:16; [ch. 8:12]; See Mark 16:16 be baptized every one of you #ch. 10:48; See ch. 8:16 in the name of Jesus Christ #See Mark 1:4 for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive #ch. 10:45; [ch. 8:15, 20; 11:17]; See John 7:39the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For #Rom. 9:4 the promise is for you and #ch. 3:25; Isa. 54:13; [Isa. 44:3] for your children and for all #ch. 22:21; Isa. 57:19; Eph. 2:13, 17 who are far off, everyone #Joel 2:32; Rom. 8:30whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, #[ver. 21, 47] “Save yourselves from this #Deut. 32:5; Matt. 17:17; Phil. 2:15crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and #ver. 47there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42And #[Heb. 10:25]; See ch. 1:14 they devoted themselves to the apostles’ #See 1 Cor. 14:6 teaching and the #Gal. 2:9; Phil. 1:5; 1 John 1:3 fellowship, to #Luke 24:35; [ver. 46]; See ch. 20:7the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe#2:43 Or fear came upon every soul, and #See Mark 16:20many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and #ch. 4:32, 34, 35; [Matt. 19:21]had all things in common. 45And #[See ver. 44 above]they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, #ch. 3:1; 5:21, 42; Luke 24:53 attending the temple #See ch. 1:14 together and #[ver. 42] breaking bread in their homes, they received their food #[ch. 16:34]; See John 16:22with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and #ch. 5:13 having favor with all the people. And the Lord #ver. 41; ch. 5:14; 11:24 added to their number #ch. 16:5 day by day those who #1 Cor. 1:18; [ver. 21, 40; ch. 16:31]were being saved.
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