Acts 2

1When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all gathered in one place. 2All at once a sound came out of heaven, like a mighty wind sweeping through, and it filled the entire house where they sat. 3Tongues like fire appeared to them, parting so that one came to rest on each of them. 4Every one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the words to say.

5Devout Jews from every nation in the world were living in Jerusalem. 6At this sound the people flocked together, and they were bewildered, for each one heard them speaking in their own language. 7Astonished and full of wonder, they said, “Surely all these people speaking are from Galilee, are they not? 8So how is it that each of us hears them in the language we grew up speaking? 9We are Parthians, Medes and Elamites; we live in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; some of us are visitors from Rome, 11Jews and converts to Judaism; we are Cretans and Arabs. Yet we hear them telling in our own languages the mighty deeds of God!” 12Everyone was astonished and at a loss, and they kept saying to one another, “What can this be?” 13But some jeered at them: “They have drunk too much sweet wine!”

14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted his voice, and spoke out to them: “Jewish people, and everyone living in Jerusalem, know this, and pay close attention to my words. 15They are not drunk, as you imagine. The day is only three hours old; it is nine in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17‘In the last days it will happen, God says, that I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy; your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams. 18In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. 19I will work wonders up in the sky and signs down on the earth: blood and fire and a haze of smoke. 20The sun will turn dark and the moon to blood before the great and splendid day of the Lord arrives. 21Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

22People of Israel, listen to what I am saying: Jesus of Nazareth was a man whom God commended to you by deeds of power, wonders and signs that God worked through him among you, as you well know. 23God had set the plan and known it beforehand: he was handed over, and you, through the hands of lawless men, fastened him to a cross and killed him. 24But God raised him up and freed him from the pains of death, since there was no way death could hold him fast. 25David says of him: ‘I kept the Lord always in view before me; with him at my right hand I will not be moved. 26So my heart is full of gladness and my tongue sings for joy; even my body will settle down in hope, 27for you will not abandon me to the world of the dead or allow your Holy One to experience decay. 28You have taught me the roads that lead to life, and being with you will fill me with gladness.’

29Brothers and sisters, I may speak to you plainly about our ancestor David: he died and was buried, and his tomb is here with us to this very day. 30But he was a prophet, and he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his own descendants on his throne. 31So he looked ahead and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ: he was not abandoned to the world of the dead, and his body never saw decay. 32It is this Jesus whom God raised up, and every one of us is a witness to it. 33So now he has been lifted up to the right hand of God. From the Father he received the promised Holy Spirit, and he has poured it out. This is what you are seeing and hearing. 34David himself never went up into heaven, but he says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Take your seat at my right hand 35until I set your enemies as a footstool beneath your feet.”’ 36So let the whole house of Israel know for certain: God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37These words pierced their hearts. They asked Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What are we to do, brothers?” 38Peter answered them, “Repent, and every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. 39The promise belongs to you and your children, and to all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40He went on to bear witness with many more words and kept appealing to them: “Let yourselves be rescued from this crooked generation!” 41Then those who welcomed what he said were baptized; that day about 3,000 people joined them. 42They gave themselves fully to the apostles’ teaching and to the shared life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

43Everyone felt a deep awe, and many wonders and signs took place through the apostles. 44Everyone who believed kept together and treated all they had as shared. 45They would sell off land and goods and divide the money among all, according to what each one needed. 46Day after day they went on gathering, united, in the temple; at home they broke bread, eating their food with joyful and simple hearts, 47praising God and well regarded by all the people. And each day the Lord brought into their company more people who were being saved.