Knox Bible

1

When the day of Pentecost came round, while they were all gathered together in unity of purpose,

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all at once a sound came from heaven like that of a strong wind blowing, and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

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Then appeared to them what seemed to be tongues of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them;

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and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in strange languages, as the Spirit gave utterance to each.✻

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Among those who were dwelling in Jerusalem at this time were devout Jews from every country under heaven;✻

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so, when the noise of this went abroad, the crowd which gathered was in bewilderment; each man severally heard them speak in his own language.

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And they were all beside themselves with astonishment; Are they not all Galileans speaking? they asked.

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How is it that each of us hears them talking his own native tongue?

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There are Parthians among us, and Medes, and Elamites; our homes are in Mesopotamia, or Judaea,✻ or Cappadocia; in Pontus or Asia,

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Phrygia or Pamphylia, Egypt or the parts of Libya round Cyrene; some of us are visitors from Rome,

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some of us are Jews and others proselytes; there are Cretans among us too, and Arabians; and each has been hearing them tell of God’s wonders in his own language.

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So they were all beside themselves with perplexity, and asked one another, What can this mean?

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There were others who said, mockingly, They have had their fill of new wine.

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But Peter, with the eleven apostles at his side, stood there and raised his voice to speak to them; Men of Judaea, he said, and all you who are dwelling in Jerusalem, I must tell you this; listen to what I have to say.

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These men are not drunk, as you suppose; it is only the third hour of the day.

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This is what was foretold by the prophet Joel:

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In the last times, God says, I will pour out my spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters will be prophets. Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;

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and I will pour out my spirit in those days upon my servants and hand-maids, so that they will prophesy.

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I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire and whirling smoke;

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the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, great and glorious.

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And then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.✻

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Men of Israel, listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man duly accredited to you from God; such were the miracles and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves well know.

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This man you have put to death; by God’s fixed design and foreknowledge, he was betrayed to you, and you, through the hands of sinful men, have cruelly murdered him.

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But God raised him up again, releasing him from the pangs of death; it was impossible that death should have the mastery over him.

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It is in his person that David says, Always I can keep the Lord within sight; always he is at my right hand, to make me stand firm.

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So there is gladness in my heart, and rejoicing on my lips; my body, too, shall rest in confidence

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that thou wilt not leave my soul in the place of death, or allow thy faithful servant to see corruption.

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Thou hast shewn me the way of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness in thy presence.✻

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My brethren, I can say this to you about the patriarch David without fear of contradiction, that he did die, and was buried, and his tomb is among us to this day.

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But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised him on oath that he would set the sons of his body upon his throne;

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it was of the Christ he said, foreseeing his resurrection, that he was not left in the place of death, and that his body did not see corruption.

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God, then, has raised up this man, Jesus, from the dead; we are all witnesses of it.

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And now, exalted at God’s right hand, he has claimed from his Father his promise to bestow the Holy Spirit; and he has poured out that Spirit, as you can see and hear for yourselves.

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David never went up to heaven, and yet David has told us, The Lord said to my Master, Sit on my right hand,

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while I make thy enemies a footstool under thy feet.✻

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Let it be known, then, beyond doubt, to all the house of Israel, that God has made him Master and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

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When they heard this, their consciences were stung; and they asked Peter and his fellow apostles, Brethren, what must we do?

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Repent, Peter said to them, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, to have your sins forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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This promise is for you and for your children, and for all those, however far away, whom the Lord our God calls to himself.

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And he used many more words besides, urgently appealing to them; Save yourselves, he said, from this false-minded generation.

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So all those who had taken his words to heart were baptized, and about three thousand souls were won for the Lord that day.

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These occupied themselves continually with the apostles’ teaching, their fellowship in the breaking of bread, and the fixed times of prayer,✻

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and every soul was struck with awe, so many were the wonders and signs performed by the apostles in Jerusalem.

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All the faithful held together, and shared all they had,

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selling their possessions and their means of livelihood, so as to distribute to all, as each had need.

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They persevered with one accord, day by day, in the temple worship, and, as they broke bread in this house or that, took their share of food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

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praising God, and winning favour with all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship others that were to be saved.