Chapter 2

   At length, on the day of the Harvest Festival, they had all met in one place;  

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   when suddenly there came from the sky a sound as of a strong rushing blast of wind. This filled the whole house where they were sitting;  

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   and they saw tongues of what looked like fire distributing themselves over the assembly, and on the head of each person a tongue alighted.  

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   They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages according as the Spirit gave them words to utter.  

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   Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every part of the world.  

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   So when this noise was heard, they came crowding together, and were amazed because everyone heard his own language spoken.  

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   They were beside themselves with wonder, and exclaimed, 'Are not all these speakers Galilaeans?  

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   How then does each of us hear his own native language spoken by them?  

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   Some of us are Parthians, Medes, Elamites. Some are inhabitants of Mesopotamia, of Judaea or Cappadocia, of Pontus or the Asian Province, of Phrygia or Pamphylia,  

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   of Egypt or of the parts of Africa towards Cyrene. Others are visitors from Rome--being either Jews or converts from heathenism--and others are Cretans or Arabians.  

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   Yet we all alike hear these Galilaeans speaking in our own language about the wonderful things which God has done.'  

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   They were all astounded and bewildered, and asked one another, 'What can this mean?'  

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   But others, scornfully jeering, said, 'They are brim-full of sweet wine.'  

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   Peter however, together with the Eleven, stood up and addressed them in a loud voice. 'Men of Judaea, and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem,' he said, 'be in no uncertainty about this matter but pay attention to what I say.  

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   For this is not intoxication, as you suppose, it being only the third hour of the day.  

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   But that which was predicted through the Prophet Joel has happened:  

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   'And it shall come to pass in the last days, God says, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall have dreams;  

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   and even upon My bondservants, both men and women, at that time, I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy.  

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   I will display marvels in the sky above, and signs on the earth below, blood and fire, and pillars of smoke.  

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   The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, to usher in the day of the Lord-- that great and illustrious day;  

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   and every one who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'  

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   'Listen, Israelites, to what I say. Jesus, the Nazarene, a man accredited to you from God by miracles and marvels and signs which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know, Him--  

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   delivered up through God's settled purpose and foreknowledge--you by the hands of Gentiles have nailed to a cross and have put to death.  

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   But God has raised Him to life, having terminated the throes of death, for in fact it was not possible for Him to be held fast by death.  

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   For David says in reference to Him, ''I constantly fixed my eyes upon the Lord, because He is at my right hand in order that I may continue unshaken.  

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   For this reason my heart is glad and my tongue exults. My body also shall rest in hope.  

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   For Thou wilt not leave me in the Unseen World forsaken, nor give up Thy holy One to undergo decay.  

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   Thou hast made known to me the ways of Life: Thou wilt fill me with gladness in Thy presence.'  

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   'As to the patriarch David, I need hardly remind you, brethren, that he died and was buried, and that we still have his tomb among us.  

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   Being a Prophet, however, and knowing that God had solemnly sworn to him to seat a descendant of his upon his throne,  

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   with prophetic foresight he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, to the effect that He was not left forsaken in the Unseen World, nor did His body undergo decay.  

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   This Jesus, God has raised to life-- a fact to which all of us testify.  

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   'Being therefore lifted high by the mighty hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out this which you see and hear.  

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   For David did not ascend into Heaven, but he says himself, ''The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand  

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   until I make thy foes a footstool under thy feet.'  

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   'Therefore let the whole House of Israel know beyond all doubt that God has made Him both LORD and CHRIST--this Jesus whom you crucified.'  

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   Stung to the heart by these words, they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, 'Brethren, what are we to do?'  

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   'Repent,' replied Peter, 'and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, with a view to the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  

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   For to you belongs the promise, and to your children, and to all who are far off, whoever the Lord our God may call.'  

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   And with many more appeals he solemnly warned and entreated them, saying, 'Escape from this crooked generation.'  

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   Those, therefore, who joyfully welcomed his Message were baptized; and on that one day about three thousand persons were added to them;  

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   and they were constant in listening to the teaching of the Apostles and in their attendance at the Communion, that is, the Breaking of the Bread, and at prayer.  

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   Fear came upon every one, and many marvels and signs were done by the Apostles.  

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   And all the believers kept together, and had everything in common.  

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   They sold their lands and other property, and distributed the proceeds among all, according to every one's necessities.  

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   And, day by day, attending constantly in the Temple with one accord, and breaking bread in private houses, they took their meals with great happiness and single-heartedness,  

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   praising God and being regarded with favour by all the people. Also, day by day, the Lord added to their number those whom He was saving.  

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