Acts 2 - International Standard Version (ISV)

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated,^[a] all of them were together in one place. ² Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw tongues like flames^[b] of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign^[c] languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

⁵ Now devout Jews from every nation on earth^[d] were living in Jerusalem. ⁶ When that sound came, a crowd quickly gathered, startled because each one heard the disciples^[e] speaking in his own language. ⁷ Stunned and amazed, they asked, “All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren’t they? ⁸ So how is it that each one of us hears them speaking in his own native language:^{[f] 9} Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the district of Libya near Cyrene, Jewish and proselyte visitors from Rome, ¹¹ Cretans, and Arabs, listening to them talk in our own languages about the great deeds of God?”

¹² All of them continued to be stunned and puzzled, and they kept asking one another, “What can this mean?”

¹³ But others kept saying in derision, “They’re drunk on sweet wine!”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

¹⁴ Then Peter stood up among the eleven apostles^[g] and raised his voice to address them:

“Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand something, so pay close attention to my words. ¹⁵ These men are not drunk as you suppose, for it’s only nine o’clock in the morning.^{[h] 16} Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.^[i]
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸ In those days I will even pour out my Spirit
on my slaves, men and women alike,
and they will prophesy.
¹⁹ I will display wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below:
blood, fire, and clouds of smoke.
²⁰ The sun will become dark,
and the moon turn to blood,
before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.^[j]
21 Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord^[k] will be saved.’^[l]

²² “Fellow Israelis, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth^[m] was a man authenticated to you by God through miracles, wonders, and signs that God performed through him among you, as you yourselves know. ²³ After he was arrested according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified this very man and killed him using the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ But God raised him up, putting an end to the suffering of death,^[n] since it was impossible for him to be held by it, ²⁵ since David says about him,

‘I always keep my eyes on the Lord,^[o]
for he is at my right hand
so that I cannot be shaken.
²⁶ That is why my heart is glad
and my tongue rejoices,
yes, even my body still rests securely in hope.
²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades^[p]
or allow your Holy One to experience decay.
²⁸ You have made the ways of life known to me,
and you will fill me with gladness in your presence.’^[q]

²⁹ “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and that his tomb is among us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, since he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him with an oath to put one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he looked ahead and spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah:^[r]

‘He was not abandoned to Hades,^[s]
and his flesh did not experience decay.’^[t]

³² “It was this very Jesus whom God raised—and we’re all witnesses of that. ³³ He has been exalted to the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit,^[u] and has caused you to experience what you are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ After all, David did not go up to heaven, but he said,

‘The Lord^[v] told my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.”’^[w]

³⁶ “Therefore, let all the people^[x] of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!”^[y]

³⁷ When the crowd that had gathered^[z] heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

³⁸ Peter answered them, “Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah^[aa] for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.^{[ab] 39} For this promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are distant, whom the Lord our God may call to himself.”

⁴⁰ Using many different expressions, Peter^[ac] continued to testify and to plead: “Be saved,” he urged them, “from this corrupt generation!” ⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to their number.

Life among the Believers

⁴² The believers^[ad] continued to devote themselves to what the apostles were teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to times of prayer.^{[ae] 43} A sense of fear^[af] came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were united and shared everything with one another.^{[ag] 45} They made it their practice to sell their possessions and goods and to distribute the proceeds^[ah] to anyone who was in need. ⁴⁶ United in purpose, they went to the Temple every day, ate at each other’s homes, and shared their food with glad and humble hearts. ⁴⁷ They were praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved.

Footnotes

1. Acts 2:1 Lit. Pentecost had fully arrived
2. Acts 2:3 Or tongues
3. Acts 2:4 Or different
4. Acts 2:5 Lit. nation under heaven
5. Acts 2:6 Lit. them
6. Acts 2:8 Lit. in our language in which we were born
7. Acts 2:14 The Gk. lacks apostles
8. Acts 2:15 Lit. the third hour of the day
9. Acts 2:17 Lit. on all flesh
10. Acts 2:20 MT source citation reads Lord
11. Acts 2:21 MT source citation reads Lord
12. Acts 2:21 Cf. Joel 2:28-32
13. Acts 2:22 Or Jesus the Nazarene; the Gk. Nazoraios may be a word play between Heb. netser, meaning branch (cf. Isa 11:1), and the name Nazareth.
14. Acts 2:24 Other mss. read Hades (the realm of the dead)
15. Acts 2:25 Lit. always see the Lord in front of me; MT source citation reads Lord
16. Acts 2:27 I.e. the realm of the dead
17. Acts 2:28 Cf. Ps 16:8-11
18. Acts 2:31 Or Christ
19. Acts 2:31 I.e. the realm of the dead
20. Acts 2:31 Cf. Ps 16:10
21. Acts 2:33 Or the promise of the Holy Spirit
22. Acts 2:34 MT source citation reads Lord
23. Acts 2:35 Cf. Ps 110:1
24. Acts 2:36 Lit. house
25. Acts 2:36 Or Christ
26. Acts 2:37 Lit. When they
27. Acts 2:38 Or Christ
28. Acts 2:38 Or the gift of the Holy Spirit
29. Acts 2:40 Lit. he
30. Acts 2:42 Lit. They
31. Acts 2:42 Lit. to the prayers
32. Acts 2:43 Or awe
33. Acts 2:44 Lit. and had all things in common
34. Acts 2:45 Lit. to distribute them