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Acts 2

1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like a powerful rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3Tongues as of fire appeared to them, dividing, and one settled on each of them. 4They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6When this sound arose, the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? 8How is it that each of us hears in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, those living in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and converts, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our tongues of God's mighty deeds!” 12They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocked them, saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

14Peter stood with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen closely to my words. 15These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is the third hour of the day. 16Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17‘In the last days it will be, God says, that I will pour out from my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my male slaves and my female slaves in those days I will pour out from my Spirit, and they will prophesy. 19I will give wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. 20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God through deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know—23this man, handed over by God's determined plan and foreknowledge, you killed by nailing him up through the hand of lawless men. 24God raised him up, releasing the birth pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25For David says concerning him, ‘I kept the Lord before me always, because he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. 26Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my flesh will dwell in hope, 27because you will not abandon my soul to Hades or allow your Holy One to see decay. 28You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with gladness in your presence.’

29“Brothers, I may speak freely to you about the patriarch David: he both died and was buried, and his tomb is among us to this day. 30So, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of the fruit of his loins on his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah: he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see decay. 32This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of this. 33Exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you see and hear. 34For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand 35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ 36So let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away—as many as the Lord our God calls.” 40With many other words he testified and urged them, saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and about three thousand people were added that day. 42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.

43Fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44All who believed were together and held everything in common. 45They sold their property and possessions and distributed them to all, as anyone had need. 46Day by day they devoted themselves with one accord to meeting in the temple, and breaking bread in their homes, they shared food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their gathering those who were being saved.

Translation notes 7

2:1–13 — Pentecost and tongues. Pentecost is the fiftieth-day festival. The sound is compared to wind and the tongues to fire; the text does not say the house burned. “Tongues” also means languages; verses 6–11 explicitly describe recognizable native languages. “Asia” is the Roman province in western Asia Minor. Converts are converts to Judaism.

2:15–21 — Time and prophecy. The third hour is approximately nine in the morning. The Joel quotation retains “all flesh,” sons and daughters, and both male and female slaves. “All flesh” here means people. Its cosmic imagery is not replaced by an interpretive timetable.

2:23–24 — Death. God's purpose and human responsibility both remain in the speech. “Birth pains of death” preserves an unusual Greek image; the verse declares that death could not hold Jesus.

2:27, 31 — Hades. Hades denotes the realm of the dead here, distinguished from Gehenna. At verse 27 the KJV has “hell,” while the NRSV and NASB retain “Hades.” Peter's argument concerns resurrection and escape from decay, not an explicit description of punitive torment. “See decay” means experience decay.

2:30–36 — Throne and exaltation. “Fruit of his loins” means David's descendant. Some witnesses expand verse 30 by explicitly naming the Messiah's raising according to the flesh; the base does not. “To the right hand” in verse 33 can also be understood as “by the right hand.” “Made … Lord and Messiah” is left in Peter's wording rather than expanded into a theory of when Jesus began to exist or acquired an identity. Verses 34–35 quote Psalm 110:1, also quoted in Luke 20:42–43.

2:38–42 — Baptism and community. “For the forgiveness” preserves the purpose or result expressed in the Greek; “because your sins were already forgiven” is not stated. The promise of the Spirit is not turned into a rule that every later episode must follow this precise sequence. “Fellowship” includes shared participation and is illustrated by material sharing. The breaking of bread connects with Luke 24:35 while remaining part of shared meals here.

2:43–47 — Fear and sharing. “Every soul” means every person. The repeated actions describe the community's practice; the text does not say everyone sold everything at once. Verse 47 follows the base's “together” expression; some witnesses explicitly say “to the assembly.”