1 ك َتَبتُ إلَيكَ يا ثاوفِيلُسُ فِي كِتابِي الأوَّلِ عَنْ كُلِّ ما عَمِلَهُ يَسُوعُ وَعَلَّمَهُ.

The former account, indeed, I made concerning all things, O Theophilus, that Jesus began both to do and to teach,

2 و َذَلِكَ مِنَ البِدايَةِ حَتَّى الوَقتِ الَّذِي رُفِعَ فِيهِ إلَى السَّماءِ، بَعْدَ أنْ أعطَى مِنْ خِلالِ الرُّوحِ القُدُسِ تَعلِيماتٍ لِلرُّسُلِ الَّذِينَ اختارَهُمْ.

till the day in which, having given command, through the Holy Spirit, to the apostles whom he did choose out, he was taken up,

3 و َكانَ يَسُوعُ قَد أظهَرَ نَفسَهُ لَهُمْ بَعدَ مَوتِهِ مُقنِعاً إيّاهُمْ بِبَراهِينَ كَثِيرَةٍ قاطِعَةٍ بِأنَّهُ كانَ حَيّاً. وَظَهَرَ لَهُمْ خِلالَ فَترَةٍ تَزِيدُ عَلَى أربَعِينَ يَوماً، وَتَحَدَّثَ إلَيْهِمْ عَنْ مَلَكُوتِ اللهِ.

to whom also he did present himself alive after his suffering, in many certain proofs, through forty days being seen by them, and speaking the things concerning the reign of God.

4 و َذاتَ مَرَّةٍ، وَبَينَما كانَ يَأكُلُ مَعَهُمْ، أمَرَهُمْ وَقالَ: «لا تُغادِرُوا مَدينَةَ القُدسِ، لَكِنِ انتَظِرُوا ما وَعَدَ بِهِ الآبُ، وَهُوَ الوَعدُ الَّذِي كَلَّمتُكُمْ عَنهُ.

And being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, `Ye did hear of me;

5 ف َقَدْ عَمَّدَ يُوحَنّا النّاسَ في الماءِ، وَأمّا أنتُمْ فَسَتَتَعَمَّدُونَ فِي الرُّوحِ القُدُسِ بَعدَ أيّامٍ قَلِيلَةٍ.» يَسُوعُ يَرْتَفِعُ إلَى السَّماء

because John, indeed, baptized with water, and ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit -- after not many days.'

6 و َبَعدَ أنِ اجتَمَعُوا، سَألُوهُ: «يا رَبُّ، هَلْ سَتُعِيدُ المُلكَ إلَى بَنيْ إسرائِيلَ الآنَ؟»

They, therefore, indeed, having come together, were questioning him, saying, `Lord, dost thou at this time restore the reign to Israel?'

7 ف َقالَ لَهُمْ: «هَذِهِ المَعلُومَةُ عَنِ الأوقاتِ وَالتَّوارِيخِ لَيسَتْ مِنْ شَأْنِكُمْ، فَالآبُ قَدْ وَضَعَها ضِمْنَ سُلطانِهِ الخاصِّ.

and he said unto them, `It is not yours to know times or seasons that the Father did appoint in His own authority;

8 ل َكِنَّكُمْ سَتَنالُونَ قُوَّةً عِندَما يَحِلُّ الرُّوحُ القُدُسُ عَلَيكُمْ. وَسَتَكُونُونَ شُهُوداً لِي فِي القُدسِ وَفِي كُلِّ اليَهُودِيَّةِ وَالسّامِرَةِ، وَإلَى أبعَدِ الأماكِنِ عَلَىْ الأرْضِ.»

but ye shall receive power at the coming of the Holy Spirit upon you, and ye shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and unto the end of the earth.'

9 و َبَعدَ أنْ أنهَى قَولَهُ هَذا، رُفِعَ إلَى السَّماءِ وَهُمْ يُراقِبُونَ. وَأخفَتهُ سَحابَةٌ عَنْ أنظارِهِمْ.

And these things having said -- they beholding -- he was taken up, and a cloud did receive him up from their sight;

10 و َبَينَما كانُوا يُحَدِّقُونَ فِيهِ وَهُوَ يَصْعَدُ، وَقَفَ فَجأةً إلَى جانِبِهِمْ رَجُلانِ يَرتَدِيانِ ثِياباً بَيضاءَ.

and as they were looking stedfastly to the heaven in his going on, then, lo, two men stood by them in white apparel,

11 ف َقالا: «أيُّها الرِّجالُ الجَلِيلِيُّونَ، لِماذا تَقِفُونَ هَكَذا ناظِرِينَ إلَى السَّماءِ؟ إنَّ يَسُوعَ هَذا الَّذِي رُفِعَ عَنكُمْ إلَى السَّماءِ، سَيَأتِي ثانِيَةً بِالطَّرِيقَةِ نَفسِها الَّتِي رَأيتُمُوهُ يَصْعَدُ بِها إلَى السَّماءِ.» اختِيارُ رَسُولٍ جَدِيد

who also said, `Men, Galileans, why do ye stand gazing into the heaven? this Jesus who was received up from you into the heaven, shall so come in what manner ye saw him going on to the heaven.'

12 ث ُمَّ عادُوا إلَى مَدينَةِ القُدسِ مِنَ التَّلَّةِ الَّتِي تُدعَى جَبَلَ الزَّيتُونِ، وَهيَ تَبعُدُ نَحْوَ مَسِيرَةِ سَبْتٍ عَنِ القُدسِ.

Then did they return to Jerusalem from the mount that is called of Olives, that is near Jerusalem, a sabbath's journey;

13 و َعِندَما وَصَلُوا، ذَهَبُوا إلَى غُرفَةٍ فِي الطّابِقِ العُلوِيِّ حَيثُ كانُوا يُقِيمُونَ. وَهُمْ بُطرُسُ، يُوحَنّا، يَعقُوبُ، أندراوُسُ، فِيلِبُّسُ، تُوما، بَرثُولَماوُسُ، مَتَّى، يَعقُوبُ بْنُ حَلفَى، سِمعانُ الغَيُورُ ، وَيَهُوذا بْنُ يَعقُوبَ.

and when they came in, they went up to the upper room, where were abiding both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James, of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zelotes, and Judas, of James;

14 ك انَ هَؤُلاءِ جَمِيعاً مُنشَغِلِينَ بِالصَّلاةِ مَعاً. وَكانَ مَعَهُمْ بَعضُ النِّساءِ وَمَريَمُ أُمُّ يَسُوعَ وَإخوَتُهُ.

these all were continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication, with women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

15 و َفِي تِلكَ الأيّامِ، وَقَفَ بُطرُسُ بَينَ الإخوَةِ وَكانُوا نَحْوَ مِئَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ شَخصاً وَقالَ:

And in these days, Peter having risen up in the midst of the disciples, said, (the multitude also of the names at the same place was, as it were, an hundred and twenty,)

16 « أيُّها الإخوَةُ، كانَ لابُدَّ أنْ يَتَحَقَّقَ قَولُ الكِتابِ الَّذِي قالَهُ الرُّوحُ القُدُسُ قَدِيماً عَلَى فَمِ داوُدَ عَنْ يَهُوذا. وَنَحنُ نَعرِفُ أنَّ يَهُوذا صارَ دَلِيلاً لِلَّذِينَ ألقَوْا القَبضَ عَلَى يَسُوعَ.

`Men, brethren, it behoved this Writing that it be fulfilled that beforehand the Holy Spirit spake through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who became guide to those who took Jesus,

17 ك انَ واحِداً مِنْ جَماعَتِنا، وَشَرِيكاً مَعَنا فِي هَذِهِ الخِدمَةِ.

because he was numbered among us, and did receive the share in this ministration,

18 « وَقَدِ اشتَرَى حَقلاً بِالمالِ الَّذِي حَصَلَ عَلَيهِ مُقابِلَ عَمَلِهِ الآثِمِ، لَكِنَّهُ وَقَعَ عَلَى رَأسِهِ أَوَّلاً وَانشَقَّ مِنَ الوَسَطِ، فَخَرَجَتْ أمعاؤُهُ كُلُّها.

this one, indeed, then, purchased a field out of the reward of unrighteousness, and falling headlong, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed forth,

19 و َذاعَتْ هَذِهِ الحادِثَةُ بَينَ كُلِّ سُكّانِ القُدسِ، فَصارَ ذَلِكَ الحَقلُ يُدعَى فِي لُغَتِهِمْ ‹حَقلَ دَما› – وَيَعنِي ‹حَقلَ دَمْ.›»

and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, insomuch that that place is called, in their proper dialect, Aceldama, that is, field of blood,

20 و َتابَعَ بُطرُسُ فَقالَ: «مَكتُوبٌ فِي كِتابِ المَزامِيرِ: ‹لِيُهجَرْ بَيتُهُ، فَلا يَسكُنُ فِيهِ أحَدٌ.› ومَكْتوبٌ أيضاً: ‹لْيُشغِلْ وَظِيفَتَهُ شَخصٌ آخَرٌ.›

for it hath been written in the book of Psalms: Let his lodging-place become desolate, and let no one be dwelling in it, and his oversight let another take.

21 ل ِذَلِكَ عَلَينا أنْ نَختارَ أحَدَ الرِّجالِ الَّذِينَ كانُوا مَعَنا طَوالَ مُدَّةِ بَقاءِ الرَّبِّ يَسُوعَ بَينَنا،

`It behoveth, therefore, of the men who did go with us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,

22 أ ي مِنَ الوَقتِ الَّذِي عَمَّدَهُ فِيهِ يُوحَنّا المَعْمَدانُ، إلَى الوَقتِ الَّذِي رُفِعَ فِيهِ يَسُوعُ عَنّا. إذْ يَنبَغِي أنْ يَكُونَ هَذا الرَّجُلُ شاهِداً مَعَنا عَلَى قِيامَتِهِ.»

beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day in which he was received up from us, one of these to become with us a witness of his rising again.'

23 ف َرَشَّحُوا رَجُلَينِ: الأوَّلُ هُوَ يُوسُفُ الَّذِي كانَ يُدعَى بارْسابا، وَيُعْرَفُ أيضاً بِاسْمِ يُوسْتُسَ، وَالثّاني هُوَ مَتِيّاسُ.

And they set two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias,

24 ث ُمَّ صَلُّوا وَقالوا: «يا رَبُّ، أنتَ تَعرِفُ قُلُوبَ الجَمِيعِ، فَأرِنا أيّاً مِنْ هَذَينِ الاثنَينِ قَدِ اختَرتَ

and having prayed, they said, `Thou, Lord, who art knowing the heart of all, shew which one thou didst choose of these two

25 ل ِيَكُونَ خادِماً وَرَسُولاً مَعَنا فِي المَكانِ الَّذِي تَرَكَهُ يَهُوذا لِيَذهَبَ إلَى المَكانِ الَّذِي يَستَحِقُّ.»

to receive the share of this ministration and apostleship, from which Judas, by transgression, did fall, to go on to his proper place;'

26 ث ُمَّ أجرُوا القُرعَةَ بَينَ الرَّجُلَينِ، فَوَقَعَتِ القُرعَةُ عَلَى مَتِيّاسَ، فَأُضِيفَ إلَى الأحَدَ عَشَرَ رَسُولاً.

and they gave their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.