1 D ear Theophilus, in my first writings I wrote about all the things Jesus did and taught from the beginning

كَتَبتُ إلَيكَ يا ثاوفِيلُسُ فِي كِتابِي الأوَّلِ عَنْ كُلِّ ما عَمِلَهُ يَسُوعُ وَعَلَّمَهُ.

2 u ntil the day He went to heaven. He spoke to the missionaries through the Holy Spirit. He told those whom He had chosen what they should do.

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

3 A fter He had suffered much and then died, He showed Himself alive in many sure ways for forty days. He told them many things about the holy nation of God. Jesus Speaks Before He Goes to Be with the Father

وَكانَ 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.

4 A s they were gathered together with Him, He told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem. Wait for what the Father has promised. You heard Me speak of this.

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

5 F or John the Baptist baptized with water but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

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

6 T hose who were with Him asked, “Lord, is this the time for You to give the nation back to the Jews?”

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

7 H e said, “It is not for you to know the special days or the special times which the Father has put in His own power.

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

8 “ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes into your life. You will tell about Me in the city of Jerusalem and over all the countries of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus Goes to Be with the Father

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

9 W hen Jesus had said this and while they were still looking at Him, He was taken up. A cloud carried Him away so they could not see Him.

وَبَعدَ أنْ أنهَى قَولَهُ هَذا، رُفِعَ إلَى السَّماءِ وَهُمْ يُراقِبُونَ. وَأخفَتهُ سَحابَةٌ عَنْ أنظارِهِمْ.

10 T hey were still looking up to heaven, watching Him go. All at once two men dressed in white stood beside them.

وَبَينَما كانُوا يُحَدِّقُونَ فِيهِ وَهُوَ يَصْعَدُ، وَقَفَ فَجأةً إلَى جانِبِهِمْ رَجُلانِ يَرتَدِيانِ ثِياباً بَيضاءَ.

11 T hey said, “You men of the country of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus Who was taken from you into heaven will return in the same way you saw Him go up into heaven.” Matthias Is Chosen to Take the Place of Judas

فَقالا: «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

12 T he followers went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is close to Jerusalem.

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

13 W hen they came into the city, they went up to a room on the second floor where they stayed. The followers were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas the brother of James.

وَعِندَما 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.

14 T hese all agreed as they prayed together. The women and Mary the mother of Jesus and His brothers were there.

كانَ هَؤُلاءِ جَمِيعاً مُنشَغِلِينَ بِالصَّلاةِ مَعاً. وَكانَ مَعَهُمْ بَعضُ النِّساءِ وَمَريَمُ أُمُّ يَسُوعَ وَإخوَتُهُ.

15 O n one of those days Peter got up in front of the followers. (There were about 120 people there.) He said,

وَفِي تِلكَ الأيّامِ، وَقَفَ بُطرُسُ بَينَ الإخوَةِ وَكانُوا نَحْوَ مِئَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ شَخصاً وَقالَ:

16 “ Men and brothers, it happened as the Holy Writings said it would happen which the Holy Spirit spoke through David. They told about Judas who would hand Jesus over to those who wanted to take Him.

«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.

17 J udas was one of our group and had a part in our work.

كانَ واحِداً مِنْ جَماعَتِنا، وَشَرِيكاً مَعَنا فِي هَذِهِ الخِدمَةِ.

18 T his man bought a field with the money he received for his sin. And falling down head first, his body broke open and his insides ran out.

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

19 A ll the people of Jerusalem knew about this. They called the place Field of Blood.

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

20 F or it is written in the Book of Psalms, ‘Let his place of living be empty and let no one live there,’ and, ‘Let another person take over his work.’

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

21 “ The man to take the place of Judas should be one of these men who walked along with us when the Lord Jesus was with us.

لِذَلِكَ عَلَينا أنْ نَختارَ أحَدَ الرِّجالِ الَّذِينَ كانُوا مَعَنا طَوالَ مُدَّةِ بَقاءِ الرَّبِّ يَسُوعَ بَينَنا،

22 H e must have been with Jesus from the day He was baptized by John to the day He was taken up from us. So one of these should be added to our group who will tell others that he saw Jesus raised from the dead.”

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

23 T hey brought two men in front of them. They were Joseph, also called Barsabbas Justus, and Matthias.

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

24 T hen the followers prayed, saying, “Lord, You know the hearts of all men. Show us which of these two men You have chosen.

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

25 H e is to take the place of Judas in this work and be a missionary. Judas lost his place and went where he belonged because of sin.”

لِيَكُونَ خادِماً وَرَسُولاً مَعَنا فِي المَكانِ الَّذِي تَرَكَهُ يَهُوذا لِيَذهَبَ إلَى المَكانِ الَّذِي يَستَحِقُّ.»

26 T hen they drew names and the name of Matthias was chosen. He became one with the eleven missionaries.

ثُمَّ أجرُوا القُرعَةَ بَينَ الرَّجُلَينِ، فَوَقَعَتِ القُرعَةُ عَلَى مَتِيّاسَ، فَأُضِيفَ إلَى الأحَدَ عَشَرَ رَسُولاً.