[1:12] Then the apostles went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is about half a mile away from the city.
[1:13] They entered the city and went up to the room where they were staying: Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Patriot, and Judas son of James.
[1:14] They gathered frequently to pray as a group, together with the women and with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.
[1:15] A few days later there was a meeting of the believers, about a hundred and twenty in all, and Peter stood up to speak.
[1:16] “My friends,” he said, “the scripture had to come true in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, made a prediction about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
[1:17] Judas was a member of our group, for he had been chosen to have a part in our work.” (
[1:18] With the money that Judas got for his evil act he bought a field, where he fell to his death; he burst open and all his insides spilled out.
[1:19] All the people living in Jerusalem heard about it, and so in their own language they call that field Akeldama, which means “Field of Blood.”)
[1:20] “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘May his house become empty; may no one live in it.’ It is also written, ‘May someone else take his place of service.’
[1:23] So they proposed two men: Joseph, who was called Barsabbas (also known as Justus), and Matthias.
[1:24] Then they prayed, “Lord, you know the thoughts of everyone, so show us which of these two you have chosen
[1:25] to serve as an apostle in the place of Judas, who left to go to the place where he belongs.”
[1:26] Then they drew lots to choose between the two men, and the one chosen was Matthias, who was added to the group of eleven apostles.