Bible in Basic English
Men of Crete and Arabia, to all of us they are talking in our different languages, of the great works of God.
And they were all surprised and in doubt saying to one another, What is the reason of this?
But others, making sport of them, said, They are full of new wine.
But Peter, getting up, with the eleven, said in a loud voice, O men of Judaea, and all you who are living in Jerusalem, take note of this and give ear to my words.
For these men are not overcome with wine, as it seems to you, for it is only the third hour of the day;
But this is the thing which was said by the prophet Joel;
And it will come about, in the last days, says God, that I will send out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will be prophets, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams:
And on my men-servants and my women-servants I will send my Spirit, and they will be prophets.
And wonders will be seen in heaven, and signs on the earth, blood and fire and smoke:
The sun will become dark and the moon will be turned to blood, before that great day of the Lord comes in glory:
And whoever makes his prayer to the Lord will have salvation.
Men of Israel, give ear to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man who had the approval of God, as was made clear to you by the great works and signs and wonders which God did by him among you, as you yourselves have knowledge,
Him, when he was given up, by the decision and knowledge of God, you put to death on the cross, by the hands of evil men:
But God gave him back to life, having made him free from the pains of death because it was not possible for him to be overcome by it.
For David said of him, I saw the Lord before my face at all times, for he is at my right hand, so that I may not be moved:
And for this cause my heart was glad and my tongue full of joy, and my flesh will be resting in hope:
For you will not let my soul be in hell and you will not give up your Holy One to destruction.
You have made me see the ways of life; I will be full of joy when I see your face.
My brothers, I may say to you openly that David came to his death, and was put in the earth, and his resting-place is with us today.
But being a prophet, and having in mind the oath which God had given to him, that of the fruit of his body one would take his place as a king,
He, having knowledge of the future, was talking of the coming again of Christ from the dead, that he was not kept in hell and his body did not see destruction.
This Jesus God has given back to life, of which we all are witnesses.
And so, being lifted up to the right hand of God, and having the Father's word that the Holy Spirit would come, he has sent this thing, which now you see and have knowledge of.
For David has not gone up into heaven, but says, himself, The Lord said to my Lord, Be seated at my right hand,
Till I put all those who are against you under your feet.
For this reason, let all Israel be certain that this Jesus, whom you put to death on the cross, God has made Lord and Christ.
Now when these words came to their ears their hearts were troubled, and they said to Peter and the other Apostles, Brothers, what are we to do?
And Peter said, Let your hearts be changed, every one of you, and have baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will have the Holy Spirit given to you.
For the word of God is for you and for your children and for all those who are far off, even all those who may be marked out by the Lord our God.
And with more such words he gave his witness, offering them salvation and saying, Come out from this evil generation.
Then those who gave hearing to his words had baptism: and about three thousand souls were joined to them that day.
And they kept their attention fixed on the Apostles' teaching and were united together in the taking of broken bread and in prayer.
But fear came on every soul: and all sorts of wonders and signs were done by the Apostles.
And all those who were of the faith kept together, and had all things in common;
And exchanging their goods and property for money, they made division of it among them all, as they had need.
And day by day, going in agreement together regularly to the Temple and, taking broken bread together in their houses, they took their food with joy and with true hearts,
Giving praise to God, and having the approval of all the people; and every day the number of those who had salvation was increased by the Lord.
— Acts 2:11-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all astonished, and wondered, saying one to another: What meaneth this? But others mocking, said: These men are full of new wine. But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day: But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord), I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And upon my servants indeed and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit: and they shall prophesy. And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord to come. And it shalt come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you, as you also know: This same being delivered up, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you by the hands of wicked men have crucified and slain. Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the sorrows of hell, as it was impossible that he should be holden by it. For David saith concerning him: I foresaw the Lord before my face: because he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved. For this my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell: nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life: thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Ye men, brethren, let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David: that he died and was buried; and his sepulchre is with us to this present say. Whereas therefore he was a prophet and knew that God hath sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins one should sit upon his throne. Foreseeing this, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ. For neither was he left in hell: neither did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised again, whereof all we are witnesses. Being exalted therefore by the right hand of God and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath poured forth this which you see and hear. For David ascended not into heaven; but he himself said: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy enemies thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know most certainly that God hath made both Lord and Christ, this same Jesus, whom you have crucified. Now when they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles: What shall we do, men and brethren? But Peter said to them: Do penance: and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, whomsoever the Lord our God shall call. And with very many other words did he testify and exhort them, saying: Save yourselves from this perverse generation. They therefore that received his word were baptized: and there were added in that day about three thousand souls. And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles and in the communication of the breaking of bread and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul. Many wonders also and signs were done by the apostles in Jerusalem: and there was great fervor in all. And all they that believed were together and had all things common. Their possessions and goods they sold and divided them to all, according as every one had need. And continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart: Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord increased daily together such as should be saved. ”
And how is it that every one of us is hearing their words in the language which was ours from our birth?
Men of Parthia, Media, and Elam, and those living in Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia,
In Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and those who have come from Rome, Jews by birth and others who have become Jews,
Men of Crete and Arabia, to all of us they are talking in our different languages, of the great works of God.
And they were all surprised and in doubt saying to one another, What is the reason of this?
But others, making sport of them, said, They are full of new wine.
But Peter, getting up, with the eleven, said in a loud voice, O men of Judaea, and all you who are living in Jerusalem, take note of this and give ear to my words.
For these men are not overcome with wine, as it seems to you, for it is only the third hour of the day;
But this is the thing which was said by the prophet Joel;
And it will come about, in the last days, says God, that I will send out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will be prophets, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams:
And on my men-servants and my women-servants I will send my Spirit, and they will be prophets.
And wonders will be seen in heaven, and signs on the earth, blood and fire and smoke:
The sun will become dark and the moon will be turned to blood, before that great day of the Lord comes in glory:
And whoever makes his prayer to the Lord will have salvation.
Men of Israel, give ear to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man who had the approval of God, as was made clear to you by the great works and signs and wonders which God did by him among you, as you yourselves have knowledge,
Him, when he was given up, by the decision and knowledge of God, you put to death on the cross, by the hands of evil men:
But God gave him back to life, having made him free from the pains of death because it was not possible for him to be overcome by it.
For David said of him, I saw the Lord before my face at all times, for he is at my right hand, so that I may not be moved:
And for this cause my heart was glad and my tongue full of joy, and my flesh will be resting in hope:
For you will not let my soul be in hell and you will not give up your Holy One to destruction.
You have made me see the ways of life; I will be full of joy when I see your face.
My brothers, I may say to you openly that David came to his death, and was put in the earth, and his resting-place is with us today.
But being a prophet, and having in mind the oath which God had given to him, that of the fruit of his body one would take his place as a king,
He, having knowledge of the future, was talking of the coming again of Christ from the dead, that he was not kept in hell and his body did not see destruction.
This Jesus God has given back to life, of which we all are witnesses.
And so, being lifted up to the right hand of God, and having the Father's word that the Holy Spirit would come, he has sent this thing, which now you see and have knowledge of.
For David has not gone up into heaven, but says, himself, The Lord said to my Lord, Be seated at my right hand,
Till I put all those who are against you under your feet.
For this reason, let all Israel be certain that this Jesus, whom you put to death on the cross, God has made Lord and Christ.
Now when these words came to their ears their hearts were troubled, and they said to Peter and the other Apostles, Brothers, what are we to do?
And Peter said, Let your hearts be changed, every one of you, and have baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will have the Holy Spirit given to you.
For the word of God is for you and for your children and for all those who are far off, even all those who may be marked out by the Lord our God.
And with more such words he gave his witness, offering them salvation and saying, Come out from this evil generation.
Then those who gave hearing to his words had baptism: and about three thousand souls were joined to them that day.
And they kept their attention fixed on the Apostles' teaching and were united together in the taking of broken bread and in prayer.
But fear came on every soul: and all sorts of wonders and signs were done by the Apostles.
And all those who were of the faith kept together, and had all things in common;
And exchanging their goods and property for money, they made division of it among them all, as they had need.
And day by day, going in agreement together regularly to the Temple and, taking broken bread together in their houses, they took their food with joy and with true hearts,
Giving praise to God, and having the approval of all the people; and every day the number of those who had salvation was increased by the Lord.