Acts 2:1-18 ▼

1 At length, on the day of the Harvest Festival, they had all met in one place;

2 when suddenly there came from the sky a sound as of a strong rushing blast of wind. This filled the whole house where they were sitting;

3 and they saw tongues of what looked like fire distributing themselves over the assembly, and on the head of each person a tongue alighted.

4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages according as the Spirit gave them words to utter.

5 Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every part of the world.

6 So when this noise was heard, they came crowding together, and were amazed because everyone heard his own language spoken.

7 They were beside themselves with wonder, and exclaimed, "Are not all these speakers Galilaeans?

8 How then does each of us hear his own native language spoken by them?

9 Some of us are Parthians, Medes, Elamites. Some are inhabitants of Mesopotamia, of Judaea or Cappadocia, of Pontus or the Asian Province, of Phrygia or Pamphylia,

10 of Egypt or of the parts of Africa towards Cyrene. Others are visitors from Rome--being either Jews or converts from heathenism--and others are Cretans or Arabians.

11 Yet we all alike hear these Galilaeans speaking in our own language about the wonderful things which God has done."

12 They were all astounded and bewildered, and asked one another, "What can this mean?"

13 But others, scornfully jeering, said, "They are brim-full of sweet wine."

14 Peter however, together with the Eleven, stood up and addressed them in a loud voice. "Men of Judaea, and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem," he said, "be in no uncertainty about this matter but pay attention to what I say.

15 For this is not intoxication, as you suppose, it being only the third hour of the day.

16 But that which was predicted through the Prophet Joel has happened:

17 "And it shall come to pass in the last days, God says, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall have dreams;

18 and even upon My bondservants, both men and women, at that time, I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy.