Acts 2:2-12

2 And there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of a violent impetuous blowing, and filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared to them parted tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them.

4 And they were all filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave to them to speak forth.

5 Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, pious men, from every nation of those under heaven.

6 But the rumour of this having spread, the multitude came together and were confounded, because each one heard them speaking in his own dialect.

7 And all were amazed and wondered, saying, Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galilaeans?

8 and how do *we* hear [them] each in our own dialect in which we have been born,

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judaea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10 both Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya which adjoin Cyrene, and the Romans sojourning [here], both Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the great things of God?

12 And they were all amazed and in perplexity, saying one to another, What would this mean?

Footnotes

• [a]. It is not 'wind,' but they heard blowing, as of hard breathing, for which the Greek is used. 'Blast' is too sudden and passing.
• [b]. Or 'this voice having taken place ' but I believe what is in the text to be the sense. It was what happened at the place which brought the crowd there: it was not the mighty rushing wind being heard everywhere. The end of the verse goes to confirm this. What struck those who came was hearing their own tongues: Gen. 45.16 and Jer. 50.46 are examples. The rumours of Jacob's coming spread to Pharaoh's house.