Acts 12
1 Now about that time Herod the king threw on hands to harm some of those from the church.
It was about this time that King Herod [Agrippa sent soldiers] [MTY] who seized [and put in prison] some of the [leaders] of the congregation [in Jerusalem. He did that] because he wanted to make the believers suffer.
2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
He commanded [a soldier] to cut off the head of [the apostle] James, the [older] brother of [the apostle] John.
3 And after seeing that it was pleasing the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also (and those were the days of unleavened bread),
When Herod realized that he had pleased the [leaders of the] Jewish people by [doing that], he commanded [soldiers] to arrest Peter [in order to kill him], too. This happened during the festival [when the Jewish people ate] bread [that] did not have yeast.
4 whom, having also arrested, he put in prison, having delivered to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.
After [they] seized Peter, they put him in prison. They arranged for four groups of soldiers to guard Peter. Each [group] had four soldiers. [Every three hours a different group began to guard him while the others rested]. Herod wanted to bring Peter out [of prison and judge him] in front of the [Jewish] people after the Passover [Festival was finished. He then planned to command soldiers to execute Peter].
5 Indeed therefore Peter was kept in the prison, but fervent prayer was being made by the church to God for him.
So [for several days] Peter was kept {they kept Peter} in prison. But the [other believers] in the congregation at [Jerusalem] were praying earnestly to God [that he would help] Peter.
6 And when Herod was about to bring him forth, that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound by two chains. And guards in front of the door guarded the prison.
The night [before] Herod planned to bring Peter out [from prison to have him executed] publicly, Peter was sleeping [in the prison] between two soldiers, with two chains binding his arms [to the arms of the soldiers. Two other] soldiers were guarding the prison doors.
7 And behold, an agent of the Lord stood near, and light shone in the room. And after striking the side of Peter, he raised him up, saying, Get up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
Suddenly an angel [from] the Lord [God] stood [beside Peter], and a [bright] light shone in his cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him up and said, “Get up quickly!” [While Peter was getting up], the chains fell off from his wrists. [However, the soldiers were not aware of what was happening].
8 And the agent said to him, Gird thyself, and tie on thy sandals. And he did so. And he says to him, Throw on thy garment, and follow me.
Then the angel said to Peter, “Put on your clothes and sandals!” So Peter did. Then the angel said to him, “Fasten your belt/girdle [around you(sg)] and put on your sandals!” So Peter did that. Then the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me!”
9 And after going out, he followed him. And he had not seen that the thing happening by the agent was true, but presumed to see a vision.
So, [after Peter put on his cloak and sandals], he followed [the angel] out [of the prison cell], but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought [that he] was seeing a vision.
10 And when they passed a first and a second watch, they came to the iron gate, the one leading to the city, which opened spontaneously to them. And after going out, they advanced one street. And straightaway the agent withdrew from him.
Peter and the angel walked by the soldiers who were guarding the two doors, [but the soldiers did not see them. Then] they came to the iron gate that [led] out into the city. The gate opened by itself, and Peter and the angel walked out [of the prison]. After they had walked [a ways] along one street, the angel suddenly disappeared.
11 And when Peter came to himself, he said, Now I know truly, that the Lord dispatched his agent and delivered me out of the hand of Herod and all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
Then Peter [finally] realized that [what had happened to him was not a vision, but] it had really happened. So he said [to himself], “Now I really know that the Lord [God] sent an angel [to help me]. He rescued me from what Herod planned to do [MTY] [to me], and [also] from all the things that the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] expected [that Herod would do to me].”
12 And having realized it, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, surnamed Mark, where a considerable were gathered and praying.
When Peter realized [that God had rescued him], he went to Mary’s house. She was the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many [believers] had assembled there, and they were praying [that God would help Peter somehow].
13 And when Peter knocked the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to hearken.
When Peter knocked at the outer entrance, a servant girl named Rhoda came to find out [who was outside the door].
14 And after recognizing Peter's voice, she did not open the gate for joy, but having ran in, she reported Peter was standing in front of the gate.
[When Peter answered her], she recognized his voice, but she was so happy [and excited] that she did not open the door! Instead, she ran back [into the house]. She [excitedly] announced [to the other believers] that Peter was standing outside the door.
15 And they said to her, Thou are mad. But she insisted to have it so. But they said, It is his agent.
But [one of] them said to her, “You [(sg)] are crazy!” But she continued saying that it was [really true. Then] they repeatedly said, “[No], [it cannot be Peter]. It is [probably] the angel [who was guarding] him [who has come] (OR, It is the angel [who has guarded/protected] him, [and he has come to tell us that] Peter [has died].)”
16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him, and were astonished.
But Peter continued knocking [on the door. So when someone finally] opened the door, they saw that it was Peter, and they were completely amazed!
17 But after motioning to them with the hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord brought him out of the prison. And he said, Report these things to James, and to the brothers. And having departed, he went to a different place.
Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet. Then he told them exactly how the Lord [God] had led him out of the prison. He [also] said, “Tell James, the [leader] of our [congregation], and our [other] fellow believers what has happened.” Then [Peter left and] went away to another town.
18 But having become day, there was no small stir among the soldiers what then became of Peter.
The next morning the soldiers [who had been guarding] Peter became terribly distressed, [because they did not know] what had happened to him.
19 And Herod, who sought for him, and not having found, having examined the guards, he commanded them to be led away. And going down from Judea to Caesarea, he remained there.
Then Herod [heard about it]. So he [commanded soldiers] to search for Peter, but they did not find him. Then he questioned the soldiers [who had been guarding Peter], and asked them, “[How did Peter get away when you were there guarding him?]” [But they could not explain it. So] he commanded them to be led away [to be executed] {[other soldiers] to lead them away [to execute them]}. [Afterwards], Herod went from Judea [province] down to Caesarea, where he stayed [for some time].
20 Now Herod was angry at the Tyrians and Sidonians. But they came with one accord to him, and, having persuaded Blastus the man over the king's bedchamber, they requested peace, because their country was sustained from the monarchy.
King Herod had been furiously angry with the people [who lived] in Tyre and Sidon [cities. Then] one day some men [who represented them] came unitedly [to Caesarea in order to meet with] Herod. They persuaded Blastus, who was one of Herod’s important officials, to tell [Herod] that the people [in their cities] wanted to make peace [with him. They wanted to be able to trade with the people that Herod ruled], because they needed to buy food from those regions. [Herod had commanded the people in the areas he ruled to stop selling food to the people in those cities].
21 And at a set day Herod, having arrayed himself in royal apparel, and having sat on the tribunal, he made an oration to them.
On the day that Herod had planned to [meet with them], he put on (very expensive clothes that showed that he was king/his royal robes). Then he sat on his (throne/chair from which he ruled [people]), and [formally] addressed [all] the people [who had gathered there].
22 And the populace shouted, The voice of a god, and not of a man.
Those who [were listening to him] shouted repeatedly, “[This man who] is speaking is a god, not a man!”
23 And immediately an agent of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And after becoming worm-eaten, he expired.
So, because Herod [let the people praise him] instead of praising God, immediately an angel [from] the Lord [God] caused Herod to become seriously ill. [Many] worms ate his intestines, and [soon] he died [very painfully].
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.
[The believers] continued telling God’s message to people in many places, and ([the number of people who believed in Jesus] was continually increasing/there were continually more and more people who were believing in Jesus).
25 And Barnabas and Saul turned back in Jerusalem after fulfilling the service, also having taken along John who was surnamed Mark.
When Barnabas and Saul finished [delivering the money to help the Jewish believers in Judea], they left Jerusalem and returned [to Antioch, in Syria province]. They took John, whose other name was Mark, with them.
