< Acts 12 >

1 About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church.
It was at that time that King Herod began to ill-treat some of the members of the church.
2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
He had James, the brother of John, beheaded;
3 And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
and, when he saw that the Jews were pleased with this, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the Festival of the unleavened bread.)
4 He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
After seizing Peter, Herod put him in prison, and entrusted him to the keeping of four Guards of four soldiers each, intending, after the Passover, to bring him up before the people.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
So Peter was kept in prison, but meanwhile the prayers of the church were being earnestly offered to God on his behalf.
6 On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison.
Just when Herod was intending to bring him before the people, on that very night Peter was asleep between two soldiers, chained to them both, while there were sentries in front of the door, guarding the prison.
7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. The angel struck Peter on the side, and roused him with the words, ‘Get up quickly.’
8 “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
The chains dropped from his wrists, and then the angel said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ When Peter had done so, the angel added, ‘Throw your cloak round you and follow me.’
9 So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision.
Peter followed him out, not knowing that what was happening under the angel’s guidance was real, but thinking that he was seeing a vision.
10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.
Passing the first Guard, and then the second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of itself; and, when they had passed through that, and had walked along one street, all at once the angel left him.
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I know beyond all doubt that the Lord has sent his angel, and has rescued me from Herod’s hands and from all that the Jewish people have been expecting.’
12 And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.
As soon as he realized what had happened, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also known as Mark, where a number of people were gathered together, praying.
13 He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.
On his knocking at the door in the gate, a maidservant, named Rhoda, came to answer it.
14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”
She recognized Peter’s voice, but in her joy left the gate unopened, and ran in, and told them that Peter was standing outside.
15 “You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
‘You are mad!’ they exclaimed. But, when she persisted that it was so, they said, ‘It must be his spirit!’
16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
Meanwhile Peter went on knocking, and, when they opened the gate and saw him, they were amazed.
17 Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.
Peter signed to them with his hand to be silent, and then told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison, adding, ‘Tell James and the others all this.’ Then he left the house, and went away to another place.
18 At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
In the morning there was a great stir among the soldiers – what could have become of Peter!
19 After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.
And, when Herod had made further search for him and failed to find him, he closely questioned the Guard, and ordered them away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to stay at Caesarea.
20 Now Herod was in a furious dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food.
It happened that Herod was deeply offended with the people of Tyre and Sidon, but they went in a body to him, and, having succeeded in winning over Blastus, the Chamberlain, they begged Herod for a reconciliation, because their country was dependent on the king’s for its food supply.
21 On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people.
On an appointed day Herod, wearing his state robes, seated himself on his throne, and delivered an oration.
22 And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”
The people kept shouting, ‘It is the voice of God, and not of a person!’
23 Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
Instantly an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was attacked with worms, and died.
24 But the word of God continued to spread and multiply.
Meanwhile the Lord’s message kept extending, and spreading far and wide.
25 When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark.
When Barnabas and Saul had carried out their mission, they returned to Jerusalem, and took with them John, who was also known as Mark.

< Acts 12 >