Acts 12
1 Now, about that time, Herod the king made cruel attacks on the Christians.
About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church.
2 And he put James, the brother of John, to death with the sword.
He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
3 And when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he went on to take Peter in addition. This was at the time of the feast of unleavened bread.
And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
4 And having taken him, he put him in prison, with four bands of armed men to keep watch over him; his purpose being to take him out to the people after the Passover.
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.
5 So Peter was kept in prison: but the church made strong prayer to God for him.
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
6 And when Herod was about to take him out, the same night Peter was sleeping in chains between two armed men, and the watchmen were keeping watch before the door of the prison.
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.
7 And a great light was seen shining in the room, and an angel of the Lord came to Peter and, touching him on his side so that he came out of his sleep, said, Get up quickly. And his chains came off his hands.
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.
8 Then the angel said, Put on your shoes and get ready to go. And he did so. And he said, Put your coat round you and come with me.
“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.”
9 And he went out after him; and he was not certain if what was done by the angel was a fact, for it seemed to him that he was seeing a vision.
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.
10 And when they had gone past the first and second watchmen they came to the iron door into the town, which came open by itself: and they went out and down one street; and then the angel went away.
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.
11 And when Peter came to his senses he said, Now, truly, I am certain that the Lord has sent his angel and taken me out of the hands of Herod, against all the hopes of the Jews.
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.”
12 And when he became clear about this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John named Mark, where a number of them had come together for prayer.
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.
13 And he gave a blow on the door, and a young girl came to it, named Rhoda.
He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.
14 And hearing the voice of Peter, in her joy she went running, without opening the door, to say that Peter was outside.
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!”
15 And they said to her, You are off your head. But still she said, with decision, that it was so. And they said, It is his angel.
“You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
16 But Peter went on giving blows on the door: and when it was open and they saw him, they were full of wonder.
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
17 But he made a sign to them with his hand to be quiet, and gave them an account of how the Lord had taken him out of prison. And he said, Give the news to James and the brothers. And then he went away.
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.
18 Now when it was day, the armed men were greatly troubled about what had become of Peter.
At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
19 And Herod, when he sent for him, and he was not there, after questioning the watchmen, gave orders that they were to be put to death. Then he went down from Judaea to Caesarea for a time.
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.
20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon: and they came to him, all together, and having made friends with Blastus, the controller of the king's house, they made a request for peace, because their country was dependent on the king's country for its food.
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.
21 And on the day which had been fixed, Herod, dressed in his robes and seated in his place, made a public statement to them.
On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people.
22 And the people, with loud cries, said, It is the voice of a god, not of a man.
And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”
23 And straight away the angel of the Lord sent a disease on him, because he did not give the glory to God: and his flesh was wasted away by worms, and so he came to his end.
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.
24 But the word of the Lord went on increasing.
But the word of God continued to spread and multiply.
25 And Barnabas and Saul came back from Jerusalem, when their work was ended, taking with them John named Mark.
When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark.
