Acts 12
1 At that time Herod the king laid his hands on some of those of the assembly to do them hurt,
About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church.
2 and slew James, the brother of John, with the sword.
He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
3 And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he went on to take Peter also: (and they were the days of unleavened bread: )
And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
4 whom having seized he put in prison, having delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep, purposing after the passover to bring him out to the people.
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 Peter therefore was kept in the prison; but unceasing prayer was made by the assembly to God concerning him.
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
6 And when Herod was going to bring him forth, that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door kept 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 lo, an angel of [the] Lord came there, and a light shone in the prison: and having smitten the side of Peter, he roused him up, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell 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 And the angel said to him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he says to him, Cast thine upper garment about thee and follow 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 going forth he followed [him] and did not know that what was happening by means of the angel was real, but supposed he saw 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 having passed through a first and second guard, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city, which opened to them of itself; and going forth they went down one street, and immediately the angel left him.
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 Peter, being come to himself, said, Now I know certainly that [the] Lord has sent forth his angel and has taken me out of the hand of Herod and all the expectation of the people 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 having become clearly conscious [in himself], he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where were many gathered together and praying.
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 when he had knocked at the door of the entry, a maid came to listen, by name Rhoda;
He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.
14 and having recognised the voice of Peter, through joy did not open the entry, but running in, reported that Peter was standing before the entry.
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, Thou art mad. But she maintained 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 continued knocking: and having opened, they saw him and were astonished.
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
17 And having made a sign to them with his hand to be silent, he related [to them] how the Lord had brought him out of prison; and he said, Report these things to James and to the brethren. And he went out and went to another place.
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 And when it was day there was no small disturbance among the soldiers, what then was become of Peter.
At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
19 And Herod having sought him and not found him, having examined the guards, commanded [them] to be executed. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea and stayed [there].
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 And he was in bitter hostility with [the] Tyrians and Sidonians; but they came to him with one accord, and, having gained Blastus the king's chamberlain, sought peace, because their country was nourished by the king's.
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 a set day, clothed in royal apparel and sitting on the elevated seat [of honour], Herod made a public oration to them.
On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people.
22 And the people cried out, A god's voice and not a man's.
And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”
23 And immediately an angel of [the] Lord smote him, because he did not give the glory to God, and he expired, eaten of worms.
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 God grew and spread itself.
But the word of God continued to spread and multiply.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having fulfilled the service [entrusted to them], taking also with them John, surnamed Mark.
When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark.
