Acts 12
1 Now about that time, Herod the king stretched out his hands to oppress some of the church.
那個時期，黑落德已下手磨難教會中的一些人，
2 He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.
用劍殺了若望的哥哥雅各伯。
3 When he saw that it pleased the Jewish people, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread.
他一看到猶太人喜歡，便命人連伯多祿也加以拘捕，時正值無酵節日；
4 When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
把他拿住以後，就押在監獄中，交由四班兵士──每班四人──看守，願意在逾越節後，給百姓提出來。
5 Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the church to God for him.
伯多祿就被看管在監獄中，而教會懇切為他向天主祈禱。
6 The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.
及至黑落德將要提出他的時候，那一夜伯多祿被兩道鎖鏈縛著，睡在兩個士兵中，門前還有衛兵把守監獄。
7 And look, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, "Stand up quickly." His chains fell off from his hands.
忽然，主的一位天使顯現，有一道光，照亮了房間，天使拍著伯多祿的肋膀，喚醒他說：「快快起來！」鎖鏈遂從他手上落下來。
8 The angel said to him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." He did so. He said to him, "Put on your cloak, and follow me."
天使向他說：「束上腰，穿上你的鞋！」他都照辦了。天使吩咐他說：「披上你的外氅，跟我來罷！」
9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.
他就出來跟著走，還不知道天使所行的是實在的事，只想是見了異像。
10 When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
他們經過第一道崗，又第二道，來到通到城的鐵門前，鐵門就自動地給他們開了；他們便出去，往前走了一條街，忽然天使離開他，不見了。
11 When Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting."
伯多祿這纔清醒過來，說：「現今我實在知道主派了他的天使來，救我脫免黑落德的手和猶太人民所希望的事。」
12 Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
他既明白過來，就往若望──號稱馬爾谷──的母親瑪利亞的家去，在那裏有好些人聚集祈禱。
13 And when Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
他敲大門的時候，有一個名叫洛德的使女過來聽。
14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she did not open the gate for joy, but ran in, and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
她一認出是伯多祿的聲音，喜的沒有開門，就跑進去報告說：伯多祿站在大門前。
15 They said to her, "You are crazy." But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel."
他們都對她說：「你瘋了！」她卻堅持說：實在是這樣。他們反說：「是他的天使。」
16 But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
伯多祿還不住的敲門；他們一開門，看見是他，便驚呆了。
17 But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Tell these things to James, and to the brothers." Then he departed, and went to another place.
伯多祿擺手叫他們不要作聲，遂給他們述說上主怎樣領他出了監獄，且說：「你們要把這些事報告給雅各伯和弟兄們。」他便出去，往別的地方去了。
18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
天一亮，在士兵中，起了不小的騷亂，不知伯多祿出了什麼事。
19 When Herod had sought for him, and did not find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
黑落德遂搜尋他，搜尋不到，就審訊衛兵，下令把他們處決了。以後，黑落德從猶太下到凱撒勒雅，住在那裏。
20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king's personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food.
那時，黑落德向提洛和漆冬發了大怒；二城的人商量好，來見他，並賄賂了管王臥房的布拉斯托去求和，因為他們那一方當由君王這裏獲得食糧。
21 On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, and sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.
黑落德在約定的日子，披戴君王的禮服，坐在寶座上向他們演講。
22 But the crowd shouted, "The voice of a god, and not of a man."
人民便呼喊說：「這不是人的聲音，而是神的聲音。」
23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.
立刻有上主的天使打擊了他，因為他沒有歸光榮於天主。他為蟲子所吃，遂斷了氣。
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.
天主的道卻逐漸發揚廣大。
25 Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John whose surname was Mark.
巴爾納伯和掃祿完成了任務，就帶著號稱馬爾谷的若望從耶路撒冷回去了。
