Acts 12
1 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.
And at that time Herod the king, who was surnamed Agrippa, laid hands on some of the church, to maltreat them.
2 He commanded [a soldier] to cut off the head of [the apostle] James, the [older] brother of [the apostle] John.
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 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.
And when he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded also to arrest Simon Cephas. And the days of unleavened bread were then passing.
4 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].
He seized him and cast him into prison, and delivered him to sixteen soldiers, who were to guard him; that he might, after the passover, deliver him up to the people of the Jews.
5 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.
And while Simon was in custody in the prison, continual prayer to God in his behalf, was offered to God by the church.
6 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.
And on the night before the morning in which he was to be delivered up, while Simon was sleeping between two soldiers, and was bound with two chains, and others were guarding the doors of the prison;
7 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].
an angel of the Lord stood over him, and a light shone in all the building; and he pricked his side, and awaked him, and said to him: Arise, instantly. And the chains fell from his hands.
8 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!”
And the angel said to him: Gird thy loins, and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And again he said to him: Wrap thyself in thy cloak, and come after me.
9 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.
And he went out and followed him, not knowing that what had been done by the angel was a reality; for he supposed, that he saw a vision.
10 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.
And when the first ward was passed and the second, they came to the iron gate, and it opened to them of its own accord. And when they had gone out, and had passed one street, the angel departed from him.
11 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].”
Then Simon recognized where he was; and he said: Now I know, in reality, that God hath sent his angel, and delivered me from the hand of Herod the king, and from what the Jews were devising against me.
12 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].
And when he had considered, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John surnamed Mark; because many brethren were assembled there and praying.
13 When Peter knocked at the outer entrance, a servant girl named Rhoda came to find out [who was outside the door].
And he knocked at the gate of the court; and a maid named Rhoda came to reply to him.
14 [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.
And she recognized the voice of Simon: and, In her joy, she did not open to him the gate, but ran back, and told them: Lo, Simon is standing at the gate of the court.
15 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].)”
They said to her: Thou art delirious. But she maintained that it was a fact. They said to her: Perhaps it is his ghost.
16 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!
And Simon was knocking at the gate; and they went out, saw him, and were astonished.
17 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.
And he beckoned to them with the hand to be still; and he went in, and related to them how the Lord had released him from the prison. And he said to them: Tell these things to James and to the brethren. And he went out, and departed to another place.
18 The next morning the soldiers [who had been guarding] Peter became terribly distressed, [because they did not know] what had happened to him.
And when it was morning, there was a great dispute among the soldiers concerning Simon, what had become of him.
19 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].
And Herod, when he sought him, and could not find him, arraigned the keepers, and sentenced them to die. And he went from Judaea, and resided at Caesarea.
20 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].
And because he was angry against the Tyrians and Sidonians, they assembled and came to him in a body; and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they begged of him that they might have peace; because the supplies of their country were derived from the kingdom of Herod.
21 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].
And on a day appointed, Herod was arrayed in royal apparel, and sat on a tribunal, and made a speech to the assembly.
22 Those who [were listening to him] shouted repeatedly, “[This man who] is speaking is a god, not a man!”
And all the people shouted, and said: These are the utterances of a God, and not of a mortal.
23 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].
And, because he gave not the glory to God, immediately the angel of God smote him; and he was eaten of worms, and died.
24 [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).
And the gospel of God was proclaimed, and made progress.
25 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.
And Barnabas and Saul, after they had completed their ministration, returned from Jerusalem to Antioch. And they took with them John, who was surnamed Mark.
