< 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.
κατ εκεινον δε τον καιρον επεβαλεν ηρωδης ο βασιλευς τας χειρας κακωσαι τινας των απο της εκκλησιας
2 He commanded [a soldier] to cut off the head of [the apostle] James, the [older] brother of [the apostle] John.
ανειλεν δε ιακωβον τον αδελφον ιωαννου μαχαιρα
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.
και ιδων οτι αρεστον εστιν τοις ιουδαιοις προσεθετο συλλαβειν και πετρον ησαν δε αι ημεραι των αζυμων
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].
ον και πιασας εθετο εις φυλακην παραδους τεσσαρσιν τετραδιοις στρατιωτων φυλασσειν αυτον βουλομενος μετα το πασχα αναγαγειν αυτον τω λαω
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.
ο μεν ουν πετρος ετηρειτο εν τη φυλακη προσευχη δε ην εκτενης γινομενη υπο της εκκλησιας προς τον θεον υπερ αυτου
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.
οτε δε εμελλεν προαγειν αυτον ο ηρωδης τη νυκτι εκεινη ην ο πετρος κοιμωμενος μεταξυ δυο στρατιωτων δεδεμενος αλυσεσιν δυσιν φυλακες τε προ της θυρας ετηρουν την φυλακην
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].
και ιδου αγγελος κυριου επεστη και φως ελαμψεν εν τω οικηματι παταξας δε την πλευραν του πετρου ηγειρεν αυτον λεγων αναστα εν ταχει και εξεπεσον αυτου αι αλυσεις εκ των χειρων
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!”
ειπεν τε ο αγγελος προς αυτον περιζωσαι και υποδησαι τα σανδαλια σου εποιησεν δε ουτως και λεγει αυτω περιβαλου το ιματιον σου και ακολουθει μοι
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.
και εξελθων ηκολουθει αυτω και ουκ ηδει οτι αληθες εστιν το γινομενον δια του αγγελου εδοκει δε οραμα βλεπειν
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.
διελθοντες δε πρωτην φυλακην και δευτεραν ηλθον επι την πυλην την σιδηραν την φερουσαν εις την πολιν ητις αυτοματη ηνοιχθη αυτοις και εξελθοντες προηλθον ρυμην μιαν και ευθεως απεστη ο αγγελος απ αυτου
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].”
και ο πετρος γενομενος εν εαυτω ειπεν νυν οιδα αληθως οτι εξαπεστειλεν κυριος τον αγγελον αυτου και εξειλετο με εκ χειρος ηρωδου και πασης της προσδοκιας του λαου των ιουδαιων
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].
συνιδων τε ηλθεν επι την οικιαν μαριας της μητρος ιωαννου του επικαλουμενου μαρκου ου ησαν ικανοι συνηθροισμενοι και προσευχομενοι
13 When Peter knocked at the outer entrance, a servant girl named Rhoda came to find out [who was outside the door].
κρουσαντος δε του πετρου την θυραν του πυλωνος προσηλθεν παιδισκη υπακουσαι ονοματι ροδη
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.
και επιγνουσα την φωνην του πετρου απο της χαρας ουκ ηνοιξεν τον πυλωνα εισδραμουσα δε απηγγειλεν εσταναι τον πετρον προ του πυλωνος
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].)”
οι δε προς αυτην ειπον μαινη η δε διισχυριζετο ουτως εχειν οι δε ελεγον ο αγγελος αυτου εστιν
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!
ο δε πετρος επεμενεν κρουων ανοιξαντες δε ειδον αυτον και εξεστησαν
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.
κατασεισας δε αυτοις τη χειρι σιγαν διηγησατο αυτοις πως ο κυριος αυτον εξηγαγεν εκ της φυλακης ειπεν δε απαγγειλατε ιακωβω και τοις αδελφοις ταυτα και εξελθων επορευθη εις ετερον τοπον
18 The next morning the soldiers [who had been guarding] Peter became terribly distressed, [because they did not know] what had happened to him.
γενομενης δε ημερας ην ταραχος ουκ ολιγος εν τοις στρατιωταις τι αρα ο πετρος εγενετο
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].
ηρωδης δε επιζητησας αυτον και μη ευρων ανακρινας τους φυλακας εκελευσεν απαχθηναι και κατελθων απο της ιουδαιας εις την καισαρειαν διετριβεν
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].
ην δε ο ηρωδης θυμομαχων τυριοις και σιδωνιοις ομοθυμαδον τε παρησαν προς αυτον και πεισαντες βλαστον τον επι του κοιτωνος του βασιλεως ητουντο ειρηνην δια το τρεφεσθαι αυτων την χωραν απο της βασιλικης
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].
τακτη δε ημερα ο ηρωδης ενδυσαμενος εσθητα βασιλικην και καθισας επι του βηματος εδημηγορει προς αυτους
22 Those who [were listening to him] shouted repeatedly, “[This man who] is speaking is a god, not a man!”
ο δε δημος επεφωνει θεου φωνη και ουκ ανθρωπου
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].
παραχρημα δε επαταξεν αυτον αγγελος κυριου ανθ ων ουκ εδωκεν δοξαν τω θεω και γενομενος σκωληκοβρωτος εξεψυξεν
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).
ο δε λογος του θεου ηυξανεν και επληθυνετο
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.
βαρναβας δε και σαυλος υπεστρεψαν εις αντιοχειαν πληρωσαντες την διακονιαν συμπαραλαβοντες και ιωαννην τον επικληθεντα μαρκον