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.
Ngalesosikhathi uHerodi inkosi waseselula izandla ukuthi ahluphe abanye bebandla.
2 He commanded [a soldier] to cut off the head of [the apostle] James, the [older] brother of [the apostle] John.
Wasebulala uJakobe umfowabo kaJohane ngenkemba.
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.
Esebonile ukuthi lokhu kuyawathokozisa amaJuda, waqhubeka wabamba uPetro laye (njalo kwakuzinsuku zesinkwa esingelamvubelo);
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].
esembambile laye wamfaka entolongweni, wamnikela kumaviyo amane alamabutho amane ukuze amlinde, eqonde ukumusa ebantwini emva kwephasika.
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.
Ngakho uPetro wagcinwa entolongweni; kodwa umkhuleko oqhubekayo wenziwa libandla ngaye kuNkulunkulu.
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.
Kwathi uHerodi esezamkhupha, ngalobobusuku uPetro wayelele phakathi kwabebutho ababili, ebotshwe ngamaketane amabili; labalindi phambi komnyango babegcine intolongo.
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].
Njalo khangela, ingilosi yeNkosi yema, lokukhanya kwakhanyisa ekamelweni; yasitshaya uPetro ehlangothini, yamvusa isithi: Sukuma ngokuphangisa. Asesiwa amaketane akhe ezandleni zakhe.
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!”
Ingilosi yasisithi kuye: Bhinca, ubophe amanyathela akho. Wasesenza njalo. Yasisithi kuye: Yembatha isembatho sakho, ungilandele.
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.
Wasephuma wayilandela; njalo wayengazi ukuthi kuliqiniso okwenziwa yingilosi, kodwa wayecabanga ukuthi ubona umbono.
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.
Njalo sebedlulile abalindi bokuqala labesibili, bafika esangweni lensimbi, elokuya emzini, elabavulekela ngokwalo; basebephuma bahamba umgwaqo waba munye; njalo ingilosi yahle yamtshiya.
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].”
Kwathi uPetro, eseqaqabukile, wathi: Khathesi sengisazi ngeqiniso ukuthi iNkosi ithumile ingilosi yayo, yangikhulula esandleni sikaHerodi lakukho konke okulindelwe yisizwe samaJuda.
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].
Kwathi esenanzelele waya endlini kaMariya unina kaJohane othiwa futhi nguMarko, lapho okwakuhlangene khona abanengi bekhuleka.
13 When Peter knocked at the outer entrance, a servant girl named Rhoda came to find out [who was outside the door].
Kwathi uPetro eseqoqodile esivalweni sesango, incekukazi encane yeza ukulalela, uRoda ngebizo,
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.
kwathi isilazi ilizwi likaPetro, kayivulanga isango ngenxa yentokozo, kodwa yagijima yangena yabika ukuthi uPetro umi phambi kwesango.
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].)”
Kodwa bathi kuyo: Uyahlanya. Kodwa yaqinisisa ukuthi kunjalo. Basebesithi: Yingilosi yakhe.
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!
Kodwa uPetro waqhubeka eqoqoda; sebevulile bambona, basanganiseka.
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.
Wasebaqhweba ngesandla ukuze bathule, wabalandisela ukuthi iNkosi imkhuphe njani entolongweni, wathi: Bikelani uJakobe labazalwane lezizinto. Wasephuma waya kwenye indawo.
18 The next morning the soldiers [who had been guarding] Peter became terribly distressed, [because they did not know] what had happened to him.
Sekusile, kwaba khona isiphithiphithi esingesincinyane phakathi kwebutho, ukuthi wayesehlelwe yini uPetro.
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].
Kwathi uHerodi esemdingile engamtholi, wabuzisisa abalindi, walaya ukuthi basuswe bayebulawa. Wasesuka eJudiya wehlela eKesariya wahlala khona.
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].
Njalo uHerodi wayebathukuthelele abeTire labeSidoni; basebesiza kuye bengqondonye; sebevumelene loBlastusi induna yekamelo lokulala lenkosi, bacela ukuthula, ngoba ilizwe labo lalifunzwa ngelenkosi.
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].
Njalo ngosuku olumisiweyo uHerodi wembatha isembatho sobukhosi, wasehlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, wenza inkulumo kubo.
22 Those who [were listening to him] shouted repeatedly, “[This man who] is speaking is a god, not a man!”
Abantu basebememeza besithi: Yilizwi likaNkulunkulu njalo kayisilo elomuntu.
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].
Njalo yahle yamtshaya ingilosi yeNkosi, ngoba kanikanga udumo kuNkulunkulu; wasedliwa zimpethu, waphela.
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).
Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lakhula landa.
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.
UBarnabasi loSawuli basebebuya bevela eJerusalema, sebeqedile inkonzo, babuya beloJohane laye othiwa futhi nguMarko.
