Actes 12
1 En ce temps-là, le roi Hérode porta les mains sur quelques-uns de l’Eglise pour les tourmenter.
Now, at about that time, Herod the king put forth his hands to ill- treat certain members of the church;
2 Il fit mourir par le glaive Jacques, frère de Jean.
and beheaded James, the brother of John, with the sword.
3 Et voyant que cela plaisait aux Juifs, il fit aussi prendre Pierre. Or c’étaient les jours des azymes.
And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.)
4 Lorsqu’il l’eut pris, il le mit en prison, le confiant à la garde de quatre bandes de quatre soldats chacune, voulant, après la pâque, le produire devant le peuple.
He had him arrested and thrown in prison, and put under guard of sixteen soldiers. He intended, after the Passover, to bring him forth to the people.
5 Ainsi Pierre était gardé dans la prison. Mais l’Eglise faisait à Dieu, sans interruption, des prières pour lui.
So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God was made by the church for him.
6 Or la nuit même d’avant le jour où Hérode devait le produire, Pierre dormait entre deux soldats, lié de deux chaînes, et des gardes devant la porte gardaient la prison.
Now when Herod was about to bring him forth, on that very night, while Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison,
7 Et voilà qu’un ange du Seigneur se présenta, et une lumière brilla dans la prison; alors l’ange, frappant Pierre au côté, le réveilla, disant: Lève-toi promptement. Et les chaînes tombèrent de ses mains.
suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him saying, "Rise up quickly." At once the chains dropped from his hands.
8 Alors l’ange lui dit: Ceins-toi et mets la chaussure à tes pieds. Et il fit ainsi. Et l’ange dit: Prends ton vêtement autour de toi, et suis-moi.
"Gird yourself," said the angel, "and put on your sandals." He did so. Then he said unto him, "Throw your cloak about you, and follow me."
9 Et sortant, il le suivait, et il ne savait pas que ce qui se faisait par l’ange fût véritable; car il croyait avoir une vision.
So Peter went out, following him, but did not realize that what the angel was doing was real, but supposed that he was seeing a vision.
10 Or ayant passé la première et la seconde garde, ils vinrent à la porte de fer qui mène à la ville; elle s’ouvrit d’elle-même à eux. Et, sortant, ils s’avancèrent dans une rue; et aussitôt l’ange le quitta.
And when they had passed the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate that led to the city. This opened to them of its own accord; and they went out passed on through one street; and suddenly the angel left him.
11 Alors Pierre, revenu à lui, dit: Maintenant je reconnais véritablement que Dieu a envoyé son ange, et qu’il m’a soustrait à la main d’Hérode et à toute l’attente du peuple juif.
Peter, coming to himself, said, "Now I know for a certainty that the Lord has sent his angel and released me from the hand of Herod, and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating."
12 Et, réfléchissant, il vint à la maison de Marie, mère de Jean, qui est surnommé Marc, où beaucoup de personnes étaient assemblées et priaient.
So, after he had thought things over, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, surnamed Mark, where a large number of people were assembled, praying.
13 Or, comme il frappait à la porte, une jeune fille, nommée Rhode, vint pour écouter.
When he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid servant named Rhoda came to answer.
14 Dès qu’elle reconnut la voix de Pierre, transportée de joie, elle n’ouvrit pas la porte, mais, rentrant en courant, elle annonça que Pierre était à la porte.
And when she recognized Peter’s voice, for very joy she did not open the door, but ran in and told them that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
15 Ils lui dirent: Tu es folle. Mais elle assurait qu’il en était ainsi. Sur quoi ils disaient: C’est son ange.
"You are mad," they said. But she confidently insisted that it was so. "It is his angel," they said.
16 Cependant Pierre continuait de frapper. Et lorsqu’ils eurent ouvert, ils le virent et furent dans la stupeur.
Meanwhile Peter continued to knock, until at last they opened the door, and were amazed to see that it was really he.
17 Mais lui, leur faisant de la main signe de se taire, raconta comment le Seigneur l’avait tiré de la prison, et il dit: Annoncez ces choses à Jacques et à nos frères. Et étant sorti, il s’en alla dans un autre lieu.
He motioned to them to keep quiet, and told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell all this to James," he said, "and to the brothers," and away he went to another place.
18 Quand il fit jour, il n’y eut pas peu de trouble parmi les soldats, au sujet de ce que Pierre était devenu.
When morning came there was no small stir among the soldiers as to what could possibly have become of Peter.
19 Hérode l’ayant fait chercher, et ne l’ayant point trouvé, fit donner la question aux gardes, et commanda de les mener au supplice; puis il descendit de Jérusalem à Césarée, où il séjourna.
Then Herod had search made for him, and could not find him. After sharply questioning the guards, he ordered them off to execution. He then went down from Judea to Caesarea, where he stayed for some time.
20 Il était irrité contre les Tyriens et les Sidoniens. Mais ils vinrent d’un commun accord vers lui, et Blaste, chambellan du roi, ayant été gagné, ils demandaient la paix, parce que leur pays tirait sa subsistance des terres du roi.
Now Herod was violently displeased with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him, with one accord, and after conciliating Blastus, the royal chamberlain, they begged for peace because their country depended upon the king’s country for its food supply.
21 Ainsi, au jour fixé, Hérode, revêtu du vêtement royal, s’assit sur son trône, et il les haranguait.
So on the appointed day, Herod put on his royal robes, and after taking his seat upon the throne, began to harangue them.
22 Et le peuple applaudissait, criant: C’est le discours d’un dieu et non d’un homme.
"The voice of a god, and not of a man," the people kept shouting.
23 Et soudain un ange du Seigneur le frappa, parce qu’il n’avait point rendu gloire à Dieu; et, mangé des vers, il expira.
Instantly an angel of the Lord smote him, because he had not given God the glory, and being eaten up by worms, he died.
24 Cependant la parole de Dieu croissait et se multipliait.
But the word of God grew and multiplied;
25 Et Barnabé et Saul, leur mission remplie, revinrent de Jérusalem, ayant pris avec eux Jean, qui est surnommé Marc.
and after discharging their mission, Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, bringing with them John, surnamed Mark.
