Apostelgeschichte 12
1 Um jene Zeit aber legte Herodes, der König, die Hände an etliche von der Versammlung, sie zu mißhandeln;
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.
2 er tötete aber Jakobus, den Bruder des Johannes, mit dem Schwerte.
He commanded [a soldier] to cut off the head of [the apostle] James, the [older] brother of [the apostle] John.
3 Und als er sah, daß es den Juden gefiel, fuhr er fort, auch Petrus festzunehmen [es waren aber die Tage der ungesäuerten Brote],
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.
4 welchen er auch, nachdem er ihn ergriffen hatte, ins Gefängnis setzte und an vier Abteilungen von je vier Kriegsknechten zur Bewachung überlieferte, indem er willens war, ihn nach dem Passah dem Volke vorzuführen.
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].
5 Petrus nun wurde in dem Gefängnis verwahrt; aber von der Versammlung geschah ein anhaltendes Gebet für ihn zu Gott.
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.
6 Als aber Herodes ihn vorführen wollte, schlief Petrus in jener Nacht zwischen zwei Kriegsknechten, gebunden mit zwei Ketten, und Wächter vor der Tür verwahrten das Gefängnis.
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.
7 Und siehe, ein Engel des Herrn stand da, und ein Licht leuchtete in dem Kerker; und er schlug Petrus an die Seite, weckte ihn und sagte: Stehe schnell auf! Und die Ketten fielen ihm von den Händen.
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].
8 Und der Engel sprach zu ihm: Gürte dich und binde deine Sandalen unter. Er tat aber also. Und er spricht zu ihm: Wirf dein Oberkleid um und folge mir.
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!”
9 Und er ging hinaus und folgte ihm und wußte nicht, daß es Wirklichkeit war, was durch den Engel geschah; er meinte aber, ein Gesicht zu sehen.
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.
10 Als sie aber durch die erste und die zweite Wache gegangen waren, kamen sie an das eiserne Tor, das in die Stadt führte, welches sich ihnen von selbst auftat; und sie traten hinaus und gingen eine Straße entlang, und alsbald schied der Engel von ihm.
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.
11 Und als Petrus zu sich selbst kam, sprach er: Nun weiß ich in Wahrheit, daß der Herr seinen Engel gesandt und mich gerettet hat aus der Hand des Herodes und aller Erwartung des Volkes der Juden.
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].”
12 Und als er sich bedachte, [O. es erkannte] kam er an das Haus der Maria, der Mutter des Johannes, der Markus zubenamt war, wo viele versammelt waren und beteten.
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].
13 Als er aber an der Tür des Tores klopfte, kam eine Magd, mit Namen Rhode, herbei, um zu horchen.
When Peter knocked at the outer entrance, a servant girl named Rhoda came to find out [who was outside the door].
14 Und als sie die Stimme des Petrus erkannte, öffnete sie vor Freude das Tor nicht; sie lief aber hinein und verkündete, Petrus stehe vor dem Tore.
[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.
15 Sie aber sprachen zu ihr: Du bist von Sinnen. Sie aber beteuerte, daß es also sei. Sie aber sprachen: Es ist sein Engel.
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].)”
16 Petrus aber blieb am Klopfen. Als sie aber aufgetan hatten, sahen sie ihn und waren außer sich.
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!
17 Er aber winkte ihnen mit der Hand zu schweigen, und erzählte ihnen, wie der Herr ihn aus dem Gefängnis herausgeführt habe; und er sprach: Verkündet dies Jakobus und den Brüdern. Und er ging hinaus und zog an einen anderen Ort.
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.
18 Als es aber Tag geworden, war eine nicht geringe Bestürzung unter den Kriegsknechten, was doch aus Petrus geworden sei.
The next morning the soldiers [who had been guarding] Peter became terribly distressed, [because they did not know] what had happened to him.
19 Als aber Herodes nach ihm verlangte und ihn nicht fand, zog er die Wächter zur Untersuchung und befahl sie abzuführen; [d. h. zur Hinrichtung] und er ging von Judäa nach Cäsarea hinab und verweilte daselbst.
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].
20 Er war aber sehr erbittert gegen die Tyrer und Sidonier. Sie kamen aber einmütig zu ihm, und nachdem sie Blastus, den Kämmerer des Königs, überredet hatten, baten sie um Frieden, weil ihr Land von dem königlichen ernährt wurde.
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].
21 An einem festgesetzten Tage aber hielt Herodes, nachdem er königliche Kleider angelegt und sich auf den Thron [O. Rednerstuhl] gesetzt hatte, eine öffentliche Rede an sie.
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].
22 Das Volk aber rief ihm zu: Eines Gottes Stimme und nicht eines Menschen!
Those who [were listening to him] shouted repeatedly, “[This man who] is speaking is a god, not a man!”
23 Alsbald aber schlug ihn ein Engel des Herrn, darum daß er nicht Gott die Ehre gab; und von Würmern gefressen, verschied er.
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].
24 Das Wort Gottes aber wuchs und mehrte sich.
[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).
25 Barnabas aber und Saulus kehrten, nachdem sie den Dienst erfüllt hatten, von Jerusalem zurück und nahmen auch Johannes mit, der Markus zubenamt war.
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.
