< Actuum Apostolorum 12 >
1 eodem autem tempore misit Herodes rex manus ut adfligeret quosdam de ecclesia
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 occidit autem Iacobum fratrem Iohannis gladio
He commanded [a soldier] to cut off the head of [the apostle] James, the [older] brother of [the apostle] John.
3 videns autem quia placeret Iudaeis adposuit adprehendere et Petrum erant autem dies azymorum
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 quem cum adprehendisset misit in carcerem tradens quattuor quaternionibus militum custodire eum volens post pascha producere eum populo
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 et Petrus quidem servabatur in carcere oratio autem fiebat sine intermissione ab ecclesia ad Deum pro eo
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 cum autem producturus eum esset Herodes in ipsa nocte erat Petrus dormiens inter duos milites vinctus catenis duabus et custodes ante ostium custodiebant carcerem
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 et ecce angelus Domini adstitit et lumen refulsit in habitaculo percussoque latere Petri suscitavit eum dicens surge velociter et ceciderunt catenae de manibus eius
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 dixit autem angelus ad eum praecingere et calcia te gallicas tuas et fecit sic et dixit illi circumda tibi vestimentum tuum et sequere me
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 et exiens sequebatur et nesciebat quia verum est quod fiebat per angelum aestimabat autem se visum videre
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 transeuntes autem primam et secundam custodiam venerunt ad portam ferream quae ducit ad civitatem quae ultro aperta est eis et exeuntes processerunt vicum unum et continuo discessit angelus ab eo
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 et Petrus ad se reversus dixit nunc scio vere quia misit Dominus angelum suum et eripuit me de manu Herodis et de omni expectatione plebis Iudaeorum
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 consideransque venit ad domum Mariae matris Iohannis qui cognominatus est Marcus ubi erant multi congregati et orantes
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 pulsante autem eo ostium ianuae processit puella ad audiendum nomine Rhode
When Peter knocked at the outer entrance, a servant girl named Rhoda came to find out [who was outside the door].
14 et ut cognovit vocem Petri prae gaudio non aperuit ianuam sed intro currens nuntiavit stare Petrum ante ianuam
[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 at illi dixerunt ad eam insanis illa autem adfirmabat sic se habere illi autem dicebant angelus eius est
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 autem perseverabat pulsans cum autem aperuissent viderunt eum et obstipuerunt
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 annuens autem eis manu ut tacerent enarravit quomodo Dominus eduxisset eum de carcere dixitque nuntiate Iacobo et fratribus haec et egressus abiit in alium locum
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 facta autem die erat non parva turbatio inter milites quidnam de Petro factum esset
The next morning the soldiers [who had been guarding] Peter became terribly distressed, [because they did not know] what had happened to him.
19 Herodes autem cum requisisset eum et non invenisset inquisitione facta de custodibus iussit eos duci descendensque a Iudaea in Caesaream ibi commoratus est
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 erat autem iratus Tyriis et Sidoniis at illi unianimes venerunt ad eum et persuaso Blasto qui erat super cubiculum regis postulabant pacem eo quod alerentur regiones eorum ab illo
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 statuto autem die Herodes vestitus veste regia sedit pro tribunali et contionabatur ad eos
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 populus autem adclamabat dei voces et non hominis
Those who [were listening to him] shouted repeatedly, “[This man who] is speaking is a god, not a man!”
23 confestim autem percussit eum angelus Domini eo quod non dedisset honorem Deo et consumptus a vermibus exspiravit
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 verbum autem Domini crescebat et multiplicabatur
[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 autem et Saulus reversi sunt ab Hierosolymis expleto ministerio adsumpto Iohanne qui cognominatus est Marcus
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.