12:1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
12:2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
12:3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
12:4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
12:6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.
12:7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
12:8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.
12:9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.
12:10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
12:11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
12:12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
12:13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door.
12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
12:15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
12:16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
12:17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the brothers about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.
12:18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
12:19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while.
12:20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.
12:21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people.
12:22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”
12:23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
12:24 But the word of God continued to increase and spread.
12:25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.
12:1 Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some from the church in order to mistreat them.
12:2 And he did away with James, the brother of John, with the sword.
12:3 And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he went on to arrest Peter also (now those were the days of Unleavened Bread),
12:4 Whom also he seized and put in prison, delivering him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
12:5 So then Peter was kept in the prison;
12:6 And when Herod was about to bring him forward, that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and guards before the door were keeping the prison.
12:7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell; and he struck Peter s side and roused him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off his hands.
12:8 And the angel said to him, Gird yourself and tie on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Throw your cloak around you and follow me.
12:9 And he went out and followed him; yet he did not know that what was taking place through the angel was real, but thought that he was seeing a vision.
12:10 And passing the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened of itself to them. And going out, they went forward one lane; and immediately the angel departed from him.
12:11 And Peter came to himself and said, Now I know truly that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me out of Herod s hand and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.
12:12 And when he became aware of this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where there was a considerable number assembled together and praying.
12:13 And when he knocked at the door of the entry, a maiden named Rhoda came to listen.
12:14 And when she recognized Peter s voice, she did not open the gate for joy, but ran in and reported that Peter was standing before the entry.
12:15 But they said to her, You are crazy! But she insisted that it was so. And they said, It is his angel.
12:16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the gate, they saw him and were beside themselves.
12:17 And motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison, and he said, Report these things to James and the brothers. And going out, he went to another place.
12:18 Now when it became day, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers, they not knowing what had become of Peter.
12:19 And when Herod searched for him and did not find him,
12:20 Now he was furious with the Tyrians and Sidonians. And they came to him with one accord; and having persuaded Blastus, the king s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king s country.
12:21 And on an appointed day Herod arrayed himself in royal clothing and sat on the judgment seat; and he delivered a public address to them.
12:22 And the populace cried out, The voice of a god and not of a man!
12:23 And instantly an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God; and he was eaten by worms and expired.
12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.
12:25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having completed the dispensing; and they took along with them John, who was surnamed Mark.