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The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 12 -

1
About that time, King Herod (a) reached out to harm (b) some who belonged to the church.
2
He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
3
And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.(c)
4
He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

The Rescue of Peter

5
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
6
On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison.
7
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
8
“Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
9
So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision.
10
They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.
11
Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
12
And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.
13
He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.
14
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”
15
“You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
16
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
17
Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.
18
At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
19
After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.

The Death of Herod

20
Now Herod was in a furious dispute (d) with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food.
21
On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people.
22
And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”
23
Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
24
But the word of God continued to spread and multiply.
25
When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned,(e) bringing with them John, also called Mark.

Footnotes

(a)12:1 That is, King Herod Agrippa
(b)12:1 Literally put forth the hands to mistreat
(c)12:3 Literally seize Peter—now these were the days of the Unleavened; see Exodus 12:14–20.
(d)12:20 Or had become furious
(e)12:25 Or had fulfilled their mission, they returned to Jerusalem; NE and TR had fulfilled their mission, they returned from Jerusalem
1
Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly.
2
He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.
3
When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread.
4
When he had arrested him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

The Rescue of Peter

5
Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.
6
The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.
7
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Stand up quickly!” His chains fell off his hands.
8
The angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” He did so. He said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”
9
And he went out and followed him. He didn’t know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.
10
When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11
When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”
12
Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
13
When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she didn’t open the gate for joy, but ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
15
They said to her, “You are crazy!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.”
16
But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him and were amazed.
17
But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
18
Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
19
When Herod had sought for him and didn’t find him, he examined the guards, then commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

The Death of Herod

20
Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him and, having made Blastus, the king’s personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.
21
On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.
22
The people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”
23
Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory. Then he was eaten by worms and died.
24
But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25
Barnabas and Saul returned to (a) Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John who was called Mark.

Footnotes

(a)12:25 TR reads “from” instead of “to”
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