Acts 12
Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance
1Now about that time ▼▼ I.e. Herod Agrippa I
Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2And he bhad James the brother of John cput to death with a sword. 3When he saw that it dpleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now ▼▼ Lit they were the days
it was during fthe days of Unleavened Bread. 4When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four ▼▼ Lit quaternions; a quaternion was composed of four soldiers
,
hsquads of soldiers to guard him, intending after ithe Passover to bring him out before the people. 5So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. 6On ▼▼ Lit that night
the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, kbound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7And behold, lan angel of the Lord suddenly mappeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And nhis chains fell off his hands. 8And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and ▼▼ Lit bind
put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing pa vision. 10When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which qopened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11When Peter rcame ▼▼ Lit in himself
to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that tthe Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all ▼▼ Lit the expectation of the people of the Jews
that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of vJohn who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and wwere praying. 13When he knocked at the door of the gate, xa servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, ybecause of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is zhis angel.” 16But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. 17But aamotioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to ▼▼ Or Jacob
,
acJames and adthe brethren.” Then he left and went to another place. 18Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to ▼▼ Lit what therefore had become
what could have become of Peter. 19When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they afbe led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to agCaesarea and was spending time there. Death of Herod
20Now he was very angry with the people of ahTyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because aitheir country was fed by the king’s country. 21On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the ▼▼ Or judgment seat
rostrum and began delivering an address to them. 22The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23And immediately akan angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and ▼▼ Lit breathed his last breath
died. 24But amthe word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied. 25And anBarnabas and aoSaul returned ▼▼ Two early mss read to Jerusalem
from Jerusalem aqwhen they had fulfilled their ▼▼ Lit ministry
mission, taking along with them asJohn, who was also called Mark.
Copyright information for
NASB1995