Acts 12
12
Persecution and Deliverance
1Now at that time Herod the king seized some from Messiah’s community to do them harm.
2He had Jacob, John’s brother, put to death with the sword.
3Seeing it pleased the Judean leaders, he proceeded to capture Peter as well. This was during the Days of Matzah.
4After seizing him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads with four soldiers each to guard him. He was intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
5So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer for him was being offered fervently to God by Messiah’s community.
6Now that very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping—bound with two chains between two soldiers, while guards before the gate were keeping watch over the prison.
7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He poked Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up! Quick!” And the chains fell off his hands.
8Then the angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” and he did so. Then he tells him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”
9Peter went out and kept following him—he didn’t know that what was happening with the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
10After they passed a first guard and a second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them by itself. They went out and walked along a narrow street. Suddenly the angel left him.
11When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for real that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Judean people were expecting.”
12When he realized this, he went to the house of Miriam, the mother of John (also called Mark), where many were assembled together and praying.
13When he knocked on the door of the entrance gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.
14Although she recognized Peter’s voice, out of 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’re crazy!” But she kept insisting it was so. But they were saying, “It is his angel.”
16But Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed!
17But he motioned with his hand for them to be silent, and he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Go tell these things to Jacob and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place.
18When day came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
19After Herod made a search for him and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea and stayed in Caesarea.
Herod Gets His Due
20Now it happened that Herod was furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him, united. Having won over Blastus, the king’s personal aide, they began asking for peace—because their country was supplied with food from the king’s country.
21On an appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes and, taking his seat upon the throne, began to make a speech to them.
22The people were shouting, “The voice of a god and not a human!”
23Immediately, an angel of the Lord struck him down—because he did not give God the glory. And he was eaten by worms and died.
24But the word of God kept on growing and multiplying.
25And Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, taking along John (who was also called Mark).
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Acts 12
12
More Persecution
1About this time King Herod#12.1 King Herod: Herod Agrippa I, ruler of all Palestine. began to persecute some members of the church. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death by the sword. 3When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he went on to arrest Peter. (This happened during the time of the Festival of Unleavened Bread.) 4#Ex 12.1–27After his arrest Peter was put in jail, where he was handed over to be guarded by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after Passover. 5So Peter was kept in jail, but the people of the church were praying earnestly to God for him.
Peter is Set Free from Prison
6The night before Herod was going to bring him out to the people, Peter was sleeping between two guards. He was tied with two chains, and there were guards on duty at the prison gate. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell. The angel shook Peter by the shoulder, woke him up, and said, “Hurry! Get up!” At once the chains fell off Peter's hands. 8Then the angel said, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” Peter did so, and the angel said, “Put your cloak round you and come with me.” 9Peter followed him out of the prison, not knowing, however, if what the angel was doing was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10They passed by the first guard post and then the second, and came at last to the iron gate leading into the city. The gate opened for them by itself, and they went out. They walked down a street, and suddenly the angel left Peter.
11Then Peter realized what had happened to him, and said, “Now I know that it is really true! The Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod's power and from everything the Jewish people expected to happen.”
12Aware of his situation, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13Peter knocked at the outside door, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer it. 14She recognized Peter's voice and was so happy that she ran back in without opening the door, and announced that Peter was standing outside. 15“You are mad!” they told her. But she insisted that it was true. So they answered, “It is his angel.”
16Meanwhile Peter kept on knocking. At last they opened the door, and when they saw him, they were amazed. 17He motioned with his hand for them to be quiet, and he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell this to James and the rest of the believers,” he said; then he left and went somewhere else.
18When morning came, there was a tremendous confusion among the guards — what had happened to Peter? 19Herod gave orders to search for him, but they could not find him. So he had the guards questioned and ordered them to be put to death.
After this, Herod left Judea and spent some time in Caesarea.
The Death of Herod
20Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, so they went in a group to see him. First they convinced Blastus, the man in charge of the palace, that he should help them. Then they went to Herod and asked him for peace, because their country got its food supplies from the king's country.
21On a chosen day Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to the people. 22“It isn't a man speaking, but a god!” they shouted. 23At once the angel of the Lord struck Herod down, because he did not give honour to God. He was eaten by worms and died.
24Meanwhile the word of God continued to spread and grow.
25Barnabas and Saul finished their mission and returned from#12.25 from; some manuscripts have to. Jerusalem, taking John Mark with them.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.