Acts 12
12
Herod Causes Trouble for the Church
1At that time King Herod#12.1 Herod: Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great. caused terrible suffering for some members of the church. 2He ordered soldiers to cut off the head of James, the brother of John. 3#Ex 12.1-27. When Herod saw that this pleased the Jewish people, he had Peter arrested during the Festival of Thin Bread. 4He put Peter in jail and ordered four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after the festival.
5While Peter was being kept in jail, the church never stopped praying to God for him.
Peter Is Rescued
6The night before Peter was to be put on trial, he was asleep and bound by two chains. A soldier was guarding him on each side, and two other soldiers were guarding the entrance to the jail. 7Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared, and light flashed around in the cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him up. Then he said, “Quick! Get up!”
The chains fell off his hands, 8and the angel said, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” Peter did what he was told. Then the angel said, “Now put on your coat and follow me.” 9Peter left with the angel, but he thought everything was only a dream. 10They went past the two groups of soldiers, and when they came to the iron gate to the city, it opened by itself. They went out and were going along the street, when all at once the angel disappeared.
11Peter now realized what had happened, and he said, “I am certain that the Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders planned to do to me.” 12Then Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many of the Lord's followers had come together there and were praying.
13Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14When she heard Peter's voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said Peter was standing there.
15“You are crazy!” everyone told her. But she kept saying it was Peter. Then they said, “It must be his angel.”#12.15 his angel: Probably meaning “his guardian angel.” 16But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate. They saw him and were completely amazed.
17Peter motioned for them to keep quiet. Then he told how the Lord had led him out of jail. He also said, “Tell James#12.17 James: The brother of the Lord. and the others what has happened.” After that, he left and went somewhere else.
18The next morning the soldiers who had been on guard were terribly worried and wondered what had happened to Peter. 19Herod ordered his own soldiers to search for him, but they could not find him. Then he questioned the guards and had them put to death. After this, Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
Herod Dies
20 #
2 Macc 9.5-28. Herod and the people of Tyre and Sidon were very angry with each other. But their country got its food supply from the region that he ruled. So a group of them went to see Blastus, who was one of Herod's high officials. They convinced Blastus that they wanted to make peace between their cities and Herod, 21and a day was set for them to meet with him.
Herod came dressed in his royal robes. He sat down on his throne and made a speech. 22The people shouted, “You speak more like a god than a man!” 23At once an angel from the Lord struck him down because he took the honor that belonged to God. Later, Herod was eaten by worms and died.
24God's message kept spreading. 25And after Barnabas and Saul had done the work they were sent to do, they went back to Jerusalem#12.25 went back to Jerusalem: Some manuscripts have “left Jerusalem,” and others have “went to Antioch.” with John, whose other name was Mark.
Currently Selected:
Acts 12: CEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Acts 12
12
James Killed and Peter Imprisoned
1About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2He killed #Matt. 4:21; 20:23 James the brother of John #Heb. 11:37with the sword, 3and when he saw #[ch. 24:27; 25:9] that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during #ch. 20:6; Ex. 12:14, 15; 23:15the days of Unleavened Bread. 4And when he had seized him, he put him #See Luke 21:12 in prison, delivering him over to four #[John 19:23]squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest #2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:18prayer for him was made to God by the church.
Peter Is Rescued
6Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, #ch. 21:33bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7And behold, #See ch. 8:26 an angel of the Lord #Luke 2:9; 24:4 stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. #[1 Kgs. 19:7] He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And #ch. 16:26the chains fell off his hands. 8And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and #Mark 6:9put 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 followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but #Ps. 126:1thought he was seeing a vision. 10When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. #ch. 5:19; 16:26It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11When Peter #[Luke 15:17] came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that #Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Dan. 3:28; 6:22 the Lord has sent his angel and #Ps. 33:18, 19; 2 Cor. 1:10rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of #ver. 25; ch. 13:5, 13; 15:37, 39; Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24; 1 Pet. 5:13 John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and #ver. 5were praying. 13And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, #John 18:16, 17a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14Recognizing Peter’s voice, #Luke 24:41; [Gen. 45:26]in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is #Matt. 18:10; See Heb. 1:14his angel!” 16But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17But #ch. 13:16; 19:33; 21:40 motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to #ch. 15:13; 21:18; [Gal. 1:19; 2:9, 12] James and to #See John 21:23the brothers.”#12:17 Or brothers and sisters Then he departed and went to another place.
18Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and #[ch. 16:27; 27:42]ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
The Death of Herod
20Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and #Matt. 28:14 (Gk.) having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain,#12:20 That is, trusted personal attendant they asked for peace, because #[1 Kgs. 5:9; Ezra 3:7; Ezek. 27:17]their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23Immediately #[2 Sam. 24:16; 2 Kgs. 19:35]; See ch. 8:26 an angel of the Lord struck him down, because #Ps. 115:1he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
24But #See ch. 6:7the word of God increased and multiplied.
25 # ch. 11:29, 30 And Barnabas and Saul returned from#12:25 Some manuscripts to Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them #See ver. 12John, whose other name was Mark.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV: