12:1 Now about that time ①Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church, to do them harm.
▷ ①I.e., Herod Agrippa I
12:2 And he had James the brother of John executed with a sword.
12:3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter as well. (Now these were ①the days of Unleavened Bread.)
▷ ①I.e., Passover week
12:4 When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, turning him over to four ①squads of soldiers to guard him, intending only after the Passover to bring him before the people.
▷ ①Lit quaternions; a quaternion was composed of four soldiers
12:5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made to God ①intensely by the church.
▷ ①Or constantly
12:6 On ①the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.
▷ ①Lit that night
12:7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near Peter, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.
12:8 And the angel said to him, “Put on your belt and ①strap on your sandals.” And he did so. And he *said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
▷ ①Lit bind
12:9 And he went out and continued to follow, and yet he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
12:10 Now when they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
12:11 When Peter came ①to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all ②that the Jewish people were expecting.”
▷ ①Lit in himself ②Lit the expectation of the people of the Jews
12:12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
12:13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, a slave woman named Rhoda came to answer.
12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
12:15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.”
12:16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
12:17 But motioning 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 ①James and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place.
▷ ①Or Jacob
12:18 Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to ①what could have become of Peter.
▷ ①Lit what therefore had become
12:19 When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.
12:20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one mind they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was supported with grain from the king’s country.
12:21 On an appointed day, after putting on his royal apparel, Herod took his seat on the ①rostrum and began delivering an address to them.
▷ ①Or judgment seat
12:22 The people repeatedly cried out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”
12:23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and ①died.
▷ ①Lit expired
12:24 But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.
12:25 And Barnabas and Saul returned when they had fulfilled their ①mission to Jerusalem, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.
▷ ①Lit ministry