Acts 12

¹Now at that time Herod the king laid hands on certain ones of the church to afflict them.

²And he executed James the brother of John with the sword.

³And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also — now those were the days of Unleavened Bread —

⁴And having seized him, he placed him in prison, delivering him to four squads of four soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him up before the people.

⁵So Peter was being kept in the prison; but earnest prayer was being made to God by the church on his behalf.

⁶Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while guards before the door kept watch over the prison.

⁷And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter's side, he woke him, saying: Rise up quickly. And the chains fell off his hands.

⁸And the angel said to him: Fasten your belt and put on your sandals. And he did so. And he says to him: Wrap your outer garment around you and follow me.

⁹And going out, he was following him; and he did not know that what was happening through the angel was real, but he thought he was seeing a vision.

¹⁰And passing through a first guard post and a second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of its own accord. And going out, they passed along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

¹¹And Peter, coming to himself, said: Now I know truly that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

¹²And when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John who is called Mark, where a considerable number had gathered together and were praying.

¹³And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.

¹⁴And recognizing the voice of Peter, out of joy she did not open the gateway, but ran in and reported that Peter was standing before the gateway.

¹⁵And they said to her: You are out of your mind. But she kept insisting that it was so. And they were saying: It is his angel.

¹⁶But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.

¹⁷But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said: Report these things to James and to the brothers. And going out, he departed to another place.

¹⁸Now when day came, there was no small consternation among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.

¹⁹And Herod, having searched for him and not found him, having examined the guards, ordered them to be led away to execution. Then going down from Judea to Caesarea, he stayed there.

²⁰Now Herod was furiously angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians; but they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, who was over the royal bedchamber, they were seeking peace, because their region was fed from the royal territory.

²¹Now on an appointed day, Herod, having put on royal apparel and seated on the tribunal, was delivering an address to them.

²²And the people were shouting: The voice of a god, and not of a man!

²³And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God; and having been eaten by worms, he breathed his last.

²⁴But the word of God was growing and multiplying.

²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, having fulfilled their ministry, taking with them also John who was called Mark.