THE BOOK OF ACTS

 

Acts Chapter 12

 

1 ¶ Now about that time Herod the king extended his grip to persecute and afflict some who belonged to the church.

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

3 And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he went on to arrest Peter as well. (This was during feast of unleavened bread.)

4 And after he had arrested him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four groups of four soldiers each to guard him; intending to bring him out before the people after Passover.

5 ¶ So Peter was kept in prison: but the church continually prayed to God for him.

6 And the night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the guards outside the door kept watch over the prison.

7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison: and the angel struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, Get up quickly. And the chains fell off his hands.

8 And the angel said to him, Get dressed, and put on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Wrap your cloak around you, and follow me.

9 And Peter went out following him; and was not aware that what the angel was doing was actually happening; but thought he was seeing a vision.

10 When they had passed the first guards and the second, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city; which opened for them by itself: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and the angel suddenly left him.

11 And when Peter came to himself, he said, Now I know for sure, that the Lord has sent his angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod, and from all that the Jewish people expected.

12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was called Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the passage, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.

14 And when she recognized Peter’s voice, she did not open the door because of her joy, but ran back in, and told everyone that Peter was standing outside the door.

15 But they said to her, You are out of your mind. Yet she insisted that it was so. So they said, It must be his angel.

16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

17 But motioning with his hand for them to be silent, he explained to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, Go tell these things to James, and to the brethren. Then he left, and went to another place.

18 Now as soon as it was light, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers, as to what had become of Peter.

19 However after Herod had searched for him, without finding him, he examined the guards, and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and spent time there.

20 ¶ Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon: but they joined together in seeking an audience with him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country depended on the king’s country for food.

21 And on the appointed day Herod, dressed in royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.

22 And the people shouted, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

23 And the Lord’s angel immediately struck him, because he did not give God the glory: and he was eaten by worms, and died.

24 But the word of God continued to grow and multiply.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they finished their mission, and took with them John, who was called Mark.