Acts 12:1-19
Acts 12:1-19 (Good News Translation)
1About this time King Herod
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 ahead and had
Peter arrested. (This happened during the time of the Festival of
Unleavened Bread.)
4After 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.
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,
"Tighten your belt and put on your sandals." Peter did so, and
the angel said,
"Put your cloak around 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 station and then the second,
and came at last to the iron gate that opens 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 crazy!" 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 put to death.
After this, Herod left Judea and spent some time in Caesarea.
God bless you.
1About this time King Herod
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 ahead and had
Peter arrested. (This happened during the time of the Festival of
Unleavened Bread.)
4After 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.
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,
"Tighten your belt and put on your sandals." Peter did so, and
the angel said,
"Put your cloak around 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 station and then the second,
and came at last to the iron gate that opens 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 crazy!" 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 put to death.
After this, Herod left Judea and spent some time in Caesarea.
God bless you.
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