Acts 12

1

James Killed, Peter Imprisoned

AboutG2596 thatG1565 timeG2540, KingG935 HerodG22641 reached outG1911G3588G5495 to harmG25592 someG5100 whoG3588 belonged toG575 theG3588 churchG1577. 2He had JamesG2385, theG3588 brotherG80 of JohnG2491, put to deathG337 with the swordG3162.

3AndG1161 seeingG3708 thatG3754 this pleasedG701 theG3588 JewsG2453, Herod proceededG4369G2532 to seizeG4815 PeterG4074 duringG1161G1510 theG3588 Feast of UnleavenedG106 Bread.3 4He arrestedG4084 him andG2532 putG5087 him inG1519 prisonG5438, handing him overG3860 to be guardedG5442G846 by fourG5064 squads of fourG5069 soldiersG4757 each. Herod intendedG1014 to bring him outG321G846 to theG3588 peopleG2992 afterG3326 theG3588 PassoverG3957.

The Rescue of Peter

5SoG3767 PeterG4074 was keptG5083 inG1722 prisonG5438, butG1161 theG3588 churchG1577 wasG1510 ferventlyG1619 prayingG4335G1096 toG4314 GodG2316 forG4012 himG846.

6OnG3588 the nightG3571 before HerodG2264 wasG3195 to bring himG4254G846 to trial, PeterG4074 wasG1510 sleepingG2837 betweenG3342 twoG1417 soldiersG4757, boundG1210 with twoG1417 chainsG254, withG5037 sentriesG5441 standing guardG5083 atG4253 theG3588 entranceG2374 to theG3588 prisonG5438. 7SuddenlyG2532G2400 an angelG32 of the LordG2962 appearedG2186 andG2532 a lightG5457 shoneG2989 inG1722 theG3588 cellG3612. He tappedG3960 PeterG4074 on theG3588 sideG4125 and woke him upG1453G846, sayingG3004, “Get upG450 quicklyG1722G5034.” AndG2532 theG3588 chainsG254 fellG1601 offG1537 his wristsG5495. 8“Get dressedG2224 andG2532 put onG5265 yourG4771 sandalsG4547,” saidG2036 theG3588 angelG32. Peter didG4160 soG3779, andG2532 the angel toldG3004 himG846, “WrapG4016 yourG4771 cloak around youG2440 andG2532 followG190 meG1473.”

9So Peter followed himG190 outG1831, but he was unawareG3756G1492 thatG3754 whatG3588 theG3588 angelG32 was doingG1096 wasG1510 realG227. He thoughtG1380 he was only seeingG1161G991 a visionG3705. 10They passedG1330 the firstG4413 andG2532 secondG1208 guardsG5438 and cameG2064 toG1909 theG3588 ironG4603 gateG4439 leadingG5342 toG1519 theG3588 cityG4172, whichG3748 openedG455 for themG846 by itselfG844. When they had gone outsideG1831 and walked the length ofG4281 oneG1520 blockG4505, theG3588 angelG32 suddenlyG2112 leftG868G575 himG846.

11ThenG2532 PeterG4074 cameG1096 toG1722 himselfG1438 and saidG2036, “NowG3568 I knowG1492 for sureG230 thatG3754 theG3588 LordG2962 has sentG1821 HisG846 angelG32 andG2532 rescuedG1807 meG1473 fromG1537 Herod’sG2264 graspG5495 andG2532 from everythingG3956 theG3588 JewishG2453 peopleG2992 were anticipatingG4329.”

12AndG5037 when he had realizedG4894 this, he wentG2064 toG1909 theG3588 houseG3614 ofG3588 MaryG3137 theG3588 motherG3384 of JohnG2491, also calledG1941 MarkG3138, whereG3757 manyG2425 people had gathered togetherG1510G4867 andG2532 were prayingG4336. 13HeG846 knockedG2925 at theG3588 outer gateG2374G3588G4440, and a servant girlG3814 namedG3686 RhodaG4498 cameG4334 to answerG5219 it. 14When she recognizedG1921 Peter’sG4074 voiceG5456, she was so overjoyedG575G3588G5479 that she forgot to openG3756G455 theG3588 gateG4440, butG1161 ran insideG1532 and announcedG518, “PeterG4074 is standingG2476 atG4253 theG3588 gateG4440!”

15“You are out of your mindG3105,” they toldG2036G4314 herG846. ButG1161 when she kept insistingG1340 it wasG2192 soG3779, they saidG2036, “It must beG1510 hisG846 angelG32.”

16ButG1161 PeterG4074 kept onG1961 knockingG2925, andG1161 when they openedG455 the door and sawG3708 himG846, they were astoundedG1839. 17Peter motionedG2678 withG3588 his handG5495 forG846 silenceG4601, and he describedG1334 howG4459 theG3588 LordG2962 had broughtG1806 himG846 out ofG1537 theG3588 prisonG5438. “Send wordG518G3778 to JamesG2385 andG2532 to theG3588 brothersG80,” he saidG2036, andG2532 he left forG1831G4198G1519 anotherG2087 placeG5117.

18AtG1161 daybreakG2250G1096 there wasG1510 noG3756 smallG3641 commotionG5017 amongG1722 theG3588 soldiersG4757 as to whatG5101G686 had becomeG1096 of PeterG4074. 19After HerodG2264 had searchedG1934 for himG846 unsuccessfully, he examinedG350 theG3588 guardsG5441 and ordered thatG2753 they be executedG520. ThenG2532 he went downG2718 fromG575 JudeaG2449 toG1519 CaesareaG2542 and spent some timeG1304 there.

The Death of Herod

20NowG1161 Herod wasG1510 in a furious disputeG23714 with the people of TyreG5183 andG2532 SidonG4606, andG1161 they convenedG3661G3918 beforeG4314 himG846. Having secured the supportG3982 of BlastusG986, theG3588 king’sG935 chamberlainG1909G3588G2846, they asked forG154 peaceG1515, becauseG1223 theirG846 regionG5561 dependedG575 on theG3588 king’sG937 country for foodG5142. 21On the appointedG5002 dayG2250, HerodG2264 donnedG1746 his royalG937 robes, satG2523 onG1909 his throneG968, and addressedG1215 the people. 22AndG1161 they began to shoutG2019, “This is the voiceG5456 of a godG2316, notG3756 a manG444!”

23ImmediatelyG3916, becauseG473G3739 Herod did not giveG3756G1325 gloryG1391 to GodG2316, an angelG32 of the LordG2962 struckG3960 him downG846, andG2532 he wasG1096 eaten by wormsG4662 and diedG1634.

24ButG1161 theG3588 wordG3056 of GodG2316 continued to spreadG837 andG2532 multiplyG4129.

25When BarnabasG921 andG2532 SaulG4569 had fulfilledG4137 their missionG1248 toG1519 JerusalemG2419, they returnedG5290,5 bringing withG4838 them JohnG2491, also calledG1941 MarkG3138.