Acts 12:5-17

5So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer for him was being offered fervently to God by Messiah’s community.

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

7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He poked Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up! Quick!” And the chains fell off his hands.

8Then the angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” and he did so. Then he tells him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”

9Peter went out and kept following him—he didn’t know that what was happening with the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

10After they passed a first guard and a second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them by itself. They went out and walked along a narrow street. Suddenly the angel left him.

11When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for real that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Judean people were expecting.”

12When he realized this, he went to the house of Miriam, the mother of John (also called Mark), where many were assembled together and praying.

13When he knocked on the door of the entrance gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

14Although she recognized Peter’s voice, out of joy she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

15They said to her, “You’re crazy!” But she kept insisting it was so. But they were saying, “It is his angel.”

16But Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed!

17But he motioned with his hand for them to be silent, and he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Go tell these things to Jacob and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place.