Acts 12 (New American Standard)

Peter's Arrest and Deliverance

1 Now about that time ^aHerod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he ¹had James the brother of John ²put to death with a sword. 3 When he saw that it ³pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now ^bit was during ⁴the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four ^c5squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after ⁶the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. 6 On ^dthe very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, ⁷bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7 And behold, ⁸an angel of the Lord suddenly ⁹appeared and a light shone in the cell ; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly." And ¹⁰his chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and ^eput on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." 9 And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing ¹¹a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which ¹²opened for them by itself ; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 When Peter ¹³came ^fto himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that ¹⁴the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all ^gthat the Jewish people were expecting." 12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of ¹⁵John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and ¹⁶were praying. 13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, ¹⁷a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, ¹⁸because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15 They said to her, "You are out of your mind !" But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, "It is ¹⁹his angel." 16 But Peter continued knocking ; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But ²⁰motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, "Report these things to ^h21James and ²²the brethren." Then he left and went to another place. 18 Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to ⁱwhat could have become of Peter. 19 When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they ²³be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to ²⁴Caesarea and was spending time there.

Death of Herod

20 Now he was very angry with the people of ²⁵Tyre and Sidon ; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king's chamberlain , they were asking for peace, because ²⁶their country was fed by the king's country. 21 On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the ^jrostrum and began delivering an address to them. 22 The people kept crying out, "The voice of a god and not of a man !" 23 And immediately ²⁷an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and ^kdied. 24 But ²⁸the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied. 25 And ²⁹Barnabas and ³⁰Saul returned ^lfrom Jerusalem ³¹when they had fulfilled their ^mmission, taking along with them ³²John, who was also called Mark.