12
When Peter understood what had happened, he went to Mary's house. Mary was the mother of John Mark. Many people had gathered in her home. They were praying there.
13
Peter knocked at the outer entrance. A servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.
14
She recognized Peter's voice. She was so excited that she ran back without opening the door. "Peter is at the door!" she exclaimed.
15
"You're out of your mind," they said to her. But she kept telling them it was true. So they said, "It must be his angel."
16
Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
17
Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet. He explained how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the others about this," he said. Then he went to another place.
18
In the morning the soldiers were bewildered. They couldn't figure out what had happened to Peter.
So Herod had them look everywhere for Peter. But they didn't find him. Then Herod questioned the guards closely. He ordered that they be put to death.
Herod Dies
19 Herod went from Judea to Caesarea. He stayed there awhile.
20
He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they got together and asked for a meeting with him. This was because they depended on the king's country to supply them with food. They gained the support of Blastus and asked for peace. Blastus was a trusted personal servant of the king.
21
The appointed day came. Herod was seated on his throne. He was wearing his royal robes. He made a speech to the people.
22
Then they shouted, "This is the voice of a god. It's not the voice of a man."