Acts 12:1-19

James Killed and Peter Imprisoned

1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

2 He killed ¹James the brother of John ²with the sword,

3 and when he saw ³that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during ⁴the days of Unleavened Bread.

4 And when he had seized him, he put him ⁵in prison, delivering him over to four ⁶squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest ⁷prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Peter Is Rescued

6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, ⁸bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

7 And behold, ⁹an angel of the Lord ¹⁰stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. ¹¹He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly. ” And ¹²the chains fell off his hands.

8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and ¹³put 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 followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but ¹⁴thought he was seeing a vision.

10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. ¹⁵It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.

11 When Peter ¹⁶came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that ¹⁷the Lord has sent his angel and ¹⁸rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting. ”

12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of ¹⁹John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and ²⁰were praying.

13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, ²¹a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.

14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, ²²in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.

15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind. ” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is ²³his angel! ”

16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.

17 But ²⁴motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to ²⁵James and to ²⁶the brothers. ” ^[a] Then he departed and went to another place.

18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.

19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ²⁷ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

Cross References

• 1. 12:2 Matt. 4:21; 20:23
• 2. 12:2 Heb. 11:37
• 3. 12:3 [ch. 24:27; 25:9]
• 4. 12:3 ch. 20:6; Ex. 12:14, 15; 23:15
• 5. 12:4 See Luke 21:12
• 6. 12:4 [John 19:23]
• 7. 12:5 2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:18
• 8. 12:6 ch. 21:33
• 9. 12:7 See ch. 8:26
• 10. 12:7 Luke 2:9; 24:4
• 11. 12:7 [1 Kgs. 19:7]
• 12. 12:7 ch. 16:26
• 13. 12:8 Mark 6:9
• 14. 12:9 Ps. 126:1
• 15. 12:10 ch. 5:19; 16:26
• 16. 12:11 [Luke 15:17]
• 17. 12:11 Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Dan. 3:28; 6:22
• 18. 12:11 Ps. 33:18, 19; 2 Cor. 1:10
• 19. 12:12 ver. 25; ch. 13:5, 13; 15:37, 39; Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24; 1 Pet. 5:13
• 20. 12:12 ver. 5
• 21. 12:13 John 18:16, 17
• 22. 12:14 Luke 24:41; [Gen. 45:26]
• 23. 12:15 Matt. 18:10; See Heb. 1:14
• 24. 12:17 ch. 13:16; 19:33; 21:40
• 25. 12:17 ch. 15:13; 21:18; [Gal. 1:19; 2:9, 12]
• 26. 12:17 See John 21:23
• 27. 12:19 [ch. 16:27; 27:42]

Footnotes

• [a] 12:17 Or 'brothers and sisters'