5
SoPeter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was beingmadefervently by the church to God.
6
On the verynightwhenHerod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleepingbetweentwosoldiers, 1bound with twochains, and guards in front of the door were watchingover the prison.
7
And behold, 2an angel of the Lord suddenly 3appeared and a lightshone in the cell; and he struckPeter'sside and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly." And 4his chainsfelloff his hands.
8
And the angelsaid to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he didso. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloakaround you and follow me."
9
And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was beingdone by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing5a vision.
10
When they had passed the first and secondguard, they came to the irongate that leads into the city, which6opened for them by itself; and they went out and wentalongonestreet, and immediately the angeldeparted from him.
11
When Peter7came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that 8the Lord has sentforth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewishpeople were expecting."
12
And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of 9John who was also calledMark, wheremany were gatheredtogether and 10were praying.
13
When he knocked at the door of the gate, 11a servant-girlnamedRhodacame to answer.
14
When she recognizedPeter'svoice, 12because 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 13his angel."