Parallel Bible results for "acts 12"

Acts 12

Hebrew Names Version HNV

1 Now about that time, Herod the king stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly.

2 He killed Ya`akov, the brother of Yochanan, with the sword.

3 When he saw that it pleased the Yehudim, he proceeded to seize Kefa also. This was during the days of matzah.

4 When he had captured him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Pesach.

5 Kefa therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.

6 The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Kefa was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

7 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Kefa on the side, and woke him up, saying, "Stand up quickly!" His chains fell off from his hands.

8 The angel said to him, "Put on your clothes, and tie on your sandals." He did so. He said to him, "Put on your cloak, and follow me."

9 He went out, and followed him. He didn't know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.

10 When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and passed on through one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

11 When Kefa had come to himself, he said, "Now I truly know that the Lord has sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Yehudi people were expecting."

12 Thinking about that, he came to the house of Miryam, the mother of Yochanan whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

13 When Kefa knocked at the door of the gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

14 When she recognized Kefa's voice, she didn't open the gate for joy, but ran in, and reported that Kefa stood before the gate.

15 They said to her, "You are crazy!" But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel."

16 But Kefa continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.

17 But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. He said, "Tell these things to Ya`akov, and to the brothers." He departed, and went to another place.

18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Kefa.

19 When Herod had sought for him, and didn't find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Yehudah to Caesarea, and stayed there.

20 Now Herod was highly displeased with those of Tzor and Tzidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king's chamberlain, their friend, they asked for shalom, because their country depended on the king's country for food.

21 On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.

22 The people shouted, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"

23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn't give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms, and he died.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25 Bar-Nabba and Sha'ul returned to Yerushalayim, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them Yochanan whose surname was Mark.

The Message Bible MSG

1 That's when King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members.

2 He murdered James, John's brother.

3 When he saw how much it raised his popularity ratings with the Jews, he arrested Peter - all this during Passover Week, mind you -

4 and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover.

5 All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously.

6 Then the time came for Herod to bring him out for the kill. That night, even though shackled to two soldiers, one on either side, Peter slept like a baby. And there were guards at the door keeping their eyes on the place. Herod was taking no chances!

7 Suddenly there was an angel at his side and light flooding the room. The angel shook Peter and got him up: "Hurry!" The handcuffs fell off his wrists.

8 The angel said, "Get dressed. Put on your shoes." Peter did it. Then, "Grab your coat and let's get out of here."

9 Peter followed him, but didn't believe it was really an angel - he thought he was dreaming.

10 Past the first guard and then the second, they came to the iron gate that led into the city. It swung open before them on its own, and they were out on the street, free as the breeze. At the first intersection the angel left him, going his own way.

11 That's when Peter realized it was no dream. "I can't believe it - this really happened! The Master sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's vicious little production and the spectacle the Jewish mob was looking forward to."

12 Still shaking his head, amazed, he went to Mary's house, the Mary who was John Mark's mother. The house was packed with praying friends.

13 When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see who it was.

14 But when she recognized his voice - Peter's voice! - she was so excited and eager to tell everyone Peter was there that she forgot to open the door and left him standing in the street.

15 But they wouldn't believe her, dismissing her, dismissing her report. "You're crazy," they said. She stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn't believe her and said, "It must be his angel."

16 All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away.

17 Peter put his hands up and calmed them down. He described how the Master had gotten him out of jail, then said, "Tell James and the brothers what's happened." He left them and went off to another place.

18 At daybreak the jail was in an uproar. "Where is Peter? What's happened to Peter?"

19 When Herod sent for him and they could neither produce him nor explain why not, he ordered their execution: "Off with their heads!" Fed up with Judea and Jews, he went for a vacation to Caesarea.

20 But things went from bad to worse for Herod. Now people from Tyre and Sidon put him on the warpath. But they got Blastus, King Herod's right-hand man, to put in a good word for them and got a delegation together to iron things out. Because they were dependent on Judea for food supplies, they couldn't afford to let this go on too long.

21 On the day set for their meeting, Herod, robed in pomposity, took his place on the throne and regaled them with a lot of hot air.

22 The people played their part to the hilt and shouted flatteries: "The voice of God! The voice of God!"

23 That was the last straw. God had had enough of Herod's arrogance and sent an angel to strike him down. Herod had given God no credit for anything. Down he went. Rotten to the core, a maggoty old man if there ever was one, he died.

24 Meanwhile, the ministry of God's Word grew by leaps and bounds.

25 Barnabas and Saul, once they had delivered the relief offering to the church in Jerusalem, went back to Antioch. This time they took John with them, the one they called Mark.