New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church.
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Now, about that time, Herod the king made cruel attacks on the Christians.
2 He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword.
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And he put James, the brother of John, to death with the sword.
3 After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.)
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And when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he went on to take Peter in addition. This was at the time of the feast of unleavened bread.
4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
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And having taken him, he put him in prison, with four bands of armed men to keep watch over him; his purpose being to take him out to the people after the Passover.
5 While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.
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So Peter was kept in prison: but the church made strong prayer to God for him.
6 The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison.
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And when Herod was about to take him out, the same night Peter was sleeping in chains between two armed men, and the watchmen were keeping watch before the door of the prison.
7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his wrists.
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And a great light was seen shining in the room, and an angel of the Lord came to Peter and, touching him on his side so that he came out of his sleep, said, Get up quickly. And his chains came off his hands.
8 The angel said to him, "Fasten your belt and put on your sandals." He did so. Then he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."
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Then the angel said, Put on your shoes and get ready to go. And he did so. And he said, Put your coat round you and come with me.
9 Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel's help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
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And he went out after him; and he was not certain if what was done by the angel was a fact, for it seemed to him that he was seeing a vision.
10 After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him.
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And when they had gone past the first and second watchmen they came to the iron door into the town, which came open by itself: and they went out and down one street; and then the angel went away.
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."
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And when Peter came to his senses he said, Now, truly, I am certain that the Lord has sent his angel and taken me out of the hands of Herod, against all the hopes of the Jews.
12 As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying.
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And when he became clear about this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John named Mark, where a number of them had come together for prayer.
13 When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.
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And he gave a blow on the door, and a young girl came to it, named Rhoda.
14 On recognizing Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate.
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And hearing the voice of Peter, in her joy she went running, without opening the door, to say that Peter was outside.
15 They said to her, "You are out of your mind!" But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel."
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And they said to her, You are off your head. But still she said, with decision, that it was so. And they said, It is his angel.
16 Meanwhile Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed.
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But Peter went on giving blows on the door: and when it was open and they saw him, they were full of wonder.
17 He motioned to them with his hand to be silent, and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he added, "Tell this to James and to the believers." Then he left and went to another place.
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But he made a sign to them with his hand to be quiet, and gave them an account of how the Lord had taken him out of prison. And he said, Give the news to James and the brothers. And then he went away.
18 When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
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Now when it was day, the armed men were greatly troubled about what had become of Peter.
19 When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
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And Herod, when he sent for him, and he was not there, after questioning the watchmen, gave orders that they were to be put to death. Then he went down from Judaea to Caesarea for a time.
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him in a body; and after winning over Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for a reconciliation, because their country depended on the king's country for food.
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Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon: and they came to him, all together, and having made friends with Blastus, the controller of the king's house, they made a request for peace, because their country was dependent on the king's country for its food.
21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them.
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And on the day which had been fixed, Herod, dressed in his robes and seated in his place, made a public statement to them.
22 The people kept shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!"
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And the people, with loud cries, said, It is the voice of a god, not of a man.
23 And immediately, because he had not given the glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
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And straight away the angel of the Lord sent a disease on him, because he did not give the glory to God: and his flesh was wasted away by worms, and so he came to his end.
24 But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents.
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But the word of the Lord went on increasing.
25 Then after completing their mission Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other name was Mark.
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And Barnabas and Saul came back from Jerusalem, when their work was ended, taking with them John named Mark.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.