Acts 12Book 44 of 66 · 25 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending

  1. Now about that time King Herod laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.
  2. He killed James the brother of John with the sword.
  3. And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also; this was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
  4. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
  5. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
  6. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers, and the sentries before the door were guarding the prison.
  7. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.
  8. Then the angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel ordered.
  9. So he went out and followed him, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
  10. When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.
  11. And when Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
  12. So, when he had considered this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
  13. And as Peter knocked at the door of the outer gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
  14. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate.
  15. But they said to her, “You are out of your mind!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
  16. Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
  17. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Tell these things to James and the brothers,” he said, and he left and went to another place.
  18. Then, as soon as it was day, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
  19. But when Herod had searched for him and did not find him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death; and he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
  20. Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and they came to him with one accord, and having won over Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food.
  21. So on an appointed day Herod, dressed in royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered an oration to them.
  22. And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”
  23. Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
  24. But the word of God flourished and multiplied.
  25. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, taking along John who was called Mark.