希律王的暴行

12 那時,希律王下手殘害教會的一些人, 殺了約翰的哥哥雅各。 他見這樣做能取悅猶太人,便又在除酵節期間拘捕了彼得, 把他關在監裡,由四班衛兵,每班四人輪流看守,想等逾越節[a]過後當眾懲辦他。 彼得被囚期間,教會都迫切地為他向上帝禱告。

彼得神奇出獄

在被希律提審前一夜,彼得被兩條鐵鏈鎖著睡在兩個衛兵中間,門外警衛森嚴。 忽然,有一位主的天使站在彼得身旁,監牢內一片光明,天使拍他的肋旁,把他叫醒,說:「趕快起來!」鐵鏈就從他手上脫落下來。 天使對他說:「束上腰帶,穿好鞋子。」彼得一一照辦。天使又說:「披上外衣,跟我來!」 他跟著天使走出牢房,不知道這一切都是真的,還以為自己看到了異象。 10 他們一路穿過第一道和第二道守衛,來到通往城裡的鐵門,那門竟自動打開了。他們就出來,走過一條街之後,天使便離開了彼得。

11 彼得這才如夢初醒,說:「現在我確定,主派了天使來救我脫離希律的魔掌,不讓猶太人的期望得逞。」 12 他清醒後,便到約翰·馬可的母親瑪麗亞家,很多人正聚集在那裡禱告。

13 彼得在外面敲門,有一個叫羅大的婢女出來應門。 14 她聽出是彼得的聲音,喜出望外,竟然沒有開門就跑進去告訴大家:「彼得在門外!」 15 他們說:「你一定瘋了。」她堅持說:「是真的!」他們就說:「是他的天使吧!」

16 彼得不住地敲門。他們開門看見他,都大吃一驚! 17 彼得擺手示意他們安靜,然後把主怎樣領他出獄的經過告訴大家,又說:「把這事告訴雅各和其他弟兄姊妹。」交待完了,他便離開那裡,往其他地方去了。

18 天亮後,監獄的守衛發現彼得不見了,頓時一片騷動。 19 希律派人四處搜捕,一無所獲,於是親自審問看守彼得的衛兵,下令處決他們。後來希律離開猶太,下到凱撒利亞,並住在那裡。

希律的下場

20 希律對泰爾和西頓的人非常惱火。於是,他們聯合起來去見他,先取得宮廷總管伯拉斯都的支持,然後向他求和,因為他們兩地需要從他的轄區獲得糧食。

21 到了約定的日子,希律穿上王袍,坐在寶座上向眾人致詞。 22 致詞完畢,眾人齊聲高呼:「這是神明在說話,不是凡人在說話!」 23 希律沒有把榮耀歸給上帝,主的天使立刻懲罰他,他當場被蟲子咬死了。

24 上帝的道日見興旺,越傳越廣。

25 巴拿巴和掃羅把款項送到以後,就帶著約翰·馬可從耶路撒冷回去。

Footnotes

  1. 12·4 除酵節為期七天,逾越節是其中的第一天,參見出埃及記12章。

Арест и чудесное освобождение Петира

12 Примерно в это же время царь Ирод[a] начал гонения на некоторых из общины верующих. Он приказал убить мечом Якуба, брата Иохана[b]. Когда он увидел, что иудеи этим довольны, он арестовал и Петира. Это произошло во время праздника Пресных хлебов[c]. Петира арестовали, заточили в темницу и выставили охрану из четырёх смен караула по четыре человека в каждой. Ирод намеревался после праздника Освобождения[d] судить Петира на глазах у всего народа. Петир был под стражей в темнице, а община верующих горячо молилась о нём Всевышнему.

В ночь перед тем, как Ирод должен был вывести его на суд, Петир спал между двумя солдатами, скованный двумя цепями, а стражники у входа стерегли темницу. Внезапно явился ангел от Вечного, и камеру осиял свет. Ангел толкнул Петира в бок и разбудил его.

– Вставай быстрее! – сказал он, и цепи упали с рук Петира.

Ангел сказал:

– Подпояшься и обуй сандалии.

Петир сделал это.

– Обернись плащом и иди за мной, – сказал ангел.

Петир вышел за ангелом из темницы, не понимая, что всё, что делает ангел, происходит наяву. Ему казалось, что он видит видение. 10 Они прошли мимо первой стражи, потом мимо второй и подошли к железным воротам, ведущим в город. Ворота сами открылись перед ними, и они вышли. Они прошли одну улицу, и вдруг ангел исчез. 11 Когда Петир пришёл в себя, он сказал:

– Теперь я действительно знаю, что Вечный послал Своего ангела и избавил меня от руки Ирода и спас от того зла, которое желал мне иудейский народ.

12 Поняв, что произошло, Петир пошёл в дом Марьям, матери Иохана, которого ещё называли Марком, где собралось для молитвы много народа. 13 Петир постучал в ворота, и на стук вышла служанка Рода. 14 Она узнала Петира по голосу и, забыв от радости открыть ворота, побежала обратно сказать, что Петир стоит у ворот.

15 – Ты не в своём уме! – сказали ей.

Но она продолжала настаивать.

– Это его ангел,[e] – решили они.

16 Между тем Петир продолжал стучать, и когда они наконец открыли ворота и увидели его, то пришли в изумление. 17 Петир жестом попросил их молчать и рассказал, как Вечный вывел его из темницы.

– Расскажите об этом Якубу[f] и другим братьям, – сказал он им и ушёл оттуда в другое место.

18 Наутро среди солдат произошло большое замешательство, никто не знал, что случилось с Петиром. 19 Ирод искал его, но поскольку розыски не принесли результата, он допросил стражников и велел казнить их.

Смерть царя Ирода

Затем Ирод отправился из Иудеи в Кесарию и оставался там некоторое время. 20 Ирод был рассержен на жителей Тира и Сидона, и те, согласившись между собой, явились к нему и, заручившись поддержкой Бласта, управляющего царским двором, попросили мира, потому что их область зависела от области царя в поставке продовольствия. 21 В назначенный день Ирод надел царскую мантию, сел на трон и обратился к ним с речью. 22 Народ стал восклицать:

– Это голос бога, а не человека!

23 Но в тот же момент ангел от Вечного поразил Ирода, потому что он не воздал славы Всевышнему, и Ирод, изъеденный червями, умер.

24 Слово Всевышнего между тем распространялось всё дальше и дальше. 25 Варнава и Шаул выполнили возложенную на них миссию и возвратились из Иерусалима[g], взяв с собой Иохана, которого ещё называли Марком.

Footnotes

  1. 12:1 Это Ирод Агриппа I, внук Ирода Великого. Он правил Иудеей, Самарией и Галилеей с 37 по 44 гг.
  2. 12:2 Якуб и Иохан входили в число двенадцати посланников Масиха (см. Мат. 10:2).
  3. 12:3 Праздник Пресных хлебов – в этот праздник, длившийся семь дней, предписывалось есть только пресный хлеб (см. Исх. 12:15-20; 13:3-10; Лев. 23:6-8; Чис. 28:17-25).
  4. 12:4 Праздник Освобождения   – этот праздник отмечался в память об избавлении иудейского народа под руководством пророка Мусы из Египетского рабства (см. Исх. 12; 13:17-22; 14; Втор. 16:1-8). Часто, когда говорили о празднике Освобождения, имели в виду и сам праздник Освобождения, и следующий за ним праздник Пресных хлебов.
  5. 12:15 Иудеи верили, что у каждого человека есть свой ангел-хранитель. Инджил говорит об ангелах-хранителях у детей (см. Мат. 18:10) и у последователей Исы Масиха (см. Евр. 1:14; см. также Заб. 33:8; 90:11).
  6. 12:17 Якуб   – единоутробный брат Исы Масиха (см. Мат. 13:55), который был важнейшим лидером общины верующих в Иерусалиме (см. 21:17-18; Гал. 2:9).
  7. 12:25 Или: «в Иерусалим».

Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison

12 It was about this time that King Herod(A) arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John,(B) put to death with the sword.(C) When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews,(D) he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.(E) After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.(F)

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.(G)

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains,(H) and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel(I) of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.(J)

Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.(K) 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself,(L) and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

11 Then Peter came to himself(M) and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me(N) from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark,(O) where many people had gathered and were praying.(P) 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.(Q) 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed(R) she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”(S)

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand(T) for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James(U) and the other brothers and sisters(V) about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.(W)

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea(X) and stayed there. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon;(Y) they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.(Z)

21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel(AA) of the Lord struck him down,(AB) and he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of God(AC) continued to spread and flourish.(AD)

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

25 When Barnabas(AE) and Saul had finished their mission,(AF) they returned from[a] Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.(AG)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 12:25 Some manuscripts to

12 Now about that time, Herod the King stretched forth his hand to afflict some of the church,

And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further, to take Peter also (during the Days of Unleavened Bread.)

And when he had caught him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to be kept, intending to bring him forth to the people after the Passover.

So Peter was kept in prison. But earnest prayer was made to God for him by the church.

And the night when Herod wished to have him brought out to the people, Peter slept between two soldiers, bound with two chains. And the guards before the door kept the prison.

And behold, the Angel of the Lord came upon them. And a light shined in the house. And he struck Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.

And the Angel said to him, “Dress yourself. And put on your sandals.” And so, he did. Then he said to him, “Wrap your garment around you, and follow me.”

So Peter came out and followed him; and did not know that what was done by the Angel was real, but thought he had seen a vision.

10 Now, after they had passed the first and the second guards, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them by itself. And they went out and passed through one street. And immediately the Angel departed from him.

11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his Angel, and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectations of the Jewish people.”

12 And as he considered it, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John (whose surname was Mark), where many were gathered together and prayed.

13 And when Peter knocked at the entry door, a girl named Rhoda came forth to answer it.

14 But when she recognized Peter’s voice, she did not open the gate. But with gladness, she ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate.

15 But they said to her, “You are mad.” Still she kept affirming that it was so. Then they said, “It is his angel.”

16 But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened it, and saw him, they were astonished.

17 And with his hand he asked them to be silent. And he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go show these things to James and to the brothers.” And he departed and went into another place.

18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.

19 And when Herod had asked for and not found him, he examined the guards, and commanded them to be led away for punishment. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

20 Then Herod was angry with those of Tyre and Sidon. But they all came to him with one mind. And having befriended Blastus, the King’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country was nourished by the King.

21 And upon an appointed day, Herod clothed himself in royal apparel, and sat on the judgment seat, and made a speech to them.

22 And the people gave a shout, saying, “The voice of God, and not of man!”

23 But immediately the Angel of the Lord struck him - so that he was eaten by worms and gave up the ghost - because he did not give glory to God.

24 And the Word of God grew and multiplied.

25 So, when they had fulfilled their ministry, Barnabas and Saul took John with them (whose surname was Mark), and returned from Jerusalem.