Acts 12
The Message
Peter Under Heavy Guard
12 1-4 That’s when King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members. He murdered James, John’s brother. When he saw how much it raised his popularity ratings with the Jews, he arrested Peter—all this during Passover Week, mind you—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!
7-9 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. The angel said, “Get dressed. Put on your shoes.” Peter did it. Then, “Grab your coat and let’s get out of here.” Peter followed him, but didn’t believe it was really an angel—he thought he was dreaming.
10-11 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. 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.”
12-14 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. When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see who it was. 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.
15-16 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.” All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away.
16-17 Finally they opened up and saw him—and went wild! 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.
18-19 At daybreak the jail was in an uproar. “Where is Peter? What’s happened to Peter?” 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.
The Death of Herod
20-22 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. 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. 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.
Acts 12
World English Bible
12 Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly. 2 He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread. 4 When he had arrested 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 Passover. 5 Peter 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, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.
7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Stand up quickly!” His chains fell off his hands. 8 The angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” He did so. He said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He didn’t know that what was being 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 went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11 When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.” 12 Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she didn’t open the gate for joy, but ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of 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 Peter 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 out of the prison. He said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then 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 Peter. 19 When Herod had sought for him and didn’t find him, he examined the guards, then commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him and, having made Blastus, the king’s personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, 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. Then he was eaten by worms and died.
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied. 25 Barnabas and Saul returned to[a] Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John who was called Mark.
Footnotes
- 12:25 TR reads “from” instead of “to”
Деяния на апостолите 12
Библия, ревизирано издание
Убийството на Яков и залавянето на Петър
12 Около това време цар Ирод сложи ръка на някои от църквата, за да им стори зло.
2 (A)Уби с меч Йоановия брат Яков;
3 (B)и като видя, че това се понрави на юдеите, той освен това хвана и Петър. Това беше през дните на безквасните хлябове.
4 И като го задържа, хвърли го в тъмница и го предаде на четири четворки войници да го пазят, с намерение да го изведе пред народа след Пасхата.
5 И така, те пазеха Петър в тъмницата; а църквата принасяше пред Бога усърдна молитва за него.
Освобождаването на Петър
6 През същата нощ, когато Ирод щеше да го изведе, Петър спеше между двама войници, окован с две вериги; и стражари пред вратата охраняваха тъмницата.
7 (C)И ето, един ангел от Господа застана до него и светлина осия килията; и като побутна Петър по ребрата, разбуди го и му каза: Ставай бързо! И веригите паднаха от ръцете му.
8 (D)Ангелът му каза: Опаши се и обуй сандалите си. И той направи така. Тогава му каза: Облечи дрехата си и ела след мен.
9 (E)И Петър излезе и го следваше, без да знае, че извършеното от ангела е действителност, а си мислеше, че вижда видение.
10 (F)А като преминаха първата и втората стража, дойдоха до желязната порта, която води в града, и тя им се отвори сама; и като излязоха през нея, изминаха една улица и ангелът веднага се оттегли от него.
11 (G)А Петър, когато дойде на себе си, каза: Сега наистина зная, че Господ изпрати ангела Си и ме избави от ръката на Ирод и от всичко, което юдейският народ очакваше.
12 (H)И като поразмисли, дойде при къщата на Мария, майката на Йоан, когото наричаха Марк, където бяха събрани мнозина да се молят.
13 Когато похлопа на вратичката в портата, една слугиня на име Рода излезе да разбере кой е.
14 И щом позна гласа на Петър, от радост не отвори портата, а се завтече и извести, че Петър стои пред портата.
15 (I)А те казаха: Ти си луда. Но тя настояваше, че това, което им казва, е вярно. Тогава казаха: Това е неговият ангел[a].
16 А Петър продължаваше да хлопа; и като отвориха, видяха го и се смаяха.
17 (J)А той им помаха с ръка да мълчат и им разказа как го изведе Господ от тъмницата. И като им каза: Известете за това на Яков и братята, излезе и отиде на друго място.
18 А като се съмна, сред войниците настана немалък смут – какво ли се е случило с Петър.
19 А Ирод, като го потърси и не го намери, разпита стражарите и заповяда да бъдат предадени на смърт. И слезе от Юдея в Цезарея и там живееше.
Смъртта на Ирод Агрипа Първи
20 (K)А Ирод беше много разгневен от тирците и сидонците; и те дойдоха заедно при него и като спечелиха на своя страна Власт, който се грижеше за царските покои, молеха за помирение, защото тяхната област се изхранваше от царската.
21 И в един определен ден Ирод, облечен в царски одежди, седна на престола и държа реч пред тях.
22 А народът извика: Глас Божий, а не човешки!
23 (L)И понеже не въздаде слава на Бога, в същия миг един ангел от Господа го порази и беше изяден от червеи, и умря.
24 (M)А Божието слово нарастваше и се разпространяваше.
25 (N)И Варнава и Савел, като свършиха службата си, се върнаха от Йерусалим в Антиохия и взеха със себе си Йоан, когото наричаха Марк.
Footnotes
- 12:15 Т.е. ангел-хранител.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
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