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12 På den Tid lagde Kong Herodes den for at mishandle dem, og Jakob, Johannes's Broder, lod han henrette med Sværd. Og da han så, at det behagede Jøderne, gik han videre og lod også Peter gribe. Det var de usyrede Brøds Dage. Og da han havde grebet ham, satte han ham i Fængsel og overgav ham til at bevogtes af fire Vagtskifter, hvert på fire Stridsmænd, da han efter Påsken vilde føre ham frem for Folket. Så blev da Peter bevogtet i Fængselet; men der blev af Menigheden holdt inderlig Bøn til Gud for ham. Men da Herodes vilde til at føre ham frem, sov Peter den Nat imellem to Stridsmænd, bunden med to Lænker, og Vagter foran Døren bevogtede Fængselet. Og se, en Herrens Engel stod der, og et Lys strålede i Fangerummet, og han slog Peter i Siden og vækkede ham og sagde: "Stå op i Hast!" og Lænkerne faldt ham af Hænderne. Og Engelen sagde til ham: "Bind op om dig, og bind dine Sandaler på!" Og han gjorde så. Og han siger til ham: "Kast din Kappe om dig, og følg mig!" Og han gik ud og fulgte ham, og han vidste ikke, at det, som skete ved Engelen, var virkeligt, men mente, at han så et Syn. 10 Men de gik igennem den første og den anden Vagt og kom til den Jernport, som førte ud til Staden; denne åbnede sig for dem af sig selv, og de kom ud og gik en Gade frem, og straks skiltes Engelen fra ham. 11 Og da Peter kom til sig selv, sagde han: "Nu ved jeg i Sandhed, at Herren udsendte sin Engel og udfriede mig af Herodes's Hånd og al det jødiske Folks Forventning." 12 Og da han havde besindet sig, gik han til Marias Hus, hun, som var Moder til Johannes, med Tilnavn Markus, hvor mange vare forsamlede og bade. 13 Men da han bankede på Døren til Portrummet, kom der en Pige ved Navn Rode for at høre efter. 14 Og da hun kendte Peters Røst, lod hun af Glæde være at åbne Porten, men løb ind og forkyndte dem, at Peter stod uden for Porten. 15 Da sagde de til hende: "Du raser." Men hun stod fast på, at det var således. Men de sagde: "Det er hans Engel." 16 Men Peter blev ved at banke på, og da de lukkede op, så de ham og bleve forbavsede. 17 Da vinkede han til dem med Hånden, at de skulde tie, og fortalte dem, hvorledes Herren havde ført ham ud af Fængselet, og han sagde: "Forkynder Jakob og Brødrene dette!" Og han gik ud og drog til et andet Sted.

18 Men da det blev Dag, var der ikke liden Uro iblandt Stridsmændene over, hvad der var blevet af Peter. 19 Men da Herodes søgte ham og ikke fandt ham, forhørte han Vagten og befalede, at de skulde henrettes. Og han drog ned fra Judæa til Kæsarea og opholdt sig der. 20 Men han lå i Strid med Tyrierne og Sidonierne. Men de kom endrægtigt til ham og fik Blastus, Kongens Kammerherre, på deres Side og bade om Fred, fordi deres Land fik Næringsmidler tilførte fra Kongens Land. 21 Men på en fastsat Dag iførte Herodes sig en Kongedragt og satte sig på Tronen og holdt en Tale til dem, 22 Og Folket råbte til ham: "DeterGudsRøstog ikke et Menneskes." 23 Men straks slog en Herrens Engel ham, fordi han ikke gav Gud Æren; og han blev fortæret af Orme og udåndede. 24 Men Guds Ord havde Fremgang og udbredtes. 25 Og Barnabas og Saulus vendte tilbage fra Jerusalem efter at have fuldført deres Ærinde, og de havde Johannes, med Tilnavn Markus, med sig.

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