Acts 12
Holman Christian Standard Bible
James Martyred and Peter Jailed
12 About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church, 2 and he killed James,(A) John’s brother, with the sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days of Unleavened Bread.(B) 4 After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church.
Peter Rescued
6 On the night before Herod was to bring him out for execution, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord(C) appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” Then the chains fell off his wrists.(D) 8 “Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did so. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what took place through the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.(E) 10 After they passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and immediately the angel left him.(F)
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.”(G) 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark,[a](H) where many had assembled and were praying. 13 He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14 She recognized Peter’s voice, and because of her joy, she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gateway.
15 “You’re crazy!” they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, “It’s his angel!”(I) 16 Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
17 Motioning to them with his hand(J) to be silent, he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Report these things to James[b](K) and the brothers,” he said. Then he departed and went to a different place.
18 At daylight, there was a great commotion[c] among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. 19 After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.(L)
Herod’s Death
20 He had been very angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians.[d] Together they presented themselves before him. They won over Blastus, who was in charge of the king’s bedroom, and through him they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king’s country.(M) 21 So on an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a public address to them. 22 The assembled people began to shout, “It’s the voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 At once an angel of the Lord(N) struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he became infected with worms and died.(O) 24 Then God’s message flourished and multiplied.(P) 25 After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to[e] Jerusalem, taking along John who is called Mark.(Q)
Footnotes
- Acts 12:12 Lit John who was called Mark
- Acts 12:17 This was James, the Lord’s brother; Mk 6:3. This was not James the apostle; Ac 12:2.
- Acts 12:18 Or was no small disturbance
- Acts 12:20 The people of the area of modern Lebanon
- Acts 12:25 Other mss read from
Acts 12
International Standard Version
An Angel Frees Peter from Prison
12 About that time, Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church and mistreated them. 2 He even had James, the brother of John, killed with a sword. 3 When he saw how this was agreeable to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter, too. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he arrested Peter, Herod[a] put him in prison and turned him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, planning to bring him out to the people after Passover season.[b] 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God for him was being offered by the assembly.[c]
6 That very night, before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, and guards in front of the door were watching the prisoners. 7 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on his side, woke him up, and said, “Get up quickly!” His chains fell from his wrists. 8 Then the angel told him, “Tuck in your shirt and put on your sandals!” He did this. Then the angel[d] told him, “Put on your coat and follow me!” 9 So Peter[e] went out and began to follow him, not realizing that what was being done by the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate that led into the city. It opened by itself for them, and they went outside and proceeded one block when the angel suddenly left him.
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I’m sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from[f] Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting!”
12 When Peter[g] realized what had happened, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where a large number of people had gathered and were praying. 13 When he knocked at the outer gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. 14 On recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she didn’t open the gate but ran back inside and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 The other people[h] told her, “You’re out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. Then they said, “It’s his angel.”
16 Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking and knocking. When they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. 17 He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet, and then he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He added, “Tell this to James and the brothers.” Then he left and went somewhere else. 18 When morning came, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 Herod searched for him but didn’t find him, so he questioned the guards and ordered them to be executed. Then he left Judea, went down to Caesarea, and stayed there for a while.
The Death of Herod
20 Now Herod had been in a violent quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him as a group. After they had won over Blastus, who oversaw security[i] for the king’s sleeping quarters, they asked for a peace agreement because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 Therefore, at a set time Herod put on his royal robes, sat down on the royal seat, and made a speech to them. 22 The people kept shouting, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man!” 23 Immediately the angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. 24 But the word of God continued to grow and spread.
25 When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission, they returned from[j] Jerusalem, bringing with them John (who was also called Mark).
Footnotes
- Acts 12:4 Lit. arrested him, he
- Acts 12:4 The Gk. lacks season
- Acts 12:5 Or church
- Acts 12:8 Lit. he
- Acts 12:9 Lit. he
- Acts 12:11 Lit. from the hands of
- Acts 12:12 Lit. he
- Acts 12:15 Lit. They
- Acts 12:20 The Gk. lacks security
- Acts 12:25 Other mss. read to
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
