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Acts 12
Easy-to-Read Version
Acts 12
Easy-to-Read Version
More Trouble for the Believers
12 During this same time, King Herod began to do harm to some of those who were part of the church. 2 He ordered James, the brother of John, to be killed with a sword. 3 Herod saw that many of the Jews liked this, so he decided to arrest Peter too. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 He arrested Peter and put him in jail, where he was guarded by a group of 16 soldiers. Herod planned to bring Peter before the people, but he wanted to wait until after the Passover festival. 5 So Peter was kept in jail, but the church was constantly praying to God for him.
Peter Is Led Out of the Jail
6 One night, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two of the soldiers. More soldiers were guarding the door of the jail. Herod was planning to bring Peter out before the people the next day. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord was standing there, and the room was filled with light. The angel tapped Peter on the side and woke him up. The angel said, “Hurry, get up!” The chains fell off Peter’s hands. 8 The angel said, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” Peter did as he was told. Then the angel said, “Put on your coat and follow me.”
9 So the angel went out and Peter followed. He did not know if the angel was really doing this. He thought he might be seeing a vision. 10 Peter and the angel went past the first guard and the second guard. Then they came to the iron gate that separated them from the city. The gate opened for them by itself. After they went through the gate and walked about a block, the angel suddenly left.
11 Peter realized then what had happened. He thought, “Now I know that the Lord really sent his angel to me. He rescued me from Herod and from everything those Jews thought would happen to me.”
12 When Peter realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John, who was also called Mark. Many people were gathered there and were praying. 13 Peter knocked on the outside door. A servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. 14 She recognized Peter’s voice, and she was very happy. She even forgot to open the door. She ran inside and told the group, “Peter is at the door!” 15 The believers said to her, “You are crazy!” But she continued to say that it was true. So they said, “It must be Peter’s angel.”
16 But Peter continued to knock. When the believers opened the door, they saw him. They were amazed. 17 Peter made a sign with his hand to tell them to be quiet. He explained to them how the Lord led him out of the jail. He said, “Tell James and the other brothers what happened.” Then he left and went to another place.
18 The next day the soldiers were very upset. They wondered what happened to Peter. 19 Herod looked everywhere for him but could not find him. So he questioned the guards and then ordered that they be killed.
The Death of Herod Agrippa
Later, Herod moved from Judea. He went to the city of Caesarea and stayed there a while. 20 Herod was very angry with the people from the cities of Tyre and Sidon. But these cities needed food from his country, so a group of them came to ask him for peace. They were able to get Blastus, the king’s personal servant, on their side.
21 Herod decided on a day to meet with them. On that day he was wearing a beautiful royal robe. He sat on his throne and made a speech to the people. 22 The people shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!” 23 Herod did not give the glory to God. So an angel of the Lord caused him to get sick. He was eaten by worms inside him, and he died.
24 The message of God was spreading, reaching more and more people.
25 After Barnabas and Saul finished their work in Jerusalem, they returned to Antioch, taking John Mark with them.
Hechos 12
La Biblia de las Américas
Hechos 12
La Biblia de las Américas
Martirio de Jacobo y encarcelamiento de Pedro
12 Por aquel tiempo el rey Herodes[a] echó mano a algunos que pertenecían a la iglesia para maltratarlos. 2 E hizo matar(A) a espada a Jacobo[b], el hermano de Juan(B). 3 Y viendo que esto agradaba a los judíos(C), hizo arrestar también a Pedro. Esto sucedió durante los días[c] de los panes sin levadura[d](D). 4 Y habiéndolo tomado preso, lo puso en la cárcel, entregándolo a cuatro piquetes[e] de soldados(E) para que lo guardaran, con la intención de llevarlo ante el pueblo después de la Pascua(F). 5 Así pues, Pedro era custodiado en la cárcel, pero la iglesia hacía oración ferviente a Dios por él. 6 Y esa noche, cuando Herodes estaba a punto de sacarlo, Pedro estaba durmiendo entre dos soldados, sujeto con dos cadenas(G); y unos guardias delante de la puerta custodiaban la cárcel. 7 Y he aquí, se le apareció(H) un ángel del Señor(I), y una luz brilló en la celda; y el ángel tocó a Pedro en el costado, y lo despertó diciendo: Levántate pronto. Y las cadenas cayeron de sus manos(J). 8 Y el ángel le dijo: Vístete y ponte[f] las sandalias. Y así lo hizo. Y le dijo* el ángel: Envuélvete en tu manto y sígueme. 9 Y saliendo, lo seguía, y no sabía que lo que hacía el ángel era de verdad, sino que creía ver una visión(K). 10 Cuando habían pasado la primera y la segunda guardia, llegaron a la puerta de hierro que conduce a la ciudad, la cual se les abrió(L) por sí misma; y salieron y siguieron por una calle, y enseguida el ángel se apartó de él. 11 Cuando Pedro volvió en sí(M), dijo: Ahora sé en verdad que el Señor ha enviado a su ángel, y me ha rescatado(N) de la mano de Herodes y de todo lo que esperaba el pueblo de los judíos. 12 Al darse cuenta de esto, fue a la casa de María, la madre de Juan, llamado también Marcos(O), donde muchos estaban reunidos y oraban(P). 13 Y cuando llamó a la puerta de la entrada, una sirvienta(Q) llamada Rode salió a ver quién era[g]. 14 Al reconocer la voz de Pedro, de alegría(R) no abrió la puerta, sino que corrió adentro y anunció que Pedro estaba a la puerta. 15 Y ellos le dijeron: ¡Estás loca! Pero ella insistía en que así era. Y ellos decían: Es su ángel(S). 16 Mas Pedro continuaba llamando; y cuando ellos abrieron, lo vieron y se asombraron. 17 Y haciéndoles señal con la mano(T) para que guardaran silencio, les contó cómo el Señor lo había sacado de la cárcel. Y les dijo: Informad de estas cosas a Jacobo[h](U) y a los hermanos(V). Entonces salió, y se fue a otro lugar.
18 Cuando se hizo de día, hubo un alboroto no pequeño entre los soldados sobre qué[i] habría sido de Pedro. 19 Y Herodes, después de buscarlo y no encontrarlo, interrogó a los guardias y ordenó que los llevaran para ejecutarlos(W). Después descendió de Judea a Cesarea(X), y se quedó allí por un tiempo.
Muerte de Herodes
20 Herodes estaba muy enojado con los de Tiro y de Sidón(Y); pero ellos, de común acuerdo se presentaron ante él, y habiéndose ganado a Blasto, camarero del rey, pedían paz pues su territorio era abastecido por el del rey(Z). 21 El día señalado, Herodes, vestido con ropa real, se sentó en la tribuna[j] y les arengaba. 22 Y la gente gritaba: ¡Voz de un dios y no de un hombre es esta! 23 Al instante un ángel del Señor(AA) lo hirió, por no haber dado la gloria a Dios; y murió[k] comido de gusanos.
24 Pero la palabra del Señor crecía y se multiplicaba(AB).
25 Y Bernabé y Saulo(AC) regresaron de[l] Jerusalén después de haber cumplido su misión[m](AD), llevando consigo a Juan, llamado también Marcos(AE).
Footnotes
- Hechos 12:1 I.e., Herodes Agripa I
- Hechos 12:2 O, Santiago
- Hechos 12:3 Lit., Eran los días
- Hechos 12:3 O, de los Azimos
- Hechos 12:4 Gr., tetradion; i.e., un grupo de cuatro soldados
- Hechos 12:8 Lit., cíñete y átate
- Hechos 12:13 O, salió a abrirle
- Hechos 12:17 O, Santiago
- Hechos 12:18 Lit., qué, por tanto,
- Hechos 12:21 O, el tribunal
- Hechos 12:23 Lit., expiró
- Hechos 12:25 Algunos mss. antiguos dicen: a
- Hechos 12:25 Lit., ministerio
Acts 12
New International Version
Acts 12
New International Version
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. 2 He had James, the brother of John,(B) put to death with the sword.(C) 3 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) 4 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)
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.(G)
6 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. 7 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)
8 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. 9 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
- Acts 12:25 Some manuscripts to
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