James Martyred and Peter Jailed

12 About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church, and he executed James,(A) John’s brother, with the sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.(B) 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. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him.

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James Is Killed and Peter Is Imprisoned

12 About that time King Herod Agrippa[a] began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.[b]) Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

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Footnotes

  1. 12:1 Greek Herod the king. He was the nephew of Herod Antipas and a grandson of Herod the Great.
  2. 12:3 Greek the days of unleavened bread.