Font Size
Acts 12:1-11
New Catholic Bible
Acts 12:1-11
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 12
Persecution, Death, and Imprisonment.[a] 1 It was about this period of time that King Herod[b] persecuted certain members of the Church. 2 He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword, 3 and when he noted that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter as well. Since this happened during the feast of Unleavened Bread, 4 he imprisoned him and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to subject him to a public trial after Passover. 5 While Peter was thus imprisoned, the Church prayed fervently to God for him.
6 On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards outside the door were keeping watch over the prison. 7 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light flooded the building. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell away from his wrists. 8 Next, the angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” After he did so, the angel instructed him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
9 Accordingly, Peter followed him out. He did not realize that the intervention of the angel was real, thinking that he was seeing a vision. 10 After passing through the first guard post and then the second, they reached the iron gate that led out to the city. This opened for them of its own accord. They went outside and had walked the length of one street when suddenly the angel left him.
11 Then Peter came to his senses and said, “Now I am positive that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 12:1 Death and imprisonment are the fate of the disciple. Jesus has foretold it emphatically. Herod puts James (“the Greater”), the brother of John, to death by the sword. Since this pleases some of the Jews, he intends to put Peter to death, too, and takes him into custody. But Peter is freed from prison by an angel and goes back to the community, which rejoices that he is freed. Peter now departs from Acts without any indication of his further activity and his fate—martyrdom. Luke also leaves us in suspense regarding the end of Paul, on the last page of Acts.
- Acts 12:1 Herod: i.e., Herod Agrippa I, ruler of Judea and Samaria from A.D. 41 to 44; he was a nephew of the Herod Antipas whom we meet in the Passion of Jesus. James (“the Greater”) was the first of the apostles to drink the Lord’s cup (Mk 10:39) and give his life for the Master; his brother, John, will be the last of the apostles to leave the scene.
Acts 12:1-11
New International Version
Acts 12:1-11
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.”
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.