Acts 12:11-25

English Standard Version

¹¹ When Peter ^(A)came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that ^(B)the Lord has sent his angel and ^(C)rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

¹² When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of ^(D)John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and ^(E)were praying. ¹³ And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, ^(F)a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ Recognizing Peter's voice, ^(G)in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. ¹⁵ They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is ^(H)his angel!” ¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. ¹⁷ But ^(I)motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to ^(J)James and to ^(K)the brothers.”^[a] Then he departed and went to another place.

¹⁸ Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ^(L)ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

The Death of Herod

²⁰ Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and ^(M)having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain,^[b] they asked for peace, because ^(N)their country depended on the king's country for food. ²¹ On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. ²² And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” ²³ Immediately ^(O)an angel of the Lord struck him down, because ^(P)he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

²⁴ But ^(Q)the word of God increased and multiplied.

^25 (R)And Barnabas and Saul returned from^[c] Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them ^(S)John, whose other name was Mark.