Book of Common Prayer

12 ) At that time Herod the king caught some of the church people and troubled them.

² He killed James the brother of John with a long knife or sword.

³ He saw that this pleased the leaders of the Jews, so he caught Peter also. This happened at the Jewish feast which they had each year to remember leaving Egypt. (It was called the Passover Feast.)

⁴ After Herod had caught Peter, he put him in prison. He told four groups of soldiers to guard him. There were four soldiers in each group. He planned to bring him out for trial before the people. But he would do it after the Passover Feast.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison. And the church people asked God to help him.

⁶ The night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was tied to them with two chains. Guards were at the door of the prison.

⁷ An angel from the Lord came to him and a light shone in the prison. He hit Peter's side and woke him up. `Be quick,' he said. `Get up!' His chains fell off his hands.

⁸ `Put on your belt and your shoes,' said the angel. Peter did so. `And now,' said the angel, `put on your coat and follow me.'

⁹ Peter followed him out. He did not know that what the angel had done was true. He thought he was dreaming.

¹⁰ They passed the first and the second guard. Then they came to the iron gate out to the city. It opened for them by itself. So they went all the way down a street. Then the angel left him.

¹¹ When Peter came to himself, he said, `Now I know truly that the Lord has sent his angel. He has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish leaders are hoping will happen to me.'

¹² And when he thought about this, he went to Mary's house. Mary was John Mark's mother. Many people were meeting there, talking to God [about Peter].

¹³ Peter knocked at the outside door. A young servant woman named Rhoda went to answer.

¹⁴ When she knew it was Peter's voice, she was very glad. She did not open the door. But she ran in and told the people that Peter was at the door.

¹⁵ They said, `You are crazy.' But she kept on saying that Peter was really there. Then they said, `It must be his angel.'

¹⁶ Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were very much surprised.

¹⁷ He put out his hand for them to be quiet. Then he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, `Tell James and the brothers about this.' Then he went away to another place.

³³ They said to him, `We are Abraham's children. We have always been free. Why do you say to us, "You will be free"?'

³⁴ Jesus answered them, `I tell you the truth. People who do wrong things are not free. They become a slave of the wrong things they do.

³⁵ A slave does not belong to the family for ever. But a son belongs for ever.

³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free.

³⁷ I know that you come from Abraham. But you want to kill me because you do not like what I tell you.

³⁸ I tell you about the things that I have seen where my Father is, and you do what you have seen your father do.'

³⁹ They answered him, `Abraham is our father.' Jesus said, `If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did.

⁴⁰ But you want to kill me because I told you the truth which I learned from God. Abraham did not do that.

⁴¹ You are doing your father's work.' Then they said to him, `We were not born of an unmarried woman. God is the Father of us all.'

⁴² Jesus said to them, `If God were your Father you would love me, because I have come from God. I did not come by my own power. God sent me.

⁴³ Why do you not understand what I say? I will tell you why. It is because you do not want to understand it.

⁴⁴ `The bad spirit, the devil, is your real father. You gladly do the wrong things he wants you to do. From the beginning he killed people. He has nothing to do with what is true. His way is to tell lies. He himself is a liar and all lying comes from him.

⁴⁵ You do not believe me because I tell you what is true.

⁴⁶ Which one of you can prove that what I have done is bad? I tell you what is true. Why then do you not believe me?

⁴⁷ The person who comes from God listens to what God says. You do not come from God. That is why you do not listen to me.'