Acts 12

1 Now at about that time Herod the king laid hands on some from the gathering to do them harm. [a] 2 And he did away with James the brother of John with the sword. [b] 3 And seeing that this was pleasing to the Jews, he went on to seize Peter as well — it was the days of Bread Without Yeast — 4 and having arrested him he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads of four soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him up before the people after the Passover. [c] 5 So Peter was kept in the prison; but prayer was being made to God for him earnestly by the gathering.

6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were guarding the prison. 7 And look — a messenger of the Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell. And striking Peter’s side he woke him, saying, “Get up, quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 And the messenger said to him, “Put on your belt and tie on your sandals.” And he did so. And he says to him, “Throw your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And going out he followed, and he did not know that what was happening through the messenger was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 And passing through a first guard post and a second, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and going out they went on down one street, and at once the messenger left him. [d]

11 And Peter, coming to himself, said, “Now I know truly that the Lord sent out his messenger and took me out of Herod’s hand and out of everything the people of the Jews were expecting.”

12 And once he saw it he came to the house of Mary the mother of John who is called Mark, where a good many were gathered together and praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer; 14 and recognizing Peter’s voice, for joy she did not open the gateway, but ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gateway. 15 But they said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so. And they were saying, “It is his messenger.” 16 But Peter kept on knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were beside themselves. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be quiet, he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison, and he said, “Report these things to James and to the brothers.” And going out he went to another place.

18 And when day came there was no small disturbance among the soldiers over what then had become of Peter. 19 And Herod, having searched for him and not found him, questioned the guards and ordered them led away; and going down from Judea to Caesarea he stayed there.

20 Now he was in a furious quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. But with one mind they came to him, and having won over Blastus, the man over the king’s bedchamber, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king’s. 21 And on an appointed day Herod put on royal clothing and sat down on the judgment seat and made a public address to them; [e] 22 and the people kept calling out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 And at once a messenger of the Lord struck him, because he did not give the glory to God; and he became eaten by worms and breathed his last.

24 But the word of God was growing and multiplying. 25 And Barnabas and Saul went back, having fulfilled their service to Jerusalem, taking along with them John who was called Mark. [f]