12:1 In that time King Herod used his power to mistreat some of the Congregation.

12:2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death by the sword.

12:3 And when he saw that this pleased the Judeans, he proceeded to arrest Peter as well (this was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread).

12:4 Upon his arrest he was put in jail under the guard of four groups of four soldiers each. Herod’s intention was to make an example of him after the Passover.

12:5 But while Peter was kept in jail, the Congregation was in intense prayer to God about him.

12:6 On the night before Herod was ready to lead him to be punished, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound by two chains, and there were also guards at the door of the jail.

12:7 Suddenly a Messenger of the Master was standing there, lighting up the room! He struck Peter on the side to wake him up and said, “Quick, get up!” And the chains fell from his wrists.

12:8 Then the Messenger said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” so he did. And the Messenger added, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”

12:9 They came out and he followed, but he was not sure whether he was actually seeing the Messenger or having a vision.

12:10 So they passed through the first post and then the second, then came to the iron gate that leads to the city— which opened all by itself. They went out and then up one street, when the Messenger suddenly left him.

12:11 Then Peter came to his senses and said, “Now I know for sure that the Master sent his Messenger to rescue me from Herod’s clutches and all the schemes of the Judeans!”

12:12 As this dawned on him, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who is also called Mark, where a sufficient number of people had come for a prayer meeting.

12:13 Now as Peter knocked on the door, a servant named Rhoda came to answer it.

12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open it and ran in to report that he was standing at the door.

12:15 But though they told her she was crazy, she kept insisting that it was true. So they decided maybe it was his Messenger.

12:16 Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking, and they finally opened it and were shocked to see him.

12:17 But he motioned for them to be quiet, then told them how the Master led him out of the jail. And he added, “Report all of this to James and the rest of the believers.” Then he went someplace else.

12:18 At daybreak there was no small disturbance among the soldiers over what could have become of Peter.

12:19 When Herod could not find him after a search, he interrogated the guards and then had them executed. Then he went down from Judea into Caesarea and stayed there.

12:20 It happened that he was in a fierce fight with the people of Tyre and Sidon. But they joined together and persuaded Blastus, the king’s personal attendant, to ask for peace, because their country depended upon the king’s for food.

12:21 And on a set day, Herod, dressed in his royal attire, sat on his throne and made a speech to them.

12:22 But the people all shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not a human!”

12:23 So immediately a Messenger of the Master struck him, because he did not give honor to God. His insides were eaten by worms, and then he died.

12:24 But the Word of God grew and multiplied.

12:25 Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem after they had completed their service, and they brought along John who is also called Mark.