Acts 12

Peter’s Arrest and Escape

12ABOUT THAT time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict {and} oppress {and} torment some who belonged to the church (assembly).G1161G2596G1565G2540G2264G935G1911G5495G2559G5100G575G15772And he killed James the brother of John with a sword;G1161G337G2385G80G2491G31623And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further and arrested Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week].G2532G1492G3754G2076G701G2453G4369G4815G4074G2532G1161G2258G2250G1064And when he had seized [Peter], he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him, purposing after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.G3739G2532G4084G5087G1519G5438G3860G5064G5069G4757G5442G846G1014G3326G3957G321G846G321G29925So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him was persistently made to God by the church (assembly).G4074G3303G3767G5083G1722G5438G1161G4335G2258G1096G1618G5259G1577G4314G2316G5228G8466The very night before Herod was about to bring him forth, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.G1161G3753G2264G3195G4254G846G4254G1565G3571G4074G2258G2837G3342G1417G4757G1210G1417G254G5037G5441G4253G2374G5083G54387And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared [standing beside him], and a light shone in the place where he was. And the angel gently smote Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, Get up quickly! And the chains fell off his hands.G2532G2400G32G2962G2186G2532G5457G2989G1722G3612G1161G3960G4074G4125G1453G846G1453G3004G450G1722G5034G2532G846G254G1601G1537G54958And the angel said to him, Tighten your belt and bind on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Wrap your outer garment around you and follow me.G5037G32G2036G4314G846G4024G2532G5265G4675G4547G1161G3779G4160G2532G3004G846G4016G2440G4016G4675G2532G190G34279And [Peter] went out [along] following him, and he was not conscious that what was apparently being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.G2532G1831G190G846G2532G1492G3756G3754G2076G227G3588G1096G1223G32G1161G1380G991G370510When they had passed through the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city. Of its own accord [the gate] swung open, and they went out and passed on through one street; and at once the angel left him.G1161G1330G4413G2532G1208G5438G2064G1909G4603G4439G5342G1519G4172G3748G455G846G844G2532G1831G4281G3391G4505G2532G2112G32G868G575G84611Then Peter came to himself and said, Now I really know {and} am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting [to do to me].G2532G4074G1096G1722G1438G2036G3568G1492G230G3754G2962G1821G846G32G2532G1807G3165G1537G5495G2264G2532G3956G4329G2992G245312When he, at a glance, became aware of this [comprehending all the elements of the case], he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where a large number were assembled together and were praying.G5037G4894G2064G1909G3614G3137G3384G2491G1941G3138G3757G2425G2258G4867G2532G433613And when he knocked at the gate of the porch, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.G1161G4074G2925G2374G4440G3814G4334G5219G3686G449814And recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she failed to open the gate, but ran in and told the people that Peter was standing before the porch gate.G2532G1921G4074G5456G455G3756G4440G575G5479G1161G1532G518G4074G2476G4253G444015They said to her, You are crazy! But she persistently {and} strongly {and} confidently affirmed that it was the truth. They said, It is his angel!G1161G2036G4314G846G3105G1161G1340G2192G3779G1161G3004G2076G846G3216But meanwhile Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the gate and saw him, they were amazed.G1161G4074G1961G2925G1161G455G1492G846G2532G183917But motioning to them with his hand to keep quiet {and} listen, he related to them how the Lord had delivered him out of the prison. And he said, Report all this to James [the Less] and to the brethren. Then he left and went to some other place.G1161G2678G846G5495G4601G1334G846G4459G2962G1806G846G1537G5438G1161G2036G518G5023G2385G2532G80G2532G1831G4198G1519G2087G511718Now as soon as it was day, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.G1161G1096G2250G2258G3756G3641G5017G1722G4757G5101G686G1096G407419And when Herod had looked for him and could not find him, he placed the guards on trial and commanded that they should be led away [to execution]. Then [Herod] went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed on there.G1161G1934G2264G1934G846G2532G2147G3361G350G5441G2753G520G2532G2718G575G2449G1519G2542G1304

Death of Herod

20Now [Herod] cherished bitter animosity {and} hostility for the people of Tyre and Sidon; and [their deputies] came to him in a united body, and having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was nourished by {and} depended on the king's [country] for food.G1161G2264G2258G2371G5183G2532G4606G1161G3918G3661G4314G846G2532G3982G986G935G1909G2846G3982G154G1515G1223G846G5561G5142G575G93721On an appointed day Herod arrayed himself in his royal robes, took his seat upon [his] throne, and addressed an oration to them.G1161G5002G2250G2264G1746G937G2066G2523G1909G968G2532G1215G4314G84622And the assembled people shouted, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!G1161G1218G2019G5456G2316G2532G3756G44423And at once an angel of the Lord smote him {and} cut him down, because he did not give God the glory (the preeminence and kingly majesty that belong to Him as the supreme Ruler); and he was eaten by worms and died.G1161G3916G32G2962G3960G846G473G3739G1325G3756G2316G1391G2532G1096G4662G163424But the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] continued to grow and spread.G1161G3056G2316G837G2532G412925And Barnabas and Saul came back from Jerusalem when they had completed their mission, bringing with them John whose surname was Mark.G1161G921G2532G4569G5290G1537G2419G4137G1248G2532G4838G2491G1941G3138