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Acts 12 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

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James Killed and Peter Imprisoned

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:1 - About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:2 - He killed James the brother of John with the sword,
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:3 - and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:4 - And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:5 - So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Peter Is Rescued

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:6 - Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:7 - And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:8 - And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:9 - And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:10 - When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:11 - When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:12 - When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:13 - And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:14 - Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:15 - They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:16 - But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:17 - But 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 James and to the brothers.”[fn] Then he departed and went to another place.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:18 - Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:19 - And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

The Death of Herod

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:20 - Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain,[fn] they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:21 - On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:22 - And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:23 - Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:24 - But the word of God increased and multiplied.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 12:25 - And Barnabas and Saul returned from[fn] Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
ESV Footnotes
Or brothers and sisters
That is, trusted personal attendant
Some manuscripts to
ESV

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.

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