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12:1-23 Now at that time Herod
the King had hands laid on some of those from the church to ill-treat
them. He killed James the brother of
John with a sword. Seeing that this was pleasing to the Jews he went on to
arrest Peter also. This was in the
days of unleavened bread. He seized
him and put him in prison delivering him to four squads of soldiers to
guard him. He intended after the
Passover to bring him up to the people.
Therefore Peter was kept in the prison. But
prayer was earnestly being made by the church to God concerning him. During the night before Herod was about to
bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He had been bound with two chains and
guards were before the door keeping watch at the prison. And behold an angel of the Lord came upon
them. A light shone in the
building. (The angel), striking the
side of Peter raised him up saying "Get up quickly." The chains fell off his hands. The angel said to him. "Dress
yourself and put on your sandals."
He did so. He told him "Wrap your mantle around you and follow
me." And so going forth he (Peter) followed.
He was not sure if what was happening through the angel was
real. He thought he was seeing a
vision. And going through the first
prison and (then) the second they came to the iron gate which led to the
city. This opened to them of its own
accord. And going out they went forward into a street. Immediately the angel departed from
him. Peter said to himself "Now
I truly know that the Lord sent forth his angel and has delivered me from
the hand of Herod and the expectation of the people (leaders?) of the Jews."
On realizing this he came upon the house of Mary, the mother
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of
John who was surnamed Mark. There
were many who had assembled there and who were praying. As he knocked on the door of the porch a
maidservant approached. to listen. Her name was Rhoda. On recognizing the voice of Peter she was
so happy she did not open the porch but ran to announce to those inside
that Peter was standing outside the porch door. They said to her "You are
raving." But she emphatically
insisted it was so. They said
"It is his angel" But Peter continued knocking. On opening it they saw him and were
amazed. Beckoning to them with his
hand to be quiet he told them how the Lord led him out of the prison and
said "Tell James and the brothers about these things." And so going out he went on to someone
else.
When
it was day there was not a little disturbance amongst the soldiers as to
what had become of Peter. Herod
searched for him and on not finding him he examined the guards and
commanded that they be led away (to execution). Then he (Herod) went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
Now
he was furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon. With one mind they came to him. They persuaded Blastus who was in charge
of the King's bedchanmber (to get
them an audience). They asked for
peace because their country relied on the king for food. On an appointed day Herod, having been
arrayed with regal clothing and sitting on the tribunal made a public
speech to them. The mob cried
out. "He has the voice of a god
and not of a man." At once an
angel of the Lord smote him because he did not give glory to God. He was eaten by worms and died.
(Note:
Text is mainly a paraphrase of the Literal translation in the RSV
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, 1988)
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