(NLT)
Acts
12
:
1
About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
2
He had the apostle James (John's brother) killed with a sword.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
3
When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.)
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
4
Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
5
But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
6
The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
7
Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, "Quick! Get up!" And the chains fell off his wrists.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
8
Then the angel told him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." And he did. "Now put on your coat and follow me," the angel ordered.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
9
So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn't realize it was actually happening.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
10
They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
11
Peter finally came to his senses. "It's really true!" he said. "The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!"
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
12
When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
13
He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
14
When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, "Peter is standing at the door!"
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
15
"You're out of your mind!" they said. When she insisted, they decided, "It must be his angel."
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
16
Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
17
He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. "Tell James and the other brothers what happened," he said. And then he went to another place.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
18
At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
19
Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn't be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
20
Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod's country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod's personal assistant,
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
21
and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
22
The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, "It's the voice of a god, not of a man!"
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
23
Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people's worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
24
Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.
(NLT)
Acts
12
:
25
When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.