Acts 12

1At about that time King Herod moved against some of the church’s people, meaning to do them harm. 2He executed James, John’s brother, with the sword. 3When he saw how this pleased the Jews, he went further and had Peter taken too. It was the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4Once Peter was seized, Herod put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of four soldiers to keep guard. His plan was to bring him out before the people when the Passover was over. 5So Peter was under guard in the prison, but the church was praying to God for him without letup.

6On the night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter lay asleep between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, while guards in front of the door kept watch over the prison. 7All at once an angel of the Lord was standing there, and light filled the cell. He struck Peter’s side and woke him: “Up, quickly!” And the chains dropped from his hands. 8The angel told him, “Fasten your belt and put your sandals on.” Peter did as he was told. Then he said, “Wrap yourself in your cloak and come after me.” 9So Peter went out and followed. He did not know that the things the angel was doing were real; he took it all for a vision. 10They went past the first guard post and then the second, and came to the iron gate that opened onto the city. It swung open for them of its own accord. Out they went and on along one street, and suddenly the angel was gone from him. 11Then Peter came to himself. “Now I know for certain,” he said, “that the Lord sent his angel and snatched me out of Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people were waiting to see.”

12When he had grasped this, he made his way to the home of Mary, mother of John whose other name was Mark. A good number of people had come together there and were praying. 13He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to see who it was. 14She knew Peter’s voice, and in her joy she left the gate shut. She ran inside and told them that Peter was standing at the gate. 15They said to her, “You have lost your mind!” But she held firmly that it was true. So they said, “It is his angel.” 16Peter, though, did not stop knocking. They opened the gate, saw him, and were beside themselves. 17He waved his hand to hush them and told them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. “Let James and the brothers and sisters know about this,” he said. Then he departed and went somewhere else.

18At daybreak the soldiers were in great alarm: what had happened to Peter? 19Herod had a search made for him, and when Peter could not be found, he questioned the guards and ordered them led off to execution. Then he left Judea, went down to Caesarea, and spent time there.

20Herod had been in a bitter quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came to him together, and after winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they sued for peace, for their land drew its food from the king’s lands. 21On the day that was set, Herod dressed in his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and began to address them. 22The crowd kept shouting, “A god is speaking, not a human being!” 23At once an angel of the Lord struck him, since he had not given the glory to God; worms ate at him, and he died.

24But the word of God went on growing and spreading. 25Barnabas and Saul, once they had completed their service in Jerusalem, returned and took John, also called Mark, along with them.