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James Killed and Peter Imprisoned

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

Peter Is Rescued

⁶ Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, ^(h)bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. ⁷ And behold, ⁽ⁱ⁾an angel of the Lord ^(j)stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. ^(k)He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And ^(l)the chains fell off his hands. ⁸ And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and ^(m)put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." ⁹ And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but ⁽ⁿ⁾thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. ^(o)It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. ¹¹ When Peter ^(p)came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that ^(q)the Lord has sent his angel and ^(r)rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."

¹² When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of ^(s)John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and ^(t)were praying. ¹³ And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, ^(u)a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ Recognizing Peter's voice, ^(v)in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 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 ^(w)his angel!" ¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. ¹⁷ But ^(x)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 ^(y)James and to ^(z)the brothers."^[a] Then he departed and went to another place.

¹⁸ Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ^(aa)ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

The Death of Herod

²⁰ Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and ^(ab)having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain,^[b] they asked for peace, because ^(ac)their country depended on the king's country for food. ²¹ On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. ²² And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!" ²³ Immediately ^(ad)an angel of the Lord struck him down, because ^(ae)he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

²⁴ But ^(af)the word of God increased and multiplied.

^25 (ag)And Barnabas and Saul returned from^[c] Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them ^(ah)John, whose other name was Mark.