James is killed, Peter put in prison
12
📚✭Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hands to trouble some in the church. 2 📚✭And he had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. 3 📚And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. That was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. An angel rescues Peter
4 📚✭And when he had arrested him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four groups of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
5 📚✭So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer to God for him was made without ceasing by the church. 6 📚✭And when Herod was about to bring him out, that same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. And the guards at the door were watching the prison. 7 📚✭And suddenly the angel of the Lord stood over him, and a light shone in the prison. And he tapped Peter on the side, and got him up, saying, “Get up quickly”. And his chains fell off his hands.
8 And the angel said to him, “Fasten your belt, and tie on your sandals”. And so he did. And he said to him, “Put your cloak around you and follow me”.
9 📚And he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision. 10 📚When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city. It opened to them by itself, and they went out and on down one street, and suddenly the angel departed from him.
11 📚And when Peter came to himself he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent his angel and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the Jewish people”.
12 📚✭And when he had considered the matter, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was called Mark. There many were gathered together praying. 13 📚✭And when Peter knocked at the door of the entryway, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 📚And when she recognized Peter’s voice, for joy she ran in without opening the gate, and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.
15 📚✭And they said to her, “You are out of your mind”. But she kept on stating that it was so. Then they said, “It is his angel✭”.
16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 📚✭But he, gesturing to them with his hand to keep quiet, told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go tell these things to James and to the brethren”. And he departed and went to another place.
18 📚Now as soon as it was daylight, there was no small stir among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 📚✭And when Herod had a search made for him and did not find him, he examined the guards, and gave orders that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
The death of King Herod
20 📚✭And Herod was greatly displeased with the people of Tyre and Sidon, but they all came to him with one accord, and having made a friend of Blastus, a personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.
21 And on a set day Herod, dressed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave a speech to them. 22 📚✭And the people shouted out: “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 📚And immediately the angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory. And he was eaten by worms, and breathed his last.
24 📚✭But the word of God grew and increased.
25 📚✭And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had finished their ministry, and took with them John who was called Mark.