Acts 12 : 1 (HCSB)
About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church,
Acts 12 : 2 (HCSB)
and he killed James, John's brother, with the sword.
Acts 12 : 3 (HCSB)
When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days of Unleavened Bread.
Acts 12 : 4 (HCSB)
After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
Acts 12 : 5 (HCSB)
So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church.
Acts 12 : 6 (HCSB)
On the night before Herod was to bring him out *for execution , Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison.
Acts 12 : 7 (HCSB)
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, "Quick, get up!" Then the chains fell off his wrists.
Acts 12 : 8 (HCSB)
"Get dressed," the angel told him, "and put on your sandals." And he did so. "Wrap your cloak around you," he told him, "and follow me."
Acts 12 : 9 (HCSB)
So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what took place through the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
Acts 12 : 10 (HCSB)
After they passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and immediately the angel left him.
Acts 12 : 11 (HCSB)
Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod's grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected."
Acts 12 : 12 (HCSB)
When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying.
Acts 12 : 13 (HCSB)
He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer.
Acts 12 : 14 (HCSB)
She recognized Peter's voice, and because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gateway.
Acts 12 : 15 (HCSB)
"You're crazy!" they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, "It's his angel!"
Acts 12 : 16 (HCSB)
Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
Acts 12 : 17 (HCSB)
Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. "Report these things to James and the brothers," he said. Then he departed and went to a different place.
Acts 12 : 18 (HCSB)
At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.
Acts 12 : 19 (HCSB)
After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
Acts 12 : 20 (HCSB)
He had been very angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians. Together they presented themselves before him, and having won over Blastus, who was in charge of the king's bedroom, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king's country.
Acts 12 : 21 (HCSB)
So on an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a public address to them.
Acts 12 : 22 (HCSB)
The populace began to shout, "It's the voice of a god and not of a man!"
Acts 12 : 23 (HCSB)
At once an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he became infected with worms and died.
Acts 12 : 24 (HCSB)
Then God's message flourished and multiplied.
Acts 12 : 25 (HCSB)
And Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem after they had completed their relief mission, on which they took John Mark.
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