Acts
12 And at that time Herod the king lifted his hand to maltreat some of the representatives of the church. 2* And he put to death James the brother of John by the sword; 3 and, seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he went on to arrest Peter too (it was in the matzoth days), 4 and did capture him and put him in prison, committing him to four fours of soldiers to guard, meaning to bring him up to the people after the passover.
5 So Peter was being kept in the prison; but prayer was being ardently made to God for him by the church. 6 But when Herod was going to produce him, that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, chained with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching the prison; 7 and lo, an angel of the Lord made his appearance, and a light shone in the room. And he struck Peter on the side and waked him, saying, “Stand up quick”; and his chains dropped off from his hands. 8 And the angel said to him “Tie your belt and put on your sandals”; and he did so. And he said to him “Put on your cloak and follow me”; 9* and he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was being done through the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10* And they passed a first watch and a second and came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of itself, and they went out and went one block, and at once the angel was gone from him. 11* And Peter, coming to himself, said “Now I know certainly that the Lord has sent out his angel and rescued me from Herod’s hands and all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
12 And when he realized the situation he came to the house of Mary the mother of John also named Mark, where a number had collected and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the porch door a girl named Rhoda came to the door to answer the knock, 14 and, recognizing Peter’s voice, in her gladness she did not open the porch but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the porch. 15 And they said to her “You are crazy”; but she insisted it was so; and they said “It is his angel.” 16 But Peter kept on knocking; and they opened and, to their surprise, saw him. 17 And he held up his hand to them for silence, and told them the story of how the Lord had brought him out of the prison, and said “Tell this to James and the brothers.” And he went out and off to another place.
18 And when day came there was no little to-do among the soldiers to know what had become of Peter. 19 And Herod hunted for him, did not find him, examined the guards and ordered them executed, and went down from Judea to Cesarea and spent a while there.
20 And he was in a bitter quarrel with the Tyrians and Sidonians, and they had come to him unitedly and had got the influence of the king’s chamberlain Blastus and were asking for peace because their country depended on the king’s country for food, 21 and on a set day Herod had put on royal attire and taken his seat on the judgment-bench and was making a speech to them, 22 and the people were cheering and shouting “A god’s voice and not a man’s,” 23 and immediately an angel of the Lord struck him for his not having given God the glory, and he expired after he had come to being eaten up by maggots. 24 But the word of the Lord grew and gained ground.
25 And Barnabas and Saul, having completed the distribution of the relief at Jerusalem, returned, taking along with them John also named Mark.