Acts 12Acts12

Berean Standard BibleKing James Version

1. James Killed, Peter Imprisoned

2. 1BSBAbout that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church.KJVKJV: Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
3. 2BSBHe had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.KJVKJV: And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
4. 3BSBAnd seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.KJVKJV: And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
5. 4BSBHe arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.KJVKJV: And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

6. The Rescue of Peter

7. 5BSBSo Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.KJVKJV: Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
8. 6BSBOn the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison.KJVKJV: And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
9. 7BSBSuddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.KJVKJV: And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
10. 8BSB“Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”KJVKJV: And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
11. 9BSBSo Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision.KJVKJV: And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
12. 10BSBThey passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.KJVKJV: When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
13. 11BSBThen Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”KJVKJV: And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
14. 12BSBAnd when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.KJVKJV: And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
15. 13BSBHe knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.KJVKJV: And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
16. 14BSBWhen she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”KJVKJV: And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
17. 15BSB“You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”KJVKJV: And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
18. 16BSBBut Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.KJVKJV: But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
19. 17BSBPeter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.KJVKJV: But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
20. 18BSBAt daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.KJVKJV: Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
21. 19BSBAfter Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.KJVKJV: And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judæa to Cæsarea, and there abode.

22. The Death of Herod

23. 20BSBNow Herod was in a furious dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food.KJVKJV: And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country.
24. 21BSBOn the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people.KJVKJV: And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
25. 22BSBAnd they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”KJVKJV: And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
26. 23BSBImmediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.KJVKJV: And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
27. 24BSBBut the word of God continued to spread and multiply.KJVKJV: But the word of God grew and multiplied.
28. 25BSBWhen Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark.KJVKJV: And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.