James Killed, Peter Imprisoned

1About that time, King Herod (King Herod Agrippa)a reached out to harm \put forth the hands to mistreat/b some who belonged to the church {ekklēsias}. 2He had James (supplanter / follower), the brother of John (YHWH is gracious), put to death with the sword.

3And seeing that this pleased the Jews (people of praise), Herod proceeded to seize Peter (rock) during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.c 4He 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.

The Rescue of Peter

5So Peter (rock) was kept in prison, but the church {ekklēsias} was fervently praying to God {Theon} for him.

6On the night before Herod (heroic) was to bring him to trial, Peter (rock) was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison. 7Suddenly an angel (messenger) of the Lord {Kyriou} appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter (rock) on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8“Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel (messenger). Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow (accompany) me.”

9So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel (messenger) was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision. 10They 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 (messenger) suddenly left him.

11Then Peter (rock) came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord {Kyrios} has sent His angel (messenger) and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”

12And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary (beloved) the mother of John (YHWH is gracious), also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying. 13He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda (rose) came to answer it. 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter (rock) is standing at the gate!”

15“You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel (messenger).”

16But Peter (rock) kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. 17Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord {Kyrios} had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James (supplanter / follower) and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.

18At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter (rock). 19After Herod (heroic) had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea (land of praise) to Caesarea and spent some time there.

The Death of Herod

20Now Herod was in a furious dispute (had become furious)d 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. 21On the appointed day, Herod (heroic) donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. 22And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god {Theou}, not a man!”

23Immediately, because Herod did not give glory {doxan} to God {Theō}, an angel (messenger) of the Lord {Kyriou} struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

24But the word of God {theou} continued to spread and multiply.

25When Barnabas (son of encouragement) and Saul (asked for) had fulfilled their mission {diakonian} to Jerusalem (city of peace), they returned,e bringing with them John (YHWH is gracious), also called Mark.