| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. | 1About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church, |
| 2Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. | 2and he killed James, John's brother, with the sword. |
| 3And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. | 3When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days of Unleavened Bread. |
| 4So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. | 4After 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. |
| 5Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. | 5So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church. |
| 6And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. | 6On the night before Herod was to bring him out for execution, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. |
| 7Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. | 7Suddenly 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." |
| 8Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” | 8Get 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." |
| 9So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. | 9So 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. |
| 10When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. | 10After 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. |
| 11And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” | 11Then 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." |
| 12So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. | 12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying. |
| 13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. | 13He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. |
| 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. | 14She 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." |
| 15But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” | 15You're crazy!" they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, "It's his angel!" |
| 16Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. | 16Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. |
| 17But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to 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. | 17Motioning 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. |
| 18Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. | 18At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. |
| 19But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there. | 19After 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. |
| 20Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. | 20He had been very angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians. Together they presented themselves before him. They won over Blastus, who was in charge of the king's bedroom, and through him they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king's country. |
| 21So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. | 21So on an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a public address to them. |
| 22And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” | 22The assembled people began to shout, "It's the voice of a god and not of a man!" |
| 23Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. | 23At 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. |
| 24But the word of God grew and multiplied. | 24Then God's message flourished and multiplied. |
| 25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark. | 25After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, taking along John who is called Mark. |
|
