| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. | 1About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. |
| 2Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. | 2He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a 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 Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration. ) |
| 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. | 4Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. |
| 5Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. | 5But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison |
| 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. | 6The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. |
| 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, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And 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.” | 8Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. |
| 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 Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. |
| 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. | 10They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly 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.” | 11Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” |
| 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 home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. |
| 13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. | 13He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. |
| 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. | 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” |
| 15But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” | 15“You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” |
| 16Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. | 16Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. |
| 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. | 17He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place. |
| 18Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. | 18At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to 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. | 19Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while. The Death of Herod Agrippa |
| 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. | 20Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod’s country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod’s personal assistant, |
| 21So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. | 21and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. |
| 22And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” | 22The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, 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. | 23Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. |
| 24But the word of God grew and multiplied. | 24Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers. |
| 25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark. | 25When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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