Acts 12 :: New International Version (NIV)

Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison

Act 12:1It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.

Act 12:2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.

Act 12:3When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

Act 12:4

Act 12:4After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

Act 12:5

Act 12:5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Act 12:6

Act 12:6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.

Act 12:7

Act 12:7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

Act 12:8

Act 12:8Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.

Act 12:9

Act 12:9Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.

Act 12:10

Act 12:10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

Act 12:11

Act 12:11Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

Act 12:12

Act 12:12When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.

Act 12:13

Act 12:13Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.

Act 12:14

Act 12:14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

Act 12:15

Act 12:15“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

Act 12:16

Act 12:16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Act 12:17

Act 12:17Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

Act 12:18

Act 12:18In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.

Act 12:19

Act 12:19After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

Herod’s Death

Act 12:20

Act 12:20He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.

Act 12:21

Act 12:21On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people.

Act 12:22

Act 12:22They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”

Act 12:23

Act 12:23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Act 12:24

Act 12:24But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

Act 12:25

Act 12:25When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from[fn] Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

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NIV Footnotes

(12:25)

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