Acts 12 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

Herod’s Violence to the Church

Herod Kills James and Imprisons Peter

Act 12:1Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.

Act 12:2Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

Act 12:3And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Act 12:4

Act 12:4So 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.

Peter Freed from Prison

Act 12:5

Act 12:5Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant[fn] prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

Act 12:6

Act 12:6And 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.

Act 12:7

Act 12:7Now 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.

Act 12:8

Act 12:8Then 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.”

Act 12:9

Act 12:9So 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.

Act 12:10

Act 12:10When 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.

Act 12:11

Act 12:11And 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.”

Act 12:12

Act 12:12So, 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.

Act 12:13

Act 12:13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.

Act 12:14

Act 12:14When 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.

Act 12:15

Act 12:15But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”

Act 12:16

Act 12:16Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Act 12:17

Act 12:17But 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.

Act 12:18

Act 12:18Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

Act 12:19

Act 12:19But 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.

Herod’s Violent Death

Act 12:20

Act 12:20Now 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.

Act 12:21

Act 12:21So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.

Act 12:22

Act 12:22And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”

Act 12:23

Act 12:23Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

Act 12:24

Act 12:24But the word of God grew and multiplied.

Barnabas and Saul Appointed

Act 12:25

Act 12:25And Barnabas and Saul returned from[fn] Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

See the NKJV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NKJV Footnotes

(12:5)

NU-Text reads constantly (or earnestly).

(12:25)

NU-Text and M-Text read to.

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For more information on this translation, see the NKJV Preface.

Acts Chapter 12 — Additional Translations:

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Acts 12 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

NKJV Footnotes

Acts Chapter 12 — Additional Translations:

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