12:1  Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.

12:2   And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.

12:3   When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also Now it occurred during the days of Unleavened Bread.

12:4   When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.

12:5   So Peter remained in the prison, but the church prayed fervently to God.

12:6  On the very night when Herod intended to bring him forward, Peter slept between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door watched over the prison.

12:7   And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly " And his chains fell off his hands.

12:8   And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."

12:9  And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what the angel did really happened, but thought he saw a vision.

12:10  When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

12:11   When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had expected."

12:12   12And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who also had the name of Mark, where many gathered together and prayed.

12:13  When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.

12:14   When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood in front of the gate.

12:15   They said to her, "You have taken leave of your senses!" But she kept insisting that she had seen him. They kept saying, "His angel must have appeared."

12:16   But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and felt amazed.

12:17   But motioning to them with his hand to become silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison And he said, "Report these things to James and the brethren." Then he left and went to another place.

12:18   Now when day came, there occurred no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.

12:19   When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they suffer execution Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

12:20   Now he became very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country received their nourishment fed by the king's country.

12:21   On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them.

12:22   The people kept crying out, "The voice of a god and not of a man!"

12:23   And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and the worms ate him and he died.

12:24   But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to multiply.

12:25   And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who also had the name of Mark.