Acts Chapter 12

Herod Kills James, Jails Peter

¹ About that time, King Herod Agrippa I reached out to abuse some in the church. ² He killed James, John’s brother, with a sword. ³ When he saw the Jews liked that, he arrested Peter too (during the days of Unleavened Bread). ⁴ He put him in jail, with four detachments of four soldiers to guard him. After Passover he meant to bring him out to the people, ⁵ but the church prayed sincerely to God about him. 

Acts 12:1-5

⁶ The night before Herod meant to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. There were guards at the door, keeping the jail. ⁷ An angel of the LORD stood beside him, and a light glowed in the cell. He tapped Peter on the shoulder to wake him up, “Get up quick!” The chains fell off his hands.

Peter Delivered from Jail

⁸ “Fasten your belt and put your sandals on. Put your cloak on and follow me.”

⁹ He followed him, not knowing it was real; he thought he was dreaming. ¹⁰ They went through the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate into the city. It swung open on its own, and they went out and passed down one street. Then the angel disappeared.          

Acts 12:6-10

¹¹ When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I’m sure the LORD sent his angel to deliver me from Herod and the Jews.”          

¹² After he came to grips with what happened, he went to the house of Mary, John Mark’s mother, where a large number had gathered to pray. ¹³ He knocked on the door in the gate, and a girl named Rhoda came to answer it. ¹⁴ She recognized Peter’s voice. Instead of letting him in, she ran excited to tell them that he was standing at the gate.

¹⁵ They said, “You’re out of your mind.”

But she insisted.

They started saying, “It must be his angel.”

¹⁶ Peter kept knocking; and when they opened the door, they were surprised to see him.

¹⁷ He motioned for them to hold it down and recounted how the LORD had led him out of the jail, “Tell James and the brothers what’s happened.” He left and went somewhere else.         

¹⁸ The next morning there was a huge stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ When Herod looked for him and didn’t find him, he examined the guards and commanded to lead them off for execution. He went down from Judaea to Caesarea and spent some time there.

Acts 12:11-19

The Death of Herod

²⁰ He was mad at the residents of Tyre and Sidon. As a group they came to him and befriended Blastus, who was in charge of the king’s sleeping quarters. They asked for peace because his country supplied their food. ²¹ On a set day, Herod dressed in royal garb, sat on the judgment seat, and gave an oration.

²² The public assembly shouted, “It’s the voice of a god, not a man!”

²³ Immediately an angel of the LORD struck him because he accepted the credit and didn’t give it to God. He got worms and died. ²⁴ God’s message grew and multiplied. ²⁵ Barnabas and Saul went back from Jerusalem when they’d finished their service and took John Mark with them.

Acts 12:20-25