| English Standard Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. | 1About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church. |
| 2He killed James the brother of John with the sword, | 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. |
| 3and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. | 3And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. |
| 4And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. | 4He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover. |
| 5So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. | 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him. |
| 6Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. | 6On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison. |
| 7And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. | 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. |
| 8And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” | 8“Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” |
| 9And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. | 9So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision. |
| 10When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. | 10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him. |
| 11When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” | 11Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.” |
| 12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. | 12And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying. |
| 13And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. | 13He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. |
| 14Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. | 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!” |
| 15They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” | 15“You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” |
| 16But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. | 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. |
| 17But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place. | 17Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place. |
| 18Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. | 18At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. |
| 19And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there. | 19After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there. |
| 20Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. | 20Now Herod was in a furious dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food. |
| 21On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. | 21On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. |
| 22And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” | 22And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!” |
| 23Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. | 23Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. |
| 24But the word of God increased and multiplied. | 24But the word of God continued to spread and multiply. |
| 25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. | 25When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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