| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. | 1About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church, |
| 2He killed James the brother of John with the sword, | 2and he killed James, John's brother, 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. | 3When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days 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. | 4After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending 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 prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church. |
| 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 out for execution, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded 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. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, "Quick, get up!" Then 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.” | 8Get dressed," the angel told him, "and put on your sandals." And he did so. "Wrap your cloak around you," he told him, "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 he went out and followed, and he did not know that what took place through the angel was real, but thought he was 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. | 10After they passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and immediately the angel 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 certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod's grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected." |
| 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. | 12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled 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 door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. |
| 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. | 14She recognized Peter's voice, and because of her joy, she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gateway." |
| 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!” | 15You're crazy!" they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, "It's his angel!" |
| 16But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. | 16Peter, however, 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. | 17Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. "Report these things to James and the brothers," he said. Then he departed and went to a different place. |
| 18Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. | 18At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what could have 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 and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed 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. | 20He had been very angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians. Together they presented themselves before him. They won over Blastus, who was in charge of the king's bedroom, and through him they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king's country. |
| 21On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. | 21So on an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a public address to them. |
| 22And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” | 22The assembled people began to shout, "It's the voice of a god and not of 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. | 23At once an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he became infected with worms and died. |
| 24But the word of God increased and multiplied. | 24Then God's message flourished and multiplied. |
| 25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. | 25After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, taking along John who is called Mark. |
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