| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. | 1About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. |
| 2He killed James the brother of John with the sword, | 2He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a 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 Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration. ) |
| 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. | 4Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. |
| 5So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. | 5But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison |
| 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. | 6The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. |
| 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, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” 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.” | 8Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. |
| 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 left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. |
| 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 guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then 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.” | 11Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” |
| 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 home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. |
| 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 gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open 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, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” |
| 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’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” |
| 16But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. | 16Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. |
| 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. | 17He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place. |
| 18Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. | 18At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to 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. | 19Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while. The Death of Herod Agrippa |
| 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 very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod’s country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod’s personal assistant, |
| 21On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. | 21and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. |
| 22And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” | 22The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, 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. | 23Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. |
| 24But the word of God increased and multiplied. | 24Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers. |
| 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 finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them. |
| 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. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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