| Holman Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church, | 1About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church. |
| 2and he killed James, John's brother, with the sword. | 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. |
| 3When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days of Unleavened Bread. | 3And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. |
| 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. | 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 prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church. | 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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." | 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. |
| 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." | 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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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." | 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 Mark, where many had assembled 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. |
| 13He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. | 13He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. |
| 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." | 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!” |
| 15You're crazy!" they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, "It's 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.” |
| 16Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. | 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 18At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. | 18At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 21So on an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a public address to them. | 21On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. |
| 22The assembled people began to shout, "It's 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!” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 24Then God's message flourished and multiplied. | 24But the word of God continued to spread and multiply. |
| 25After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, taking along John who is called Mark. | 25When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark. |
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