| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church, | 1About that time, Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church and mistreated them. |
| 2and he killed James, John's brother, with the sword. | 2He even had James, the brother of John, killed with a sword. |
| 3When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days of Unleavened Bread. | 3When he saw how this was agreeable to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter, too. This happened during the Festival 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. | 4When he arrested Peter, Herod put him in prison and turned him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, planning to bring him out to the people after Passover season. |
| 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 earnest prayer to God for him was being offered by the assembly. |
| 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. | 6That very night, before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, and guards in front of the door were watching the prisoners. |
| 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 his side, woke him up, and said, "Get up quickly!" His chains fell from 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." | 8Then the angel told him, "Tuck in your shirt and put on your sandals!" He did this. Then the angel told him, "Put on your coat 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 went out and began to follow him, not realizing that what was being done by the angel was real; he thought he was 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 guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate that led into the city. It opened by itself for them, and they went outside and proceeded one block when 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'm sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting!" |
| 12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying. | 12When Peter realized what had happened, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where a large number of people had gathered and were praying. |
| 13He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. | 13When he knocked at the outer gate, 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." | 14On recognizing Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that she didn't open the gate but ran back inside and announced that Peter was 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!" | 15The other people told her, "You're out of your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was so. Then they said, "It's his angel." |
| 16Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. | 16Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking and knocking. When they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. |
| 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. | 17He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet, and then he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He added, "Tell this to James and the brothers." Then he left and went somewhere else. |
| 18At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. | 18When morning came, there was a great 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. | 19Herod searched for him but didn't find him, so he questioned the guards and ordered them to be executed. Then he left Judea, went down to Caesarea, and stayed there for a while. |
| 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 had been in a violent quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him as a group. After they had won over Blastus, who oversaw security for the king's sleeping quarters, they asked for a peace agreement because their country 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. | 21Therefore, at a set time Herod put on his royal robes, sat down on the royal seat, and made a speech to them. |
| 22The assembled people began to shout, "It's the voice of a god and not of a man!" | 22The people kept shouting, "This is the voice of a god, not of 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 the angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. |
| 24Then God's message flourished and multiplied. | 24But the word of God continued to grow and spread. |
| 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, they returned to Jerusalem, bringing with them John who was also called Mark. |
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