| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1About that time King Herod laid hands on some from the church to harm them. | 1About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church. |
| 2He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. | 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. |
| 3When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) | 3And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. |
| 4When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to bring him out for public trial 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 those in the church were earnestly praying to God for him. | 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him. |
| 6On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over 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 prison cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly!" And the chains fell off Peter's 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. |
| 8The angel said to him, "Fasten your belt and put on your sandals." Peter did so. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your cloak 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.” |
| 9Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening 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 had passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, when at once 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 know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting to happen." | 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 Peter realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many people had 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. |
| 13When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered. | 13He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. |
| 14When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told them 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!” |
| 15But they said to her, "You've lost your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was Peter, 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.” |
| 16Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were greatly astonished. | 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. |
| 17He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and then related how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Tell James and the brothers these things," and then he left 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. |
| 18At daybreak there was great consternation 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. |
| 19When Herod had searched for him and did not find him, he questioned the guards and commanded that they be led away to 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. |
| 20Now Herod was having an angry quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they joined together and presented themselves before him. And after convincing Blastus, the king's personal assistant, to help them, they asked for peace, because their country's food supply was provided by 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. |
| 21On a day determined in advance, Herod put on his royal robes, sat down on the judgment seat, and made a speech to them. | 21On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. |
| 22But the crowd began to shout, "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 Herod down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by 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. |
| 24But the word of God kept on increasing and multiplying. | 24But the word of God continued to spread and multiply. |
| 25So Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem when they had completed their mission, bringing along with them John Mark. | 25When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark. |
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