| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. | 1About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church. |
| 2Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. | 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. |
| 3And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. | 3And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. |
| 4So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after 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. |
| 5Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. | 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him. |
| 6And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping 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. |
| 7Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. | 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. |
| 8Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment 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 him, and did not know that what was done by 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. |
| 10When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from 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. |
| 11And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” | 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.” |
| 12So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together 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. |
| 13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. | 13He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. |
| 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before 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 are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “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 astonished. | 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. |
| 17But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed 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. |
| 18Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. | 18At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. |
| 19But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he 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 had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food 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. |
| 21So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. | 21On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. |
| 22And the people kept shouting, “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!” |
| 23Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give 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 grew and multiplied. | 24But the word of God continued to spread and multiply. |
| 25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark. | 25When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark. |
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