| New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. | 1About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church, |
| 2He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. | 2and he killed James, John's brother, with the sword. |
| 3When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration. ) | 3When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days of Unleavened Bread. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 5But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison | 5So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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." |
| 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. | 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." |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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!” | 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." |
| 12When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. | 12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying. |
| 13He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. | 13He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. |
| 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!” | 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." |
| 15“You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” | 15You're crazy!" they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, "It's his angel!" |
| 16Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. | 16Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 18At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. | 18At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. |
| 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 | 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. |
| 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, | 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. |
| 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. | 21So on an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a public address to them. |
| 22The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!” | 22The assembled people began to shout, "It's the voice of a god and not of a man!" |
| 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. | 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. |
| 24Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers. | 24Then God's message flourished and multiplied. |
| 25When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them. | 25After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, taking along John who is called Mark. |
| 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. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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