Acts 12:1–16

James Martyred and Peter Jailed

12About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church, ²and he killed James, ^hJohn’s brother, with the sword. ³When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days of Unleavened Bread. ⁱ⁴After 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. ⁵So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church.

Peter Rescued

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 an angel of the Lord ^jappeared, 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. ^k8“Get 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 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. ^l10After 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. ^m

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.” ⁿ¹²When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, ^opwhere many had assembled and were praying. ¹³He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 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 crazy!” they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, “It’s his angel!” ^q16Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.