1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
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12 About that time King Herod[a] laid hands on[b] some from the church to harm them.[c] 2 He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword.[d] 3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews,[e] he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.)[f] 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads[g] of soldiers to guard him. Herod[h] planned[i] to bring him out for public trial[j] after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly[k] praying to God for him.[l] 6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial,[m] Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while[n] guards in front of the door were keeping watch[o] over the prison. 7 Suddenly[p] an angel of the Lord[q] appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck[r] Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s[s] wrists.[t] 8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt[u] and put on your sandals.” Peter[v] did so. Then the angel[w] said to him, “Put on your cloak[x] and follow me.” 9 Peter[y] went out[z] and followed him;[aa] he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real,[ab] but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 After they had passed the first and second guards,[ac] they came to the iron[ad] gate leading into the city. It[ae] opened for them by itself,[af] and they went outside and walked down one narrow street,[ag] when at once the angel left him. 11 When[ah] Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued[ai] me from the hand[aj] of Herod[ak] and from everything the Jewish people[al] were expecting to happen.”
12 When Peter[am] realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark,[an] where many people had gathered together and were praying. 13 When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered.[ao] 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told[ap] them[aq] that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!”[ar] But she kept insisting that it was Peter,[as] and they kept saying,[at] “It is his angel!”[au] 16 Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door[av] and saw him, they were greatly astonished.[aw] 17 He motioned to them[ax] with his hand to be quiet and then related[ay] how the Lord had brought[az] him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place.[ba]
18 At daybreak[bb] there was great consternation[bc] among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 When Herod[bd] had searched[be] for him and did not find him, he questioned[bf] the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution.[bg] Then[bh] Herod[bi] went down from Judea to Caesarea[bj] and stayed there.
20 Now Herod[bk] was having an angry quarrel[bl] with the people of Tyre[bm] and Sidon.[bn] So they joined together[bo] and presented themselves before him. And after convincing[bp] Blastus, the king’s personal assistant,[bq] to help them,[br] they asked for peace,[bs] because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country. 21 On a day determined in advance, Herod[bt] put on his royal robes,[bu] sat down on the judgment seat,[bv] and made a speech[bw] to them. 22 But the crowd[bx] began to shout,[by] “The voice of a god,[bz] and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord[ca] struck[cb] Herod[cc] down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.[cd] 24 But the word of God[ce] kept on increasing[cf] and multiplying.
25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to[cg] Jerusalem[ch] when they had completed[ci] their mission,[cj] bringing along with them John Mark.[ck]