THE STORY OF PETER AND HEROD
ACTS 12
King James Version: Acts Chapter 12
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the LORD hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.
20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.
21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark
THIS IS A TRUE STORY OF THE EARLY CHURCH
HEROD VEXED THE CHURCH . HEROD KILLED JAMES THE BROTHER OF JOHN AND SAW THAT IT PLEASED THE JEWS AND WENT AND ARRESTED PETER, AND PUT HIM IN PRISON WAITING TO KILL HIM AFTER EASTER, THE FEAST OF THE JEWS, THE PASSOVER.
PETER WAS THEREFORE KEPT IN PRISON.
VS 1 HEROD, KING VEXED THE CHURCH.
VS 2 HE KILLED JAMES THE BROTHER OF JOHN WITH THE SWORD .
VS 3 IT PLEASED THE JEWS.
HEN HE SAW THAT IT PLEASED THE JEWS, HE PROCEEDED FURTHER TO TAKE PETER. (THEN WERE THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD)
VS 4 HE TOOK HIM AND PUT HIM IN PRISON AND DELIVERED HIM TO FOUR QUAERNIONS OF SOLDIERS TO KEEP HIM. INTENDING AFTER EASTER TO BRING HIM FORTH TO THE PEOPLE.
VS 5 PETER THEREFORE WAS KEPT IN PRISON BUT PRAYER WAS MADE WITHOUT CEASING OF THE CHURCH UNTO GOD FOR HIM.
VS 6 WHEN HEROD WOULD HAVE BROUGHT HIM FORTH, THE SAME NIGHT, PETER WAS SLEEPING BETWEEN TWO SOLDIERS BOUND WITH TWO CHAINS; AND THE KEEPERS BEFORE THE DOOR KEPT THE PRISON.
VS 7 AND BEHOLD THE ANGEL OF THE LORD CAME UPON HIM AND A LIGHT SHINED IN THE PRISON AND HE SMOTE PETER ON THE SIDE, AND RAISED HIM UP SAYING ARISE UP QUICKLY. AND HIS CHAINS FELL OFF FROM HIS HANDS
VS 8 AND THE ANGEL SAID UNTO HIM, GIRD THYSELF, AND BIND ON THY SANDALS AND HE DID
AND .HE SAID UNTO HIM CAST THY GARMENT ABOUT THEE, AND FOLLOW ME.
AND HE WENT OUT AND FOLLOWED HIM, AND WIST NOT THAT IT WAS TRUE WHICH WAS DONE BY THE ANGEL; BUT THOUGHT HE SAW A VISION.
VS 10 WHEN THEY WERE PAST THE FIRST AND THE SECOND WARD, THEY CAME UNTO THE IRON GATE THAT LEADETH UNTO THE CITY.
WHICH OPENED TO THEM OF HIS OWN ACCORD AND THEY WENT OUT, AND PASSED ON THROUGH ONE STREET, AND FORTHWITH THE ANGEL DEPARTED FROM HIM.
VS 11 AND WHEN PETER WAS COME TO HIMSELF, HE SAID: NOW I KNOW OF A SURETY, THAT THE LORD HATH SENT HIS ANGEL, AND HATH DELIVERED ME OUT OF THE HAND OF HEROD, AND FROM ALL THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE JEWS.
VS 12 AND WHEN HE HAD CONSIDERED THE THING, HE CAME TO THE HOUSE OF MARY THE MOTHER OF JOHN, WHOSE SURNAME WAS MARK, WHERE MANY WERE PRAYERING TOGETHER.
VS 13 AND AS PETER KNOCKED AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE, A DAMSEL CAME TO HARKEN, NAMED RHODA.
VS 14 SHE OPENED THE DOOR AND RAN BACK FOR GLADNESS. PETER STOOD BEFORE THE GATE.
VS 15 THEY SAID SHE WAS MAD, THEN THAT IT WAS HIS ANGEL.
{STOP IDLE TALKS: KEEP BUSY}
VS 16 BUT PETER CONTINUED KNOCKING. WHEN THEY OPENED THE DOOR, AND SAW HIM THEY WERE ASTONISHED.
VS 17 HE TOLD THEM HOW GOD SAVED HIM AND HE ASKED THEM TO TELL JAMES AND TO THE OTHER BRETHREN AND HE WENT TO ANOTHER PLACE.
VS 18 -19 THE SOLDIERS WERE EXAMINED AND KILLED
VS 19 HE WENT FROM JUDEA TO CEASAREA AND ABODE THERE.
VS 20 HEROD WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE PEOPLE OF TYRE AND SIDON
THEY DESIRED PEACE AND MADE FRIENDS WITH THE KINGS CHAMBERLIN AND BECAUSE THEY WERE NURISHED BY THE KING.
VS 21 THEY MADE A FEAST AND PAISED HEROD AS IF HE WAS god AND IMMEDIATELY THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SMOTE HIM.
VS 24 THE WORD OF GOD GREW AND MULTIPLIED.
VS 25 BARNABAS AND SAUL RETURNED TO JERUSALEM WITH JOHN MARK AFTER THEIR MINISTRY WAS FULFILLED.
