Acts:12:1-19
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ABOUT that time King Herod laid hands on some members of the church in order to maltreat them .
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He killed James the brother of John with the sword .
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Seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews ,
he proceeded to arrest Peter also .
This was during the Days of Unleavened Bread .
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He seized him and put him in prison ,
committing him to four guards of four soldiers each for safe keeping ,
intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover .
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So Peter was under guard in the prison .
But prayer was continually made by the church to God for him .
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On the very night before Herod was going to bring him out ,
Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains ,
and guards before the door were watching the prison .
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Suddenly an angel of the Lord was there .
Light shone in the cell .
Striking Peter '
s side he woke him ,
saying , "
Rise up quickly ."
His chains fell off his hands .
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The angel said to him , "
Put on your belt and your sandals ."
Peter did so .
The angel said to him , "
Throw your cloak around you and follow me ."
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Peter came out and followed along ,
not knowing whether what the angel was doing was real .
He thought he was seeing a vision .
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After passing the first guard and the second ,
they came to the iron gate that leads into the city .
This opened for them of its own accord and they went out and went along one street .
Then suddenly the angel left him .
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When Peter came to himself ,
he said , "
Now I know truly that the Lord has sent his angel and has delivered me out of the hands of Herod ,
and from all the expectation of the Jewish people ."
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So understanding the situation ,
he came to the house of Mary the mother of John called Mark ,
where a number were assembled and were praying .
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When Peter knocked at the door of the entry ,
a girl named Rhoda came to listen ,
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and when she recognized Peter '
s voice ,
without opening the door ,
she ran for joy and told them that Peter was standing at the door .
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They said to her , "
You are insane ."
But she was positive that it was so .
They said , "
It is his angel ."
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Peter continued knocking .
When they opened the door and saw him they were amazed .
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He motioned to them with his hand to be silent ,
and explained to them how the Lord had delivered him out of the prison ,
and he said , "
Tell this to James and the brethren ."
Then he left and went to a different place .
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When day came there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter .
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Herod searched for him ,
but not finding him he closely questioned the guards and ordered them to be led away to execution .
Then he went down from Jerusalem to Caesarea and stayed there .