Acts:12

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* About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church . * He killed James the brother of John with the sword ; * and when he saw that it pleased the Jews , he proceeded to arrest Peter also . This was during the days of Unleavened Bread . * And when he had seized him , he put him in prison , and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him , intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people . * So Peter was kept in prison ; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church . * The very night when Herod was about to bring him out , Peter was sleeping between two soldiers , bound with two chains , and sentries before the door were guarding the prison ; * and behold , an angel of the Lord appeared , and a light shone in the cell ; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him , saying , "Get up quickly ." And the chains fell off his hands . * And the angel said to him , "Dress yourself and put on your sandals ." And he did so . And he said to him , "Wrap your mantle around you and follow me ." * And he went out and followed him ; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real , but thought he was seeing a vision . * When they had passed the first and the second guard , they came to the iron gate leading into the city . It opened to them of its own accord , and they went out and passed on through one street ; and immediately the angel left him . * And Peter came to himself , and said , "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting ." * When he realized this , he went to the house of Mary , the mother of John whose other name was Mark , where many were gathered together and were praying . * And when he knocked at the door of the gateway , a maid named Rhoda came to answer . * Recognizing Peter 's voice , in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and told that Peter was standing at the gate . * They said to her , "You are mad ." But she insisted that it was so . They said , "It is his angel !" * But Peter continued knocking ; and when they opened , they saw him and were amazed . * But motioning to them with his hand to be silent , he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison . And he said , "Tell this to James and to the brethren ." Then he departed and went to another place . * Now when day came , there was no small stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter . * And when Herod had sought for him and could not find him , he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death . Then he went down from Judea to Caesare 'a , and remained there . * Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon ; and they came to him in a body , and having persuaded Blastus , the king 's chamberlain , they asked for peace , because their country depended on the king 's country for food . * On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes , took his seat upon the throne , and made an oration to them . * And the people shouted , "The voice of a god , and not of man !" * Immediately an angel of the Lord smote him , because he did not give God the glory ; and he was eaten by worms and died . * But the word of God grew and multiplied . * And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission , bringing with them John whose other name was Mark .

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