Acts 12

James Killed and Peter Imprisoned

1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James a the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during b the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So c when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four 1 squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but 2 constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

Peter Is Rescued

6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were 3 keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, d an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 9 So he went out and followed him, and e did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought f he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, g which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that h the Lord has sent His angel, and i has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."

12 So, when he had considered this, j he came to the house of Mary, the mother of k John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together l praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, m "It is his angel." 16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But n motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren." And he departed and went to another place.

18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small 4 stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

The Death of Herod

20 Now Herod had been very angry with the people of o Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus 5 the king's personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because p their country was 6 supplied with food by the king's country. 21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord q struck him, because r he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and 7 died.

24 But s the word of God grew and multiplied.

25 And t Barnabas and Saul returned 8 from Jerusalem when they had u fulfilled their ministry, and they also v took with them w John whose surname was Mark.

  1. Cross References
    Matthew 4:21
    Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them.
    Matthew 20:23
    So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.
  2. Cross References
    Exodus 12:15
    Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
    Exodus 23:15
    You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty).
    Acts 20:6
    But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
  3. Cross References
    John 21:18
    "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
  4. Cross References
    Acts 5:19
    But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said.
  5. Cross References
    Psalms 126:1
    When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.
  6. Cross References
    Acts 10:3
    About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!
    Acts 10:17
    Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate.
    Acts 11:5
    I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.
  7. Cross References
    Acts 5:19
    But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said.
    Acts 16:26
    Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.
  8. Cross References
    Psalms 34:7
    The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
    Daniel 3:28
    Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego', who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!
    Daniel 6:22
    "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you."
    Hebrews 1:14
    Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
  9. Cross References
    Job 5:19
    He shall deliver you in six troubles, Yes, in s...
    Psalms 33:18
    Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fea...
    Psalms 33:19
    To deliver their soul from death, And to keep t...
    Psalms 34:22
    The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And ...
    Psalms 41:2
    The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, ...
    2 Corinthians 1:10
    Who delivered us from so great a death, and doe...
    2 Peter 2:9
    Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly ou...
  10. Cross References
    Acts 4:23
    And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
  11. Cross References
    Acts 13:5
    And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
    Acts 13:13
    Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.
    Acts 15:37
    Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
    2 Timothy 4:11
    Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
    1 Peter 5:13
    She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son.
  12. Cross References
    Acts 12:5
    Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 48:16
    The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
    Matthew 18:10
    Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
  14. Cross References
    Acts 13:16
    Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:
    Acts 19:33
    And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people.
    Acts 21:40
    So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying.
  15. Cross References
    Matthew 11:21
    Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
  16. Cross References
    1 Kings 5:11
    And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of pressed oil. Thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year.
    Ezra 3:7
    They also gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the permission which they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
    Ezekiel 27:17
    Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and balm.
  17. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:38
    Then it happened, after about ten days, that the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.
    2 Samuel 24:16
    And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "It is enough; now restrain your hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
    2 Samuel 24:17
    Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, "Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father's house.
    2 Kings 19:35
    And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses - all dead.
    Acts 5:19
    But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 115:1
    Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth.
  19. Cross References
    Isaiah 55:11
    So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
    Acts 6:7
    Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
    Acts 19:20
    So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
  20. Cross References
    Acts 11:30
    This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
  21. Cross References
    Acts 11:30
    This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
  22. Cross References
    Acts 13:5
    And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
    Acts 13:13
    Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.
  23. Cross References
    Acts 12:12
    So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
    Acts 15:37
    Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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