1 Ora, naquele tempo o rei Herodes estendeu suas mãos para maltratar alguns da igreja.2 E matou Tiago, irmão de João, à espada.3 E, ele vendo que isso agradara aos judeus, prosseguiu e tomou também a Pedro. (E eram os dias dos pães ázimos).4 E, havendo-o prendido, ele o colocou na prisão, entregando-o a quatro quaternos de soldados, para que o guardassem, querendo apresentá-lo ao povo depois da Páscoa.5 Portanto, Pedro era guardado na prisão; mas a igreja fazia oração sem cessar por ele a Deus.6 E, quando Herodes estava para trazê-lo, nessa mesma noite, Pedro estava dormindo entre dois soldados, preso com duas correntes, e os guardas diante da porta guardavam a prisão.7 E eis que o anjo do Senhor veio sobre ele, e resplandeceu uma luz na prisão; e, tocando a Pedro no lado, o despertou, dizendo: Levanta-te depressa. E caíram-lhe das mãos as suas correntes.8 E disse-lhe o anjo: Cinge-te e ata as tuas sandálias. E assim ele o fez. E ele disse-lhe: Lança a tua veste sobre ti, e segue-me.9 E, ele saindo, o seguia. E não sabia que era verdadeiro o que estava sendo feito pelo anjo, mas ele achava que via alguma visão.10 E, quando eles passaram a primeira e a segunda guarda, chegaram ao portão de ferro que dá para a cidade, o qual se lhes abriu por si mesma; saíram e percorreram uma rua, e imediatamente o anjo se apartou dele.11 E, Pedro, tendo voltado a si, disse: Agora verdadeiramente eu sei que o Senhor enviou o seu anjo e me livrou da mão de Herodes, e de toda a expectativa do povo dos judeus.12 E ele, considerando isto, foi à casa de Maria, mãe de João, cujo sobrenome era Marcos, onde muitos estavam reunidos e oravam.13 E quando Pedro bateu à porta do pátio, uma donzela chamada Rode saiu a escutar.14 E, reconhecendo a voz de Pedro, ela não abriu a porta de alegria, mas, correndo para dentro, anunciou que Pedro estava à porta.15 E disseram-lhe: Estás louca. Mas ela afirmava continuamente que era assim. E eles diziam: É o seu anjo.16 Mas Pedro continuava batendo, e, quando abriram a porta, viram-no e se espantaram.17 E, acenando-lhes ele com a mão para que se calassem, declarou-lhes como o Senhor o tirara da prisão, e ele disse: Vai e mostra estas coisas a Tiago e aos irmãos. E, partindo, foi para outro lugar.18 E, sendo já dia, houve não pouco alvoroço entre os soldados sobre o que seria feito de Pedro.19 E, quando Herodes o procurou e o não achou, ele examinou aos guardas, e ordenou que eles fossem mortos. E, ele foi da Judeia para Cesareia, e permaneceu ali.20 E Herodes estava muito irritado com os de Tiro e de Sidom; mas estes, vindo de comum acordo ter com ele e tendo feito amizade com Blasto, o camareiro do rei, pediam paz, porque o seu país era alimentado pelo país do rei.21 E, num dia designado, vestindo Herodes as vestes reais, estava assentado no seu trono e lhes dirigiu um discurso.22 E o povo gritava, dizendo: Esta é a voz de um deus, e não de um homem.23 E imediatamente, o anjo do Senhor feriu-o, porque ele não deu glória a Deus; e ele foi comido pelos vermes, e rendeu o espírito.24 Mas a palavra de Deus crescia e se multiplicava.25 E Barnabé e Saulo voltaram de Jerusalém, quando terminaram seu ministério, e levaram também consigo a João, que tinha por sobrenome Marcos.

1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to oppress some from the church.2 And he killed Jacob the brother of John with the sword.3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. (And it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.)4 So when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after Passover.5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.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 keeping the prison.7 And behold, the 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 bind on your sandals; and he did so. And He said to him, Throw around your garment and follow Me.9 So he went out and followed Him, and did not know that what was done through the Angel was real, but thought 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, 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 the Lord has sent His Angel, and has rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.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.13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to listen.14 And 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, It is his angel.16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go, tell these things to Jacob and to the brethren. And he departed and went to another place.18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.19 And when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be led away to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.20 Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his platform and gave an oration to them.22 And the people kept shouting, The voice of a god and not of a man!23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.24 But the Word of God grew and increased.25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.