1 At that time Herod the king mistreated those of the congregation.2 He killed James the brother of John with a sword.3 He saw that it pleased the Jews so he captured Peter also. This happened during the feast of unleavened bread.4 When he apprehended him, he put him in prison. He turned him over to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. After Passover he would be presented to the people.5 Peter was kept in prison. Prayer was made without ceasing by the congregation to God for him.6 It was the night before Herod was to bring him to trial. Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was bound with two chains. Sentries stood guard at the prison door.7 Suddenly God’s angel came to him. A light shined in the prison. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up saying: »Get up quickly.« And his chains fell off of his hands.8 The angel said: »Dress yourself and put on sandals. Put on your coat and follow me.« So Peter did as he was told.9 Peter followed him out of the prison. He did not know what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he saw a vision.10 They went past the first and second guard to the Iron Gate that leads to the city. The gate opened and went out on the street. The angel then departed from him.11 Peter came to himself and he said: »Now I know for sure that God sent his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jews.«12 After he thought about what happened he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, surnamed Mark. Many were gathered there to pray.13 Peter knocked on the door and a young woman named Rhoda answered.14 When she recognized Peter’s voice she was so overjoyed she ran back into the house to tell others he was there. She forgot to open the door for him.15 They said to her: »You are mad.« But she kept insisting that it was so. Then they said: »It must be his angel.«16 But Peter continued knocking. When they opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.17 Peter motioned for them to be quiet. Then he told them how God brought him out of the prison. He said: »Tell James and the brothers.« Then he went away to another place.18 When day came the soldiers were disturbed by what happened to Peter.19 Herod had a thorough search made for him and could not find him. He cross examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Herod went from Judea to Caesarea to stay for a while.20 Herod highly disagreed with them at Tyre and Sidon. But they finally came to an agreement. They secured the support of Blastus a trusted personal servant of the king. They desired peace because their country was supported by the king’s country.21 Dressed in royal apparel, Herod delivered a public address to the people on a special day.22 The people shouted: »It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.«23 Immediately the angel of God killed him, because he did not give God the glory. He was eaten by worms and died.24 The word of God increased and spread.25 Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their mission. They took with them John, surnamed Mark.

1 Por aquele mesmo tempo o rei Herodes estendeu as mãos sobre alguns da igreja, para os maltratar;2 e matou à espada Tiago, irmão de João.3 Vendo que isso agradava aos judeus, continuou, mandando prender também a Pedro. {Eram então os dias dos pães ázimos.}4 E, havendo-o prendido, lançou-o na prisão, entregando-o a quatro grupos de quatro soldados cada um para o guardarem, tencionando apresentá-lo ao povo depois da páscoa.5 Pedro, pois, estava guardado na prisão; mas a igreja orava com insistência a Deus por ele.6 Ora quando Herodes estava para apresentá-lo, nessa mesma noite estava Pedro dormindo entre dois soldados, acorrentado com duas cadeias e as sentinelas diante da porta guardavam a prisão.7 E eis que sobreveio um anjo do Senhor, e uma luz resplandeceu na prisão; e ele, tocando no lado de Pedro, o despertou, dizendo: Levanta-te depressa. E caíram-lhe das mãos as cadeias.8 Disse-lhe ainda o anjo: Cinge-te e calça as tuas sandálias. E ele o fez. Disse-lhe mais; Cobre-te com a tua capa e segue-me.9 Pedro, saindo, o seguia, mesmo sem compreender que era real o que se fazia por intermédio de um anjo, julgando que era uma visão.10 Depois de terem passado a primeira e a segunda sentinela, chegaram à porta de ferro, que dá para a cidade, a qual se lhes abriu por si mesma; e tendo saído, passaram uma rua, e logo o anjo se apartou dele.11 Pedro então, tornando a si, disse: Agora sei verdadeiramente que o Senhor enviou o seu anjo, e me livrou da mão de Herodes e de toda a expectativa do povo dos judeus.12 Depois de assim refletir foi à casa de Maria, mãe de João, que tem por sobrenome Marcos, onde muitas pessoas estavam reunidas e oravam.13 Quando ele bateu ao portão do pátio, uma criada chamada Rode saiu a escutar;14 e, reconhecendo a voz de Pedro, de gozo não abriu o portão, mas, correndo para dentro, anunciou que Pedro estava lá fora.15 Eles lhe disseram: Estás louca. Ela, porém, assegurava que assim era. Eles então diziam: É o seu anjo.16 Mas Pedro continuava a bater, e, quando abriram, viram-no e pasmaram.17 Mas ele, acenando-lhes com a mão para que se calassem, contou-lhes como o Senhor o tirara da prisão, e disse: Anunciai isto a Tiago e aos irmãos. E, saindo, partiu para outro lugar.18 Logo que amanheceu, houve grande alvoroço entre os soldados sobre o que teria sido feito de Pedro.19 E Herodes, tendo-o procurado e não o achando, inquiriu as sentinelas e mandou que fossem justiçadas; e descendo da Judéia para Cesaréia, demorou-se ali.20 Ora, Herodes estava muito irritado contra os de Tiro e de Sidom; mas estes, vindo de comum acordo ter com ele e obtendo a amizade de Blasto, camareiro do rei, pediam paz, porquanto o seu país se abastecia do país do rei.21 Num dia designado, Herodes, vestido de trajes reais, sentou-se no trono e dirigia-lhes a palavra.22 E o povo exclamava: É a voz de um deus, e não de um homem.23 No mesmo instante o anjo do Senhor o feriu, porque não deu glória a Deus; e, comido de vermes, expirou.24 E a palavra de Deus crescia e se multiplicava.25 Barnabé e Saulo, havendo terminado aquele serviço, voltaram de Jerusalém, levando consigo a João, que tem por sobrenome Marcos.