1 Nessa ocasião, o rei Herodes prendeu alguns que pertenciam à igreja, com a intenção de maltratá-los,
2 e mandou matar à espada Tiago, irmão de João.
3 Vendo que isso agradava aos judeus, prosseguiu, prendendo também Pedro, durante a festa dos pães sem fermento.
4 Tendo-o prendido, lançou-o no cárcere, entregando-o para ser guardado por quatro escoltas de quatro soldados cada uma. Herodes pretendia submetê-lo a julgamento público depois da Páscoa.
5 Pedro, então, ficou detido na prisão, mas a igreja orava intensamente a Deus por ele.
6 Na noite anterior ao dia em que Herodes iria submetê-lo a julgamento, Pedro estava dormindo entre dois soldados, preso com duas algemas, e sentinelas montavam guarda à entrada do cárcere.
7 Repentinamente apareceu um anjo do Senhor, e uma luz brilhou na cela. Ele tocou no lado de Pedro e o acordou. "Depressa, levante-se! ", disse ele. Então as algemas caíram dos punhos de Pedro.
8 O anjo lhe disse: "Vista-se e calce as sandálias". E Pedro assim fez. Disse-lhe ainda o anjo: "Ponha a capa e siga-me".
9 E, saindo, Pedro o seguiu, não sabendo que era real o que se fazia por meio do anjo; tudo lhe parecia uma visão.
10 Passaram a primeira e a segunda guarda, e chegaram ao portão de ferro que dava para a cidade. Este se abriu por si mesmo para eles, e passaram. Tendo saído, caminharam ao longo de uma rua, e de repente, o anjo o deixou.
11 Então Pedro caiu em si e disse: "Agora sei, sem nenhuma dúvida, que o Senhor enviou o seu anjo e me libertou das mãos de Herodes e de tudo o que o povo judeu esperava".
12 Percebendo isso, ele se dirigiu à casa de Maria, mãe de João, também chamado Marcos, onde muita gente se havia reunido e estava orando.
13 Pedro bateu à porta do alpendre, e uma serva chamada Rode veio atender.
14 Ao reconhecer a voz de Pedro, tomada de alegria, ela correu de volta, sem abrir a porta, e exclamou: "Pedro está à porta! "
15 Eles porém lhe disseram: "Você está fora de si! " Insistindo ela em afirmar que era Pedro, disseram-lhe: "Deve ser o anjo dele".
16 Mas Pedro continuou batendo e, quando abriram a porta e o viram, ficaram perplexos.
17 Mas ele, fazendo-lhes sinal para que se calassem, descreveu como o Senhor o havia tirado da prisão e disse: "Contem isso a Tiago e aos irmãos". Então saiu e foi para outro lugar.
18 De manhã, não foi pequeno o alvoroço entre os soldados quanto ao que tinha acontecido a Pedro.
19 Fazendo uma busca completa e não o encontrando, Herodes fez uma investigação entre os guardas e ordenou que fossem executados. Depois Herodes foi da Judéia para Cesaréia e permaneceu ali durante algum tempo.
20 Ele estava cheio de ira contra o povo de Tiro e Sidom; contudo, eles haviam se reunido e procuravam ter uma audiência com ele. Tendo conseguido o apoio de Blasto, homem de confiança do rei, pediram paz, porque dependiam das terras do rei para obter alimento.
21 No dia marcado, Herodes, vestindo seus trajes reais, sentou-se em seu trono e fez um discurso ao povo.
22 Eles começaram a gritar: "É voz de deus, e não de homem".
23 Visto que Herodes não glorificou a Deus, imediatamente um anjo do Senhor o feriu; e ele morreu comido por vermes.
24 Entretanto, a palavra de Deus continuava a crescer e a espalhar-se.
25 Tendo terminado sua missão, Barnabé e Saulo voltaram de Jerusalém, levando consigo João, também chamado Marcos.
1 Now, in the course of that season, Herod the king thrust forth his hands to harm some of them of the assembly,
2 And slew James the brother with a sword;
3 And, seeing that it was acceptable unto the Jews, he went on to apprehend Peter also (now they were the days of unleavened bread),
4 Whom also having seized, he put into prison, delivering him up unto four quaternions of soldiers, to be guarding him,intending, after the passover, to bring him up unto the people.
5 Peter, therefore, was kept in the prison; but, prayer, was, earnestly, being made by the assembly, unto God, concerning him.
6 And, when Herod was about to bring him forth, on that night, was Peter sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, guards, also, before the door, were keeping the prison.
7 And lo! a messenger of the Lord stood over him, and a light shone in the cell; and, smiting the side of Peter, he roused him up, sayingRise up quickly! And his chains fell off out of his hands.
8 And the messenger said unto himGird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto himThrow around thee thy mantle, and be following me.
9 And, coming out, he began following, and knew not that it was true which was coming about through means of the messenger; but supposed that, a vision, he was beholding.
10 And, passing through the first ward and the second, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city, the which, of its own accord, opened unto them; and, coming out, they went on through one street, and, straightway, the messenger was parted from him.
11 And, Peter, coming to himself saidNow, know I, of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his messenger, and taken me out of the hand of Herod, and all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
12 And, considering the matter, he came unto the house of Mary, the mother who was surnamed Mark, where a considerable number were gathered together and praying.
13 And, when he had knocked at the door of the porch, there came unto it a maiden to hearken, by name Rhoda;
14 And, recognizing the voice of Peter, by reason of her joy, she opened not the porch,but, running in, bare tidings that Peter was standing before the porch. But, they, unto her, saidThou art raving
15 She, however, kept on strongly declaring that, so, it was. But, they, were sayingIt is his, messenger.
16 And, Peter, continued knocking; and, opening, they saw him, and were amazed.
17 But, making a sign to them with his hand to hold their peace, he related to them how, the Lord, had brought, him, forth out of the prison; and he saidCarry tidings unto James and the brethren, as to these things. And, going out, he went his way unto some other place.
18 And, when it became day, there was no small commotion among the soldiers, as to what, then, Peter had become!
19 And, Herod, seeking after and not finding, him, having examined the guards, ordered them to be led away
20 Now he was bitterly hostile to them of Tyre and Zidon; but, with one accord, they came unto him, and, persuading Blastus, who was over the bed-chamber of the king, they were suing for peace; because their country was fed by the kings,
21 And, on an appointed day, Herod, putting on royal apparel, and seating himself upon the tribunal, proceeded to deliver an oration unto them.
22 And, the populace, began to shoutA gods, voice, and not, a mans!
23 And, instantly, there smote him, a messenger of the Lord, because he gave not the glory unto God; and, becoming worm-eaten, he expired.
24 And, the word of the Lord, went on growing and multiplying.
25 And, Barnabas and Saul, returned unto Jerusalem, fulfilling the ministering, taking with them John who was surnamed Mark.