Acts 12

New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel

Acts 12

1Now at that time Herod the king put forth his hands to harm some from the church.Κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον δὲ τὸν καιρὸν ἐπέβαλεν Ἡρῴδης ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰς χεῖρας κακῶσαί τινας τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας.

2And he put to death James the brother of John with the sword.ἀνεῖλε δὲ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννου μαχαίρᾳ.

3And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further to arrest Peter also (these were during the days of Unleavened Bread),καὶ ἰδὼν ὅτι ἀρεστόν ἐστι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις προσέθετο συλλαβεῖν καὶ Πέτρον—ἦσαν δὲ αἱ ἡμέραι τῶν ἀζύμων—

4whom also seizing, he put him in prison, and handed him over to four four-man squads of soldiers to guard him, planning after the Passover to bring him again to the people.ὃν καὶ πιάσας ἔθετο εἰς φυλακὴν παραδοὺς τέσσαρσι τετραδίοις στρατιωτῶν φυλάσσειν αὐτόν, βουλόμενος μετὰ τὸ Πάσχα ἀναγαγεῖν αὐτὸν τῷ λαῷ.

5Therefore Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer was being made by the church to God on his behalf.ὁ μὲν οὖν Πέτρος ἐτηρεῖτο ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ· προσευχὴ δὲ ἦν ἐκτενὴς γινομένη ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ.

6But when Herod was about to bring him forth, on that night Peter was sleeping, between two soldiers, having been bound with two chains; and guards before the door were keeping the prison.Ὅτε δὲ ἔμελλεν αὐτὸν προάγειν ὁ Ἡρῴδης, τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ ἦν ὁ Πέτρος κοιμώμενος μεταξὺ δύο στρατιωτῶν δεδεμένος ἁλύσεσι δυσί, φύλακές τε πρὸ τῆς θύρας ἐτήρουν τὴν φυλακήν.

7And behold, an angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shined in the prison room; and striking the side of Peter, he roused him saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell away from his hands.καὶ ἰδού, ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἐπέστη, καὶ φῶς ἔλαμψεν ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι· πατάξας δὲ τὴν πλευρὰν τοῦ Πέτρου ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν λέγων, Ἀνάστα ἐν τάχει. καὶ ἐξέπεσον αὐτοῦ αἱ ἁλύσεις ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν.

8And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals”; and he did so. And he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”εἶπέ τε ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς αὐτόν, Περίζωσαι καὶ ὑπόδησαι τὰ σανδάλιά σου. ἐποίησε δὲ οὕτω. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ, Περιβαλοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιόν σου καὶ ἀκολούθει μοι.

9And going out, he was following him, and did not know that the thing taking place by the angel was real, but he was thinking that he was seeing a vision.καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι ἀληθές ἐστι τὸ γινόμενον διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου, ἐδόκει δὲ ὅραμα βλέπειν.

10And going though the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city, which was opened to them of its own accord; and going out, they went forward one street, and immediately the angel withdrew from him.διελθόντες δὲ πρώτην φυλακὴν καὶ δευτέραν ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην τὴν σιδηρᾶν τὴν φέρουσαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ἥτις αὐτομάτη ἠνοίχθη αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐξελθόντες προῆλθον ῥύμην μίαν, καὶ εὐθέως ἀπέστη ὁ ἄγγελος ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ.

11And Peter, having come to himself, said, “Now I know truly that the Lord has sent forth His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jews.”καὶ ὁ Πέτρος γενόμενος ἐν ἑαυτῷ εἶπε, Νῦν οἶδα ἀληθῶς ὅτι ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξείλετό με ἐκ χειρὸς Ἡρῴδου καὶ πάσης τῆς προσδοκίας τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων.

12And realizing this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where a considerable number were gathered together and were praying.συνιδών τε ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν Μαρίας τῆς μητρὸς Ἰωάννου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Μάρκου, οὗ ἦσαν ἱκανοὶ συνηθροισμένοι καὶ προσευχόμενοι.

13And when Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl came to answer, named Rhoda.κρούσαντος δὲ τοῦ Πέτρου τὴν θύραν τοῦ πυλῶνος προσῆλθε παιδίσκη ὑπακοῦσαι ὀνόματι Ῥόδη.

14When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but running in, she announced that Peter stood at the gate.καὶ ἐπιγνοῦσα τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ Πέτρου, ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς οὐκ ἤνοιξε τὸν πυλῶνα, εἰσδραμοῦσα δὲ ἀπήγγειλεν ἑστάναι τὸν Πέτρον πρὸ τοῦ πυλῶνος.

15But they said to her, “You are mad!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”οἱ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶπον, Μαίνῃ. ἡ δὲ διϊσχυρίζετο οὕτως ἔχειν. οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον, Ὁ ἄγγελος αὐτοῦ ἐστιν.

16But Peter was continuing knocking; and opening the door they saw him, and were astounded.ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἐπέμενε κρούων· ἀνοίξαντες δὲ εἶδον αὐτὸν καὶ ἐξέστησαν.

17And motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” And going out, he went to another place.κατασείσας δὲ αὐτοῖς τῇ χειρὶ σιγᾶν διηγήσατο αὐτοῖς πῶς ὁ Κύριος αὐτὸν ἐξήγαγεν ἐκ τῆς φυλακῆς. εἶπε δέ, Ἀπαγγείλατε Ἰακώβῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ταῦτα. καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἐπορεύθη εἰς ἕτερον τόπον.

18Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers, as to what had become of Peter.Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ἦν τάραχος οὐκ ὀλίγος ἐν τοῖς στρατιώταις, τί ἄρα ὁ Πέτρος ἐγένετο.

19And Herod, seeking for him and not finding him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they be executed. And going down from Judea to Caesarea, he was spending time there.Ἡρῴδης δὲ ἐπιζητήσας αὐτὸν καὶ μὴ εὑρών, ἀνακρίνας τοὺς φύλακας ἐκέλευσεν ἀπαχθῆναι. καὶ κατελθὼν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰς τὴν Καισάρειαν διέτριβεν.

20Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one purpose they came to him, and persuading Blastus, the one over the king's bedroom, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king's country.Ἦν δὲ ὁ Ἡρῴδης θυμομαχῶν Τυρίοις καὶ Σιδωνίοις· ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ παρῆσαν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ πείσαντες Βλάστον τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος τοῦ βασιλέως ᾐτοῦντο εἰρήνην διὰ τὸ τρέφεσθαι αὐτῶν τὴν χώραν ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλικῆς.

21And on an appointed day Herod, clothing himself with royal apparel, and sitting on the judgment seat, was delivering an address to them.τακτῇ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ Ἡρῴδης ἐνδυσάμενος ἐσθῆτα βασιλικὴν καὶ καθίσας ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος ἐδημηγόρει πρὸς αὐτούς.

22And the crowds kept calling out, “This is the voice of a god and not of a man!”Ὁ δὲ δῆμος ἐπεφώνει, Φωνὴ θεοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώπου.

23Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.παραχρῆμα δὲ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὸν ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἀνθ᾽ ὧν οὐκ ἔδωκε δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ γενόμενος σκωληκόβρωτος ἐξέψυξεν.

24But the word of God increased and multiplied.Ὁ δὲ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ηὔξανε καὶ ἐπληθύνετο.

25And Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, having fulfilled their ministry, taking along with them John also, whose surname was Mark.Βαρνάβας δὲ καὶ Σαῦλος ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ πληρώσαντες τὴν διακονίαν, συμπαραλαβόντες καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἐπικληθέντα Μάρκον.

The Fathers on Acts 12

Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Acts 12:1–2

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

“Now at that time Herod the King stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread.”

Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →

On Acts 12:18–19

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

“Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Cæsarea, and there abode.”

Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →