Acts of the Apostles

One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius.

The disciples, as anyone had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;

which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Now about that time, Herod the king stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly.

He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread.

When he had captured him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.

The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, "Stand up quickly!" His chains fell off from his hands.

The angel said to him, "Put on your clothes, and tie on your sandals." He did so. He said to him, "Put on your cloak, and follow me."

He went out, and followed him. He didn't know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.

When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and passed on through one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

When Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting."

Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

When she recognized Peter's voice, she didn't open the gate for joy, but ran in, and reported that Peter stood before the gate.

They said to her, "You are crazy!" But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel."

But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.

But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Tell these things to James, and to the brothers." He departed, and went to another place.