Herod Causes Trouble for the Church
1 At that time King Herod caused terrible suffering for some members of the church. 2 He ordered soldiers to cut off the head of James, the brother of John. 3 When Herod saw that this pleased the Jewish people, he had Peter arrested during the Festival of Thin Bread. 4 He put Peter in jail and ordered four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after the festival.
5 While Peter was being kept in jail, the church never stopped praying to God for him.
Peter Is Rescued
6 The night before Peter was to be put on trial, he was asleep and bound by two chains. A soldier was guarding him on each side, and two other soldiers were guarding the entrance to the jail. 7 Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared, and light flashed around in the cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him up. Then he said, “Quick! Get up!”
The chains fell off his hands, 8 and the angel said, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” Peter did what he was told. Then the angel said, “Now put on your coat and follow me.” 9 Peter left with the angel, but he thought everything was only a dream. 10 They went past the two groups of soldiers, and when they came to the iron gate to the city, it opened by itself. They went out and were going along the street, when all at once the angel disappeared.
11 Peter now realized what had happened, and he said, “I am certain that the Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders planned to do to me.” 12 Then Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many of the Lord's followers had come together there and were praying.
13 Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she heard Peter's voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said Peter was standing there.
15 “You are crazy!” everyone told her. But she kept saying it was Peter. Then they said, “It must be his angel.” 16 But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate. They saw him and were completely amazed.
17 Peter motioned for them to keep quiet. Then he told how the Lord had led him out of jail. He also said, “Tell James and the others what has happened.” After that, he left and went somewhere else.
18 The next morning the soldiers who had been on guard were terribly worried and wondered what had happened to Peter. 19 Herod ordered his own soldiers to search for him, but they could not find him. Then he questioned the guards and had them put to death. After this, Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
Herod Dies
20 Herod and the people of Tyre and Sidon were very angry with each other. But their country got its food supply from the region that he ruled. So a group of them went to see Blastus, who was one of Herod's high officials. They convinced Blastus that they wanted to make peace between their cities and Herod, 21 and a day was set for them to meet with him.
Herod came dressed in his royal robes. He sat down on his throne and made a speech. 22 The people shouted, “You speak more like a god than a man!” 23 At once an angel from the Lord struck him down because he took the honor that belonged to God. Later, Herod was eaten by worms and died.
24 God's message kept spreading. 25 And after Barnabas and Saul had done the work they were sent to do, they went back to Jerusalem with John, whose other name was Mark.
1 Ap to pašu laiku ķēniņš Hērods apcietināja dažus draudzes locekļus, gribēdams tiem darīt ļaunu. 2 Viņš lika nogalināt ar zobenu Jēkabu, Jāņa brāli. 3 Redzēdams, ka tas jūdiem patika, viņš lika saņemt arī Pēteri. Bet bija Neraudzētās maizes dienas. 4 Viņš pavēlēja to saņemt un ielikt cietumā, nodevis sešpadsmit kareivjiem, kas pa četriem to sargāja, gribēdams viņu pēc Pashā svētkiem vest ļaužu priekšā. 5 Pēteri cietumā apsargāja; bet draudze bez mitēšanās par viņu lūdza Dievu. 6 Kad Hērods viņu gribēja vest priekšā, tanī naktī Pēteris gulēja starp divi kareivjiem, divām važām saistīts, un sargi durvju priekšā sargāja cietumu. 7 Un redzi, Tā Kunga eņģelis piestājās un gaisma apspīdēja cietuma istabu; viņš pieskārās Pētera sāniem un to modināja, sacīdams: "Celies ātri augšā!" Un važas nokrita no viņa rokām. 8 Eņģelis viņam sacīja: "Apjozies un apauj kājas!" Viņš tā darīja. Un tas turpināja: "Apvelc savas drēbes un seko man!" 9 Viņš iznācis tam sekoja un nezināja, ka notikums ar eņģeli ir īstenība, bet viņam šķita, ka redz parādību. 10 Izgājuši caur pirmo un otru sardzi, viņi nonāca pie dzelzs vārtiem, kas iet uz pilsētu; tie viņiem paši no sevis atvērās; izgājuši viņi nostaigāja vienu ielu, un tūdaļ eņģelis no viņa atstājās. 11 Pēteris atjēdzies sacīja: "Tagad es tiešām zinu, ka Tas Kungs sūtījis Savu eņģeli un izpestījis mani no Hēroda rokas un visiem jūdu draudiem." 12 To apzinājies, viņš devās uz Marijas namu; tā bija Jāņa, kam pievārds Marks, māte. Tur bija daudz sapulcējušies un lūdza Dievu. 13 Viņam pie vārtiem klauvējot, kāda kalpone, vārdā Rode, nāca klausīties; 14 un, Pētera balsi pazinusi, viņa aiz prieka neatvēra, bet steidzās un pavēstīja, ka Pēteris stāvot vārtu priekšā. 15 Tie viņai sacīja: "Tu esi traka." Bet viņa noteikti apgalvoja, ka tā esot. Tie sacīja: "Tas ir viņa eņģelis." 16 Pēteris joprojām klauvēja. Viņi atvēra un atvēruši, to redzēdami, izbijās. 17 Viņš tiem māja ar roku, lai tie klusētu, un tiem pastāstīja, kā Tas Kungs viņu izvedis no cietuma. Viņš sacīja: "Pasakait to Jēkabam un brāļiem!" Un izgājis viņš devās uz citu vietu. 18 Bet, kad gaisma ausa, kareivjus pārņēma liels uztraukums, kas gan ar Pēteri esot noticis. 19 Hērods viņu meklēja, bet neatrada. Nopratinājis sargus, viņš pavēlēja tos notiesāt un, aizgājis no Jūdejas uz Cezareju, palika tur. 20 Viņam bija naids pret tiriešiem un sidoniešiem; bet tie nāca vienprātīgi pie viņa un, pierunājuši ķēniņa galminieku Blastu, lūdza mieru, tāpēc ka viņu zeme saņēma uzturu no ķēniņa zemes. 21 Noteiktajā dienā Hērods, apvilcis ķēniņa tērpu, apsēdās tronī un runāja uz tiem tautas priekšā. 22 Bet ļaudis sauca: "Tā ir Dieva balss, ne cilvēka!" 23 Tūdaļ Tā Kunga eņģelis viņu sita, tāpēc ka viņš nedeva Dievam godu, un viņš tika tārpu saēsts un nomira. 24 Bet Tā Kunga vārds auga un izplatījās. 25 Savu uzdevumu Jeruzālemē izpildījuši, Barnaba un Sauls griezās atpakaļ, ņemdami līdzi Jāni, ar pievārdu Marks.
