Atos 12

¹ NowGod gives his Church peace only for a short time.about that timeThis name Herod was common to all those that come from the stock of Herod Ascalonites, whose surname was Magnus: but he that is spoken of here was nephew to Herod the great, son to Aristobulus, and father to the Agrippa who is spoken of afterwards.Herod the king stretched forth [his] hands to vex certain of the church.

² And heViolently, his cause not being heard at all.killed James the brother of John with the sword.

³ It is an old habit of tyrants to attain the favour of the wicked, with the blood of the godly.And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

⁴ The tyrants and wicked make a gallows for themselves even then when they do most according to their own will and fantasy.And when he had apprehended him, he put [him] in prison, and delivered [him] to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

⁵ The prayers of the godly overturn the counsel of tyrants, obtain angels from God, break the prison, unloose the chains, put Satan to flight, and preserve the Church.Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

⁶ And when Herod woulde haue brought him out vnto the people, the same night slept Peter betweene two souldiers, bound with two chaines, and the keepers before the doore, kept the prison.

⁷ And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon [him], and a light shined in theLiterally, «habitation»; (Ed.).prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from [his] hands.

⁸ And the Angel saide vnto him, Girde thy selfe, and binde on thy sandales; so he did. Then he said vnto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and followe me.

⁹ So Peter came out and followed him, and knewe not that it was true, which was done by the Angel, but thought he had seene a vision.

¹⁰ Nowe when they were past the first and the second watch, they came vnto the yron gate, that leadeth vnto the citie, which opened to them by it owne accord, and they went out, and passed through one streete, and by and by the Angel departed from him.

¹¹ And when Peter was come to himselfe, he said, Nowe I know for a trueth, that the Lord hath sent his Angel, and hath deliuered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the wayting for of the people of the Iewes.

¹² Holy meetings in the nights of both men and women (when they cannot take place in the day time) are allowable by the example of the apostles.And when he had considered [the thing], he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

¹³ We obtain more from God than we dare well hope for.And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damselOut of the place where they were assembled, but not out of the house.came to hearken, named Rhoda.

¹⁴ But when she knew Peters voyce, she opened not the entrie doore for gladnesse, but ranne in, and tolde howe Peter stood before the entrie.

¹⁵ But they said vnto her, Thou art mad. Yet she affirmed it constantly, that it was so. Then said they, It is his Angel.

¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened it, and sawe him, they were astonied.

¹⁷ We may sometimes give place to the rage of the wicked, but yet only in such a way that our diligence which ought to be used in God's business does not slacken in the least.But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

¹⁸ Evil counsel in the end results in the hurt of those who devised it.Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

¹⁹ And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commaunded them to be led to be punished; he went downe from Iudea to Cesarea, and there abode.

²⁰ A miserable and shameful example of what happens to the enemies of the Church.And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's [country].

²¹ And vpon a day appointed, Herod arayed himselfe in royall apparell, and sate on the iudgement seate, and made an oration vnto them.

²² The flattery of people makes fools glad.And the people gave a shout, [saying, It is] the voice of a god, and not of a man.

²³ God resists the proud.And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because heJosephus records that this king did not repress the flatterer's tongues, and therefore at his death he complained and cried out about their empty praise.gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

²⁴ Tyrants build up the Church by destroying it.But theThose that heard the word of God.word of God grew and multiplied.

²⁵ So Barnabas and Saul returned from Hierusalem, when they had fulfilled their office, and tooke with them Iohn, whose surname was Marke.