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Bible Text for PETER SAVED FROM PRISON Acts
12
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched
out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother
of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he
proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened
Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him
to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the
people after Passover. 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant
prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to
bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two
soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold,
an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he
struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!"
And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird
yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him,
"Put on your garment and follow me." 9 So he went out and followed
him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was
seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts,
they came to the iron gate that leads to the city,
which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one
street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter had come
to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His
angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation
of the Jewish people." 12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the
house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were
gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a
girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, because
of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter
stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, "You are beside
yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It
is his angel." 16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the
door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But motioning to them with his hand
to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the
prison. And he said, "Go, tell these things to James and to the
brethren." And he departed and went to another place. 18 Then, as soon as
it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of
Peter. 19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined
the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down
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