Acts 12:1-11 (Epistle, Saint)
- 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.”