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Acts Chapter 12 | God’s Direct Intervention

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 from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

20 Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.

21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

使徒行傳 12章｜神親自介入的拯救

那時，希律王下手苦害教會中幾個人， 2 用刀殺了約翰的哥哥雅各。 3 他見猶太人喜歡這事，又去捉拿彼得。那時正是除酵的日子。 4 希律拿了彼得，收在監裡，交付四班兵丁看守，每班四個人，意思要在逾越節後把他提出來，當著百姓辦他。 5 於是彼得被囚在監裡，教會卻為他切切地禱告神。 6 希律將要提他出來的前一夜，彼得被兩條鐵鏈鎖著，睡在兩個兵丁當中，看守的人也在門外看守。

7 忽然，有主的一個使者站在旁邊，屋裡有光照耀。天使拍彼得的肋旁，拍醒了他，說：「快快起來！」那鐵鏈就從他手上脫落下來。 8 天使對他說：「束上帶子，穿上鞋！」他就那樣做。天使又說：「披上外衣，跟著我來！」 9 彼得就出來跟著他，不知道天使所做是真的，只當見了異象。 10 過了第一層、第二層監牢，就來到臨街的鐵門，那門自己開了。他們出來，走過一條街，天使便離開他去了。 11 彼得醒悟過來，說：「我現在真知道主差遣他的使者，救我脫離希律的手和猶太百姓一切所盼望的。」

12 想了一想，就往那稱呼馬可的約翰他母親馬利亞家去，在那裡有好些人聚集禱告。 13 彼得敲外門，有一個使女名叫羅大，出來探聽。 14 聽得是彼得的聲音，就歡喜得顧不得開門，跑進去告訴眾人說：「彼得站在門外！」 15 他們說：「你是瘋了！」使女極力地說：「真是他！」他們說：「必是他的天使。」 16 彼得不住地敲門。他們開了門，看見他，就甚驚奇。 17 彼得擺手不要他們作聲，就告訴他們主怎樣領他出監，又說：「你們把這事告訴雅各和眾弟兄。」於是出去往別處去了。 18 到了天亮，兵丁擾亂得很，不知道彼得往哪裡去了。 19 希律找他，找不著，就審問看守的人，吩咐把他們拉去殺了。後來希律離開猶太，下愷撒利亞去，住在那裡。

20 希律惱怒推羅、西頓的人。他們那一帶地方是從王的地土得糧，因此就託了王的內侍臣伯拉斯都的情，一心來求和。 21 希律在所定的日子，穿上朝服，坐在位上，對他們講論一番。 22 百姓喊著說：「這是神的聲音，不是人的聲音！」 23 希律不歸榮耀給神，所以主的使者立刻罰他，他被蟲所咬，氣就絕了。

24 神的道日見興旺，越發廣傳。

25 巴拿巴和掃羅辦完了他們供給的事，就從耶路撒冷回來，帶著稱呼馬可的約翰同去。