1 N ow about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church.

وَفِي نَحوِ ذَلِكَ الوَقتِ، بَدَأ المَلِكُ هِيرُودُسُ يَضطَهِدُ أعضاءَ الكَنِيسَةِ.

2 A nd he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

فَأمَرَ بِقَتلِ يَعقُوبَ أخِي يُوحَنّا بِالسَّيفِ.

3 A nd when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And those were the days of unleavened bread.

وَلَمّا رَأى أنَّ هَذا أرْضَى اليَهُودَ، قَبَضَ عَلَى بُطرُسَ أيضاً أثناءَ عِيدِ الخُبزِ غَيرِ المُختَمِرِ.

4 A nd when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.

وَبَعدَ أنْ قَبَضَ عَلَيهِ، وَضَعَهُ فِي السِّجنِ. وَسَلَّمَهُ إلَى وِحدَةٍ عَسكَرِيَّةٍ تَتَألَّفُ مِنْ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ جُندِيّاً لِحِراسَتِهِ. وَكانَ فِي نِيَّتِهِ أنْ يُحاكِمَهُ أمامَ النّاسِ بَعدَ عِيدِ الفِصحِ.

5 P eter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.

فَكانَ بُطرُسُ مُحتَجَزاً فِي السِّجنِ. أمّا الكَنِيسَةُ فَكانَتْ تَرفَعُ إلَى اللهِ صَلَواتٍ حارَّةً مِنْ أجلِهِ. إنْقاذُ بُطرُسَ مِنَ السِّجن

6 A nd when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and guards before the door kept the prison.

وَكانَ هِيرُودُسُ يُرِيدُ أنْ يُحاكِمَ بُطرُسَ عَلَناً فِي اليَومِ التّالِي. فِي تِلكَ اللَّيلَةِ كانَ بُطرُسُ نائِماً بَينَ جُندِيَّيْنِ، مُقَيَّداً بِسِلسِلَتَينِ. وَكانَ هُناكَ حُرّاسٌ عِندَ البَوّابَةِ يُراقِبُونَ السِّجنَ.

7 A nd behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

وَفَجأةً، وَقَفَ مَلاكٌ مِنْ عِندِ الرَّبِّ هُناكَ. وَلَمَعَ نُورٌ فِي الزِّنزانَةِ. فَضَرَبَ المَلاكُ بُطرُسَ ضَربَةً خَفِيفَةً عَلَى جَنبِهِ، وَأيقَظَهُ وَقالَ لَهُ: «قٌمْ بِسُرعَةٍ!» فَسَقَطَتِ السِّلسِلَتانِ عَنْ يَدَيهِ.

8 A nd the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

ثُمَّ قالَ المَلاكُ لِبُطرُسَ: «البِسْ حِزامَكَ وَحِذاءَكَ.» فَفَعَلَ. ثُمَّ قالَ المَلاكُ لَهُ: «البِسْ رِداءَكَ وَاتبَعنِي.»

9 A nd he went out, and followed; and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.

فَتَبِعَهُ إلَى الخارِجِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَدرِي أنَّ ما يَفعَلُهُ المَلاكُ كانَ حَقِيقِيّاً، فَقَدْ ظَنَّ أنَّهُ يَرَى رُؤيا.

10 A nd when they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him.

وَبَعدَ أنْ مَرّا بِالمَجمُوعَتَينِ الأُولَى وَالثّانِيَةِ مِنَ الحُرّاسِ، وَصَلا إلَى البَوّابَةِ الحَدِيدِيَّةِ المُؤَدِّيَةِ إلَى المَدِينَةِ. فَانفَتَحَتْ مِنْ ذاتِها، فَخَرَجا مِنها. وَتابَعا سَيرَهُما مَسافَةَ شارِعٍ واحِدٍ، ثُمَّ تَرَكَهُ المَلاكُ فَجأةً.

11 A nd when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

فأدرَكَ بُطرُسُ أنَّهُ لا يَحلُمُ، وَقالَ: «الآنَ أعرِفُ أنَّ هَذا صَحِيحٌ فِعلاً: أرسَلَ الرَّبُّ مَلاكَهُ، وَأنقَذَنِي مِنْ يَدَي هِيرُودُوسَ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ ما كانَ اليَهُودُ يَنتَظِرونَ أنْ يَحدُثَ لِي.»

12 A nd 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 and were praying.

فَلَمّا أدرَكَ هَذا، ذَهَبَ إلَى بَيتِ مَريَمَ، أُمِّ يُوحَنّا الَّذِي يُدعَى أيضاً مَرقُسَ. وَكانَ قَدْ تَجَمَّعَ هُناكَ أشخاصٌ كثِيرُونَ يُصَلُّونَ.

13 A nd when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda.

فَقَرَعَ بُطرُسُ البابَ الخارِجِيَّ. فَجاءَتْ خادِمَةٌ اسْمُها رُودا لِكَيْ تَرُدَّ.

14 A nd when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but ran in, and told that Peter stood before the gate.

فَلَمّا مَيَّزَتْ صَوتَ بُطرُسَ، رَكَضَتْ مِنْ فَرحَتِها إلَى الدّاخِلِ دُونَ أنْ تَفتَحَ لَهُ البابَ. وَقالَتْ: «بُطرُسُ واقِفٌ بِالبابِ.»

15 A nd they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel.

فَقالُوا لَها: «أنتِ مَجنُونَةٌ!» لَكِنَّها ظَلَّتْ تُصِرُّ عَلَى أنَّهُ هُوَ. فَقالُوا: «إنَّهُ مَلاكُهُ.»

16 B ut Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.

غَيرَ أنَّ بُطرُسَ وَاصَلَ قَرعَ البابِ. فَلَمّا فَتَحُوا البابَ وَرَأوهُ، ذُهِلُوا.

17 B ut he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went to another place.

فَأشارَ لَهُمْ بِيَدِهِ أنْ يَهدَأُوا، وَشَرَحَ لَهُمْ كَيفَ أنَّ الرَّبَّ أخرَجَهُ مِنَ السِّجنِ. وَقالَ لَهُمْ: «أخبِرُوا يَعقُوبَ وَالإخوَةَ بِهَذا.» ثُمَّ غادَرَ وَذَهَبَ إلَى مَكانٍ آخَرَ.

18 N ow as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

وَعِندَما طَلَعَ النَّهارُ، حَدَثَ ارتِباكٌ كَثِيرٌ بَينَ الحُرّاسِ. وَكانُوا يَتَساءَلُونَ: «ماذا يُمكِنُ أنْ يَكُونَ قَدْ حَدَثَ لِبُطرُسَ؟»

19 A nd when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and tarried there.

وَبَحَثَ هِيرُودُسُ عَنهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدهُ. وَبَعدَ هَذا أجرَى تَحقِيقاً مَعَ الحُرّاسِ وَأمَرَ بِإعدامِهِمْ. مَوتُ هِيرُودُسَ أغرِيباس ثُمَّ نَزَلَ هِيرُودُسُ مِنَ اليَهُودِيَّةِ إلَى قَيصَرِيَّةَ وَأمضَى بَعضَ الوَقتِ هُناكَ.

20 N ow he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: and they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king's country.

وَكانَ غاضِباً جِدّاً مِنْ أهلِ صُورَ وَصَيداءَ. فَجاءُوا فِي وَفدٍ إلَيهِ. فَبَعدَ أنْ ضَمِنُوا دَعمَ حاجِبِ المَلِكِ بلاسْتُسَ، طَلَبُوا أنْ يَتَصالَحُوا مَعَ هِيرُودُوسَ، لأنَّ مِنطَقَتَهُمْ كانَتْ تَحصُلُ عَلَى الطَّعامِ مِنْ مِنْطَقَةِ المَلِكِ.

21 A nd upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sat on the throne, and made an oration unto them.

وَفِي يَومٍ مُعَيَّنٍ، لَبِسَ هِيرُودُسُ ثِيابَهُ المَلَكِيَّةَ وَجَلَسَ عَلَى عَرشِهِ، وَألقَى خِطاباً فِي النّاسِ.

22 A nd the people shouted, saying, The voice of a god, and not of a man.

فَهَتَفَ النّاسُ: «هَذا صَوتُ إلَهٍ، لا صَوتُ بَشَرٍ!»

23 A nd immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

وَفَجأةً ضَرَبَهُ مَلاكٌ مِنْ عِندِ الرَّبِّ، لِأنَّهُ لَمْ يُمَجِّدِ اللهَ. وَأخَذَ الدُّودُ يَأْكُلُ جَسَدَهُ إلَى أنْ ماتَ.

24 B ut the word of God grew and multiplied.

أمّا كَلِمَةُ اللهِ، فَكانَتْ تَنتَشِرُ وَتَتَّسِعُ.

25 A nd Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministration, taking with them John whose surname was Mark.

وَأنهَى بَرنابا وَشاوُلُ مَهَمَّتَهُما فِي مَدينَةِ القُدسِ وَعادا إلَى أنطاكِيَّةَ مُصطَحِبينَ يُوحَنّا الَّذِي يُسَمَّى مَرْقُسَ.