1 A t that time King Herod used his power to make it hard for the Christians in the church.

En aquel mismo tiempo, el rey Herodes echó mano a algunos de la iglesia para maltratarlos.

2 H e killed James, the brother of John, with a sword.

Mató a espada a Jacobo, hermano de Juan,

3 W hen he saw that it made the Jews happy, he took hold of Peter also. This was during the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt.

y al ver que esto había agradado a los judíos, procedió a prender también a Pedro. Eran entonces los días de los Panes sin levadura.

4 H erod took Peter and put him in prison and had sixteen soldiers watch him. After the special religious gathering was over, he planned to bring Peter out to the people. Peter Goes Free

Tomándolo preso, lo puso en la cárcel, entregándolo a cuatro grupos de cuatro soldados cada uno, para que lo vigilaran; y se proponía sacarlo al pueblo después de la Pascua.

5 S o Peter was held in prison. But the church kept praying to God for him.

Así que Pedro estaba custodiado en la cárcel, pero la iglesia hacía sin cesar oración a Dios por él. Pedro es librado de la cárcel

6 T he night before Herod was to bring him out for his trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was tied with two chains. Soldiers stood by the door and watched the prison.

Cuando Herodes lo iba a sacar, aquella misma noche estaba Pedro durmiendo entre dos soldados, sujeto con dos cadenas, y los guardas delante de la puerta custodiaban la cárcel.

7 A ll at once an angel of the Lord was seen standing beside him. A light shone in the building. The angel hit Peter on the side and said, “Get up!” Then the chains fell off his hands.

Y se presentó un ángel del Señor y una luz resplandeció en la cárcel; y tocando a Pedro en el costado, lo despertó, diciendo: «Levántate pronto.» Y las cadenas se le cayeron de las manos.

8 T he angel said, “Put on your belt and shoes!” He did. The angel said to Peter, “Put on your coat and follow me.”

Le dijo el ángel: «Cíñete y átate las sandalias.» Él lo hizo así. Y le dijo: «Envuélvete en tu manto y sígueme.»

9 P eter followed him out. He was not sure what was happening as the angel helped him. He thought it was a dream.

Pedro salió tras el ángel, sin saber si lo que el ángel hacía era realidad; más bien pensaba que veía una visión.

10 T hey passed one soldier, then another one. They came to the big iron door that leads to the city and it opened by itself and they went through. As soon as they had gone up one street, the angel left him. The Christians Find It Hard to Believe Peter Is Free

Habiendo pasado la primera y la segunda guardia, llegaron a la puerta de hierro que daba a la ciudad, la cual se les abrió por sí misma. Salieron y pasaron una calle, y luego el ángel se apartó de él.

11 A s Peter began to see what was happening, he said to himself, “Now I am sure the Lord has sent His angel and has taken me out of the hands of Herod. He has taken me also from all the things the Jews wanted to do to me.”

Entonces Pedro, volviendo en sí, dijo: «Ahora entiendo verdaderamente que el Señor ha enviado su ángel y me ha librado de la mano de Herodes y de todo lo que el pueblo de los judíos esperaba.»

12 A fter thinking about all this, he went to Mary’s house. She was the mother of John Mark. Many Christians were gathered there praying.

Al darse cuenta de esto, llegó a casa de María, la madre de Juan, el que tenía por sobrenombre Marcos. Muchos estaban allí reunidos, orando.

13 W hen Peter knocked at the gate, a girl named Rhoda went to see who it was.

Cuando Pedro llamó a la puerta del patio, salió a atender una muchacha llamada Rode,

14 S he knew Peter’s voice, but in her joy she forgot to open the gate. She ran in and told them that Peter was standing outside the gate.

la cual, al reconocer la voz de Pedro, de gozo no abrió la puerta, sino que corriendo adentro dio la nueva de que Pedro estaba a la puerta.

15 T hey said to her, “You are crazy.” But she said again that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.”

Ellos le dijeron: —¡Estás loca! Pero ella aseguraba que así era. Entonces ellos decían: —¡Es su ángel!

16 P eter kept knocking. When they opened the gate and saw him, they were surprised and wondered about it.

Pero Pedro persistía en llamar; y cuando abrieron y lo vieron, se quedaron atónitos.

17 H e raised his hand and told them not to talk but to listen to him. He told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. He said, “Tell all these things to James and to the other Christian brothers.” Then he went to another place. The Death of Herod

Pero él, haciéndoles con la mano señal de que callaran, les contó cómo el Señor lo había sacado de la cárcel. Y dijo: —Haced saber esto a Jacobo y a los hermanos. Luego salió y se fue a otro lugar.

18 I n the morning the soldiers were very troubled about what had happened to Peter.

Cuando se hizo de día, se produjo entre los soldados un alboroto no pequeño sobre qué habría sido de Pedro.

19 H erod looked for him but could not find him. He asked the soldiers who watched the prison about Peter. Herod said that the soldiers must be killed because Peter got away. Then Herod went down from the country of Judea to the city of Caesarea to stay for awhile.

Pero Herodes, habiéndolo buscado sin hallarlo, después de interrogar a los guardas ordenó llevarlos a la muerte. Después descendió de Judea a Cesarea y se quedó allí. Muerte de Herodes

20 H erod was very angry with the people of the cities of Tyre and Sidon. They went to him and asked for peace to be made between them and the king. They asked this because their country got food from the king’s country. The people made friends with Blastus, the king’s helper.

Herodes estaba enojado contra los de Tiro y de Sidón, pero ellos, de común acuerdo, se presentaron ante él, y habiendo sobornado a Blasto, que era camarero mayor del rey, pedían paz, porque su territorio era abastecido por el del rey.

21 A day was set aside. On that day Herod put on purple clothes a king wears. He sat on his throne and spoke to the people.

El día señalado, Herodes, vestido de ropas reales, se sentó en el tribunal y los arengó.

22 T hey all started to speak with a loud voice, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”

Y el pueblo aclamaba gritando: «¡Voz de un dios, y no de un hombre!»

23 T he angel of the Lord knocked him down because he did not give honor to God. He was eaten by worms and died.

Al momento, un ángel del Señor lo hirió, por cuanto no dio la gloria a Dios; y expiró comido de gusanos.

24 T he Word of God was heard by many people and went into more places.

Pero la palabra del Señor crecía y se multiplicaba.

25 S aul and Barnabas went back to Jerusalem after they had finished their work. They took John Mark with them.

Bernabé y Saulo, cumplido su servicio, volvieron de Jerusalén, llevando también consigo a Juan, el que tenía por sobrenombre Marcos.