1 A nd about that time, Herod the king put forth his hands, to do evil to certain of those of the assembly,

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

2 a nd he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword,

He killed James, the brother of John, with a sword.

3 a nd having seen that it is pleasing to the Jews, he added to lay hold of Peter also -- and they were the days of the unleavened food --

When 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.

4 w hom also having seized, he did put in prison, having delivered to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending after the passover to bring him forth to the people.

Herod 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

5 P eter, therefore, indeed, was kept in the prison, and fervent prayer was being made by the assembly unto God for him,

So Peter was held in prison. But the church kept praying to God for him.

6 a nd when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night was Peter sleeping between two soldiers, having been bound with two chains, guards also before the door were keeping the prison,

The 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.

7 a nd lo, a messenger of the Lord stood by, and a light shone in the buildings, and having smitten Peter on the side, he raised him up, saying, `Rise in haste,' and his chains fell from off hands.

All 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.

8 T he messenger also said to him, `Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals;' and he did so; and he saith to him, `Put thy garment round and be following me;'

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

9 a nd having gone forth, he was following him, and he knew not that it is true that which is done through the messenger, and was thinking he saw a vision,

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

10 a nd having passed through a first ward, and a second, they came unto the iron gate that is leading to the city, which of its own accord did open to them, and having gone forth, they went on through one street, and immediately the messenger departed from him.

They 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

11 A nd Peter having come to himself, said, `Now I have known of a truth that the Lord did sent forth His messenger, and did deliver me out of the hand of Herod, and all the expectation of the people of the Jews;'

As 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.”

12 a lso, having considered, he came unto the house of Mary, the mother of John, who is surnamed Mark, where there were many thronged together and praying.

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

13 A nd Peter having knocked at the door of the porch, there came a damsel to hearken, by name Rhoda,

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

14 a nd having known the voice of Peter, from the joy she did not open the porch, but having run in, told of the standing of Peter before the porch,

She 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.

15 a nd they said unto her, `Thou art mad;' and she was confidently affirming to be so, and they said, `It is his messenger;'

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

16 a nd Peter was continuing knocking, and having opened, they saw him, and were astonished,

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

17 a nd having beckoned to them with the hand to be silent, he declared to them how the Lord brought him out of the prison, and he said, `Declare to James and to the brethren these things;' and having gone forth, he went on to another place.

He 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

18 A nd day having come, there was not a little stir among the soldiers what then was become of Peter,

In the morning the soldiers were very troubled about what had happened to Peter.

19 a nd Herod having sought for him, and not having found, having examined the guards, did command to be led away to punishment, and having gone down from Judea to Cesarea, he was abiding.

Herod 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.

20 A nd Herod was highly displeased with the Tyrians and Sidonians, and with one accord they came unto him, and having made a friend of Blastus, who over the bed-chambers of the king, they were asking peace, because of their country being nourished from the king's;

Herod 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.

21 a nd on a set day, Herod having arrayed himself in kingly apparel, and having sat down upon the tribunal, was making an oration unto them,

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.

22 a nd the populace were shouting, `The voice of a god, and not of a man;'

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

23 a nd presently there smote him a messenger of the Lord, because he did not give the glory to God, and having been eaten of worms, he expired.

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

24 A nd the word of God did grow and did multiply,

The Word of God was heard by many people and went into more places.

25 a nd Barnabas and Saul did turn back out of Jerusalem, having fulfilled the ministration, having taken also with John, who was surnamed Mark.

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