Kong Agrippa begynder at forfølge menigheden i Jerusalem
1I mellemtiden var Kong Herodes Agrippa[1] begyndt at forfølge og mishandle nogle fra menigheden i Jerusalem,2og han lod Jakob, Johannes’ bror, halshugge.3-4Da kongen mærkede, at det faldt i god jord hos de jødiske ledere, lod han også Peter arrestere og sætte i fængsel, og han gav fire vagthold på hver fire soldater ordre til at bevogte fængslets døre. Det skete under påskehøjtiden, og kongen havde til hensigt at få ham dømt af Det jødiske Råd, så snart påsken var forbi.5Mens Peter blev stærkt bevogtet i fængslet, bad menigheden inderligt og vedvarende for ham.
Peter sættes på fri fod ved en engels hjælp
6Natten før Peter skulle dømmes, lå han og sov, lænket til to soldater, mens to andre stod vagt lige uden for døren.7Pludselig lå cellen badet i et strålende lys, og en engel stod ved Peters side. Englen gav ham et puf i siden og sagde: „Rejs dig op! Hurtigt!” I det samme faldt lænkerne af hans hænder.8„Tag bælte og sandaler på,” fortsatte englen. Da det var sket, sagde han: „Tag din kappe på og følg efter mig!”9Peter fulgte med englen ud af cellen. Han troede, at det bare var noget, han drømte eller så i et syn, og ikke at det var noget, som virkelig skete.10De passerede den første vagtpost og kort efter den næste. De var nu fremme ved den store jernport, der førte ud i det fri. Den åbnede sig af sig selv, og de fortsatte ud gennem porten og gik sammen et stykke ned ad gaden. Derefter forsvandt englen pludselig.11Da gik det langsomt op for Peter, hvad der egentlig var sket. „Nu forstår jeg det,” sagde han til sig selv. „Herren har virkelig sendt sin engel og reddet mig ud af kongens kløer og skånet mig for alt det, folk forventede skulle ske med mig.”12Efter at have sundet sig gik han hen til Marias hus, hende, der er mor til Johannes Markus. En masse mennesker var samlet til bøn dér.13Han bankede på døren til portrummet, og en pige, som hed Rhode, gik ud for at høre, hvem det var.14Hun genkendte med det samme Peters stemme og blev så glædeligt overrasket, at hun helt glemte at lukke op og i stedet løb tilbage til de andre, for at fortælle dem, at Peter stod udenfor.15„Du er ikke rigtig klog!” sagde de, men hun blev ved med at påstå, at det var Peter, der stod udenfor. Til sidst sagde de: „Det må være hans skytsengel!”16Imens stod Peter og bankede og bankede. Da de endelig fik lukket op og så, at det virkelig var ham, blev de ude af sig selv af forbavselse.17Men Peter gjorde tegn til, at de skulle være stille, og han fortalte dem, hvordan Herren havde befriet ham fra fængslet. „Fortæl det til Jakob[2] og de andre ledere,” sagde han. Derefter rejste han væk til et andet sted.[3]18Ved daggry blev der stor opstandelse blandt de soldater, der havde stået vagt. Ingen anede, hvor Peter var blevet af.19Da kongen sendte bud efter ham, og man ikke kunne finde ham, kom vagterne i forhør og blev derefter henrettet. Efter den historie forlod kong Herodes Judæa og tog ophold i Cæsarea.
Herodes bliver straffet
20Nogen tid efter ankom en delegation fra Tyrus og Sidon til Cæsarea. Herodes havde haft et meget spændt forhold til de to byer, men de kom nu for at bede om fred, for de fik deres fødevarer fra det område, Herodes regerede over. Det lykkedes for delegationen at komme på venskabelig fod med Blastus, kongens kammertjener, og de fik ham til at hjælpe sig.21Et møde med kongen blev aftalt, og på den fastsatte dag iklædte Herodes sig sin kongelige dragt, satte sig på tronen og holdt en tale til dem.22Da han var færdig, hyldede folket ham og råbte: „Det er en gud og ikke et menneske, der taler!”23I samme øjeblik ramte Herrens engel ham med en sygdom, fordi han tog imod menneskers tilbedelse i stedet for at give Gud æren. Han blev ædt op af orme og døde.
Barnabas og Saul vender tilbage til Antiokia
24Men de kristne havde fremgang, og Guds ord nåede ud til flere og flere mennesker.25Da Barnabas og Saul havde fuldført deres opgave i Jerusalem, tog de Johannes Markus med sig og vendte tilbage til Antiokia.
1About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.2He killed James the brother of John with the sword, (Matt 4,21; Matt 20,23; Heb 11,37)3and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. (2.Mos 12,14; 2.Mos 23,15; Ap G 20,6; Ap G 24,27; Ap G 25,9)4And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. (Luk 21,12; Joh 19,23)5So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. (2.Kor 1,11; Ef 6,18)
Peter Is Rescued
6Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. (Ap G 21,33)7And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. (1.Kong 19,7; Luk 2,9; Luk 24,4; Ap G 8,26; Ap G 16,26)8And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” (Mark 6,9)9And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. (Salm 126,1)10When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. (Ap G 5,19; Ap G 16,26)11When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” (Salm 33,18; Salm 34,7; Salm 91,11; Dan 3,28; Dan 6,22; Luk 15,17; 2.Kor 1,10)12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. (Ap G 12,5; Ap G 12,25; Ap G 13,5; Ap G 13,13; Ap G 15,37; Ap G 15,39; Kol 4,10; 2.Tim 4,11; File 1,24; 1.Pet 5,13)13And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. (Joh 18,16)14Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. (1.Mos 45,26; Luk 24,41)15They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” (Matt 18,10; Heb 1,14)16But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.17But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.”[1] Then he departed and went to another place. (Joh 21,23; Ap G 13,16; Ap G 15,13; Ap G 19,33; Ap G 21,18; Ap G 21,40; Gal 1,19; Gal 2,9; Gal 2,12)18Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.19And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there. (Ap G 16,27; Ap G 27,42)
The Death of Herod
20Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain,[2] they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. (1.Kong 5,9; Ez 3,7; Ez 27,17; Matt 28,14)21On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.22And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”23Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. (2.Sam 24,16; 2.Kong 19,35; Salm 115,1; Ap G 8,26)24But the word of God increased and multiplied. (Ap G 6,7)25And Barnabas and Saul returned from[3] Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. (Ap G 11,29; Ap G 12,12)