1Por ese entonces, el rey Herodes echó mano a algunos de los de la iglesia para maltratarlos;2y mató a espada a Jacobo, el hermano de Juan.
Pedro encarcelado y liberado
3Viendo que esto agradaba a los judíos, procedió a prender también a Pedro (eran entonces los días de los ázimos).4Y después de arrestarlo, lo metió en la cárcel, entregándolo a cuatro piquetes de soldados para custodiarlo, y se proponía sacarlo ante el pueblo después de la pascua.5Así que Pedro estaba custodiado en la cárcel, pero la iglesia hacía ferviente oración a Dios por él.6Cuando Herodes lo iba a sacar, aquella noche estaba Pedro durmiendo entre dos soldados, atado con dos cadenas; y unos centinelas delante de la puerta vigilaban la cárcel.7Y he aquí, una luz resplandeció en la celda y apareció un ángel del Señor, el cual, golpeando el costado de Pedro, lo despertó, diciendo: ¡Levántate pronto! Y las cadenas se le cayeron de las manos.8El ángel le dijo: Cíñete y átate las sandalias. Así lo hizo. Y le dice: Ponte el manto y sígueme.9Y saliendo, lo seguía; pero no entendía que lo que estaba sucediendo por medio del ángel era real, sino que suponía estar viendo una visión.10Y pasando la primera y segunda guardia, llegaron a la puerta de hierro que conduce a la ciudad, la cual se les abrió por sí misma; y saliendo, caminaron a lo largo de una calle, y súbitamente el ángel se apartó de él.11Y Pedro, volviendo en sí, dijo: Ahora entiendo de verdad que el Señor envió su ángel, y me ha rescatado de la mano de Herodes, y de toda la expectación del pueblo de los judíos.12Y reflexionando en esto, fue a la casa de Miriam, la madre de Juan, el que se llamaba Marcos, donde muchos estaban reunidos orando.13Cuando llamó a la puerta del pórtico, salió a atender una criada de nombre Rode.14Y reconociendo la voz de Pedro, por causa del gozo no abrió el pórtico, sino que corrió adentro a informar que Pedro estaba delante del pórtico.15Ellos le dijeron: ¡Estás loca! Pero ella insistía en que era así. Entonces ellos decían: ¡Es su ángel!16Pero Pedro continuaba llamando. Y cuando abrieron, lo vieron, y se asombraron.17Y haciéndoles con la mano señal de que callaran, relató cómo el Señor lo había sacado de la cárcel. Y dijo: Informad de esto a Jacobo y a los hermanos. Y saliendo, se fue a otro lugar.18Cuando fue de día hubo un alboroto no pequeño entre los soldados, pues preguntaban: ¿Qué se hizo de Pedro?19Y Herodes, al buscarlo y no hallarlo, luego de procesar a los guardias, ordenó que fueran ejecutados. Y bajando de Judea a Cesarea, se quedó allí.
Muerte de Herodes
20Y estaba sumamente airado contra los de Tiro y Sidón; pero ellos, unánimes, se presentaban ante él, y sobornando a Blasto, el camarero del rey, pedían paz, porque la región de ellos era abastecida por la del rey.21Y un día señalado, Herodes, vestido de ropa regia y sentado en el tribunal, los arengaba.22Y el pueblo gritaba: ¡Voz de Dios, y no de hombre!23Y al instante (porque no dio la gloria a Dios) un ángel del Señor lo hirió y expiró comido de gusanos.24Pero la palabra de Dios crecía y era multiplicada.25Y Bernabé y Saulo, después de cumplir el ministerio en Jerusalem, regresaron tomando consigo a Juan, el que se llamaba Marcos.
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, (Mt 4:21; Mt 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. (Ex 12:14; Ex 23:15; Hch 20:6; Hch 24:27; Hch 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. (Lc 21:12; Jn 19:23)5So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. (2 Co 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. (Hch 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 R 19:7; Lc 2:9; Lc 24:4; Hch 8:26; Hch 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.” (Mr 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. (Sal 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. (Hch 5:19; Hch 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.” (Sal 33:18; Sal 34:7; Sal 91:11; Dn 3:28; Dn 6:22; Lc 15:17; 2 Co 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. (Hch 12:5; Hch 12:25; Hch 13:5; Hch 13:13; Hch 15:37; Hch 15:39; Col 4:10; 2 Ti 4:11; Flm 1:24; 1 P 5:13)13And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. (Jn 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. (Gn 45:26; Lc 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!” (Mt 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. (Jn 21:23; Hch 13:16; Hch 15:13; Hch 19:33; Hch 21:18; Hch 21:40; Gl 1:19; Gl 2:9; Gl 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. (Hch 16:27; Hch 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 R 5:9; Esd 3:7; Ez 27:17; Mt 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 S 24:16; 2 R 19:35; Sal 115:1; Hch 8:26)24But the word of God increased and multiplied. (Hch 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. (Hch 11:29; Hch 12:12)