1V tom čase začal prenasledovať cirkev aj kráľ Herodes.2Apoštola Jakuba, Jánovho brata, dal popraviť mečom.3Keď videl, že sa tým zapáčil Židom, dal cez Veľkú noc zatknúť aj Petra.4Uvrhol ho do žalára, ktorý strážilo šestnásť vojakov. Striedali sa po štvoriciach; dvaja strážili pred dverami a dvaja boli stále dnu s Petrom. Po Veľkej noci ho mienil verejne súdiť.5No celý ten čas sa cirkev zaňho bez prestania modlila.6V noci pred chystaným procesom spal Peter medzi dvoma vojakmi spútaný dvoma reťazami a stráže predo dvermi strážili väzenie.7Tu zrazu svetlo ožiarilo celu a pri Petrovi stál Pánov anjel. Udrel Petra do boku a budil ho slovami: „Rýchlo! Vstávaj!“ Petrovi spadli zo zápästia reťaze.8Anjel mu rozkázal: „Obleč a obuj sa!“ Peter poslúchol a dostal ďalší rozkaz: „Vezmi si plášť a poď za mnou!“9Vyšiel z cely a šiel za anjelom. Ale nevedel, či sa mu to sníva alebo zdá, nemohol uveriť, že je to skutočnosť.10Prešli popri prvej aj druhej stráži a prišli k železnej bráne, ktorá sa im sama od seba otvorila. Vyšli von, prešli jednou ulicou, a tu zrazu anjel zmizol.11Až teraz sa Peter spamätal a povedal si: „Teraz už viem, že Pán poslal svojho anjela a vytrhol ma z Herodesových rúk, a tak zmaril plány Židov.“12Po krátkom váhaní zamieril do domu Márie, matky Jána zvaného Marek. Tam sa zhromaždilo mnoho veriacich a modlili sa.13Peter zabúchal na dvere. Dievča, ktoré sa volalo Rodé, sa pribehlo spýtať, kto to je.14Poznala Petrov hlas, ale od veľkej radosti hneď neotvorila, ale bežala dnu oznámiť, že pred dverami stojí Peter.15Nikto jej však neuveril. „Zbláznila si sa!“ vyčítali jej. No keď si nedala povedať, pomysleli si, že Petra už zrejme popravili a predo dvermi stojí jeho duch.16Ale Peter znova zabúchal. Šli teda otvoriť a neverili vlastným očiam.17Pred nimi stál živý Peter. Zakýval rukou, aby ich upokojil, a vyrozprával im, ako ho Boh vyslobodil z väzenia. Napokon ich poprosil, aby to oznámili Jakubovi a ostatným kresťanom. Potom odišiel schovať sa na iné miesto.18Ráno sa strhol medzi strážcami poplach: Kde sa podel väzeň?19Herodes ho dal hľadať, ale márne. Vypočul strážcov, a keď sa od nich nič nedozvedel, dal ich popraviť. Nato Herodes opustil Judsko, pobral sa do Cézarey a nejaký čas tam zostal.20Herodes za svojho pobytu v Cézarey prijal delegáciu zástupcov z miest Týrus a Sidon. Bol na tieto mestá veľmi nazlostený, ale ich zástupcovia si úplatkami získali priazeň kráľovského dvorana Blasta a žiadali uzavrieť prímerie, lebo ich kraj bol zásobovaný potravinami z Herodesovho územia.21V deň audiencie zasadol Herodes v kráľovských šatách na trón a predniesol reč.22Keď skončil, ľud ho zahrnul ováciami a volal: „To nehovoril človek, to hovoril sám Boh!“ Herodes tie božské pocty bral ako samozrejmosť.23Ale v tom okamihu ho potrestal Boží anjel, lebo prijal pocty, ktoré patrili Bohu. Postihla ho choroba a umrel rozožraný červami.24Ale Božia zvesť sa rýchlo šírila a k cirkvi sa pridávali noví kresťania.25Barnabáš a Saul splnili svoje poslanie v Jeruzaleme a vrátili sa do Antiochie, kam vzali so sebou aj Jána zvaného Marek.
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; Hebr 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; Sk 20,6; Sk 24,27; Sk 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. (Lk 21,12; Jn 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. (Sk 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 Kr 19,7; Lk 2,9; Lk 24,4; Sk 8,26; Sk 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.” (Mk 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. (Ž 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. (Sk 5,19; Sk 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.” (Ž 33,18; Ž 34,7; Ž 91,11; Dan 3,28; Dan 6,22; Lk 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. (Sk 12,5; Sk 12,25; Sk 13,5; Sk 13,13; Sk 15,37; Sk 15,39; Kol 4,10; 2 Tim 4,11; Flm 1,24; 1 Pt 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; Lk 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; Hebr 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; Sk 13,16; Sk 15,13; Sk 19,33; Sk 21,18; Sk 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. (Sk 16,27; Sk 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 Kr 5,9; Ezd 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 Sam 24,16; 2 Kr 19,35; Ž 115,1; Sk 8,26)24But the word of God increased and multiplied. (Sk 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. (Sk 11,29; Sk 12,12)