Acts 12-13
King James Version (KJV)
12Â Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
2Â And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3Â And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
4Â And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
5Â Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
6Â And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7Â And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
8Â And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
9Â And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
10Â When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
11Â And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
12Â And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
13Â And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
14Â And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
15Â And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
16Â But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
17Â But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
18Â Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
19Â And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.
20Â And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country.
21Â And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22Â And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23Â And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
24Â But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25Â And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
13Â Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2Â As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
3Â And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
4Â So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
5Â And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
6Â And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
7Â Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
8Â But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
9Â Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.
10Â And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
11Â And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
12Â Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
13Â Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
14Â But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
15Â And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
16Â Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
17Â The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.
18Â And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.
19Â And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
20Â And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.
21Â And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.
22Â And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
23Â Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
24Â When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25Â And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
26Â Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
27Â For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
28Â And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
29Â And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
30Â But God raised him from the dead:
31Â And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.
32Â And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
33Â God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
34Â And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
35Â Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
36Â For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
37Â But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
38Â Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39Â And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40Â Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
41Â Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
42Â And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43Â Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44Â And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
45Â But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
46Â Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
47Â For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
48Â And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
49Â And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
50Â But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
51Â But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
52Â And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.