James Killed and Peter Imprisoned

121 Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword . 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews , he proceeded to arrest Peter also . Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison , delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people .

5 So Peter was kept in the prison , but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God .

Peter Delivered from Prison

6 On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward , Peter was sleeping between two soldiers , bound with two chains , and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison . 7 And behold , an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell ; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying , "Get up quickly ." And his chains fell off his hands . 8 And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals ." And he did so . And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." 9 And he went out and continued to follow , and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real , but thought he was seeing a vision . 10 When they had passed the first and second guard , they came to the iron gate that leads into the city , which opened for them by itself ; and they went out and went along one street , and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 When Peter came to himself , he said , "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting ." 12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary , the mother of John who was also called Mark , where many were gathered together and were praying . 13 When he knocked at the door of the gate , a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer . 14 When she recognized Peter's voice , because of her joy she did not open the gate , but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate . 15 They said to her, "You are out of your mind !" But she kept insisting that it was so . They kept saying , "It is his angel ." 16 But Peter continued knocking ; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed . 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent , he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison . And he said , "Report these things to James and the brethren ." Then he left and went to another place . 18 Now when day came , there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter . 19 When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.

The Death of Herod

20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon ; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king's chamberlain e , they were asking for peace , because their country was fed by the king's country. 21 On an appointed day Herod , having put on his royal apparel , took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. 22 The people kept crying out, "The voice of a god and not of a man !" 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because e he did not give God the glory , and he was eaten by worms and died . 24 But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied . 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission , taking along with them John , who was also called Mark .

A Lame Man Healed at the Gate of the Temple

31 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer . 2 And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful , in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple . 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple , he began asking to receive alms . 4 But Peter , along with John , fixed his gaze on him and said , "Look at us!" 5 And he began to give them his attention , expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said , "I do not possess silver and gold , but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -walk !" 7 And seizing him by the right hand , he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened . 8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk ; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God . 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God ; 10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms , and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter's Address in Solomon's Porch

11 While he was clinging to Peter and John , all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon , full of amazement .

12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people , "Men of Israel , why are you amazed at this , or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk ? 13 " The God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob , the God of our fathers , has glorified His servant Jesus , the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate , when he had decided to release Him. 14 "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life , the one whom God raised from the dead , a fact to which we are witnesses . 16 "And on the basis of faith in His name , it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know ; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all . 17 "And now , brethren , I know that you acted in ignorance , just as your rulers did also . 18 "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets , that His Christ would suffer , He has thus fulfilled . 19 "Therefore repent and return , so that your sins may be wiped away , in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord ; 20 and that He may send Jesus , the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time . 22 "Moses said , ' THE Lord GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN ; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23 ' And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people .' 24 "And likewise , all the prophets who have spoken , from Samuel and his successors onward , also announced these days . 25 "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers , saying to Abraham , ' AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED .' 26 "For you first , God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways ."