Hechos de los Apóstoles 12

1En aquel tiempo el rey Herodes empezó a perseguir a algunos de la Iglesia;

2y mató a espada a Santiago, hermano de Juan.

3Viendo que esto agradaba a los judíos, tomó preso también a Pedro. Eran entonces los días de los Ázimos.

4A este lo prendió y lo metió en la cárcel, entregándolo a la custodia de cuatro piquetes de soldados de a cuatro hombres cada uno, con el propósito de presentarlo al pueblo después de la Pascua.

5Pedro se hallaba, pues, custodiado en la cárcel, mas la Iglesia hacía sin cesar oración a Dios por él.

6Cuando Herodes estaba ya a punto de presentarlo, en aquella misma noche Pedro dormía en medio de dos soldados, atado con dos cadenas, y ante las puertas estaban guardias que custodiaban la cárcel.

7Y he aquí que sobrevino un ángel del Señor y una luz, resplandeció en el aposento, y golpeando el costado de Pedro lo despertó, diciendo: “Levántate presto”. Y se le cayeron las cadenas de las manos.

8Díjole entonces el ángel: “Cíñete y cálzate tus sandalias”; y lo hizo así. Díjole asimismo: “Ponte la capa y sígueme”.

9Salió, pues, y le siguió sin saber si era realidad lo que el ángel hacía con él; antes bien le parecía ver una visión.

10Pasaron la primera guardia y la segunda y llegaron a la puerta de hierro que daba a la ciudad, la cual se les abrió automáticamente. Y habiendo salido pasaron adelante por una calle, y al instante se apartó de él el ángel.

11Entonces Pedro vuelto en sí dijo: “Ahora sé verdaderamente que el Señor ha enviado su ángel y me ha librado de la mano de Herodes y de toda la expectación del pueblo de los judíos”.

12Pensando en esto llegó a la casa de María, madre de Juan, por sobrenombre Marcos, donde muchos estaban reunidos haciendo oración.

13Llamó a la puerta del portal, y salió a escuchar una sirvienta llamada Rode,

14la cual, reconociendo la voz de Pedro, de pura alegría no abrió la puerta sino que corrió adentro con la nueva de que Pedro estaba a la puerta.

15Dijéronle: “Estás loca”. Mas ella insistía en que era así. Ellos entonces dijeron: “Es su ángel”.

16Pedro, empero, siguió golpeando a la puerta. Abrieron, por fin, y viéndolo quedaron pasmados.

17Mas él, haciéndoles señal con la mano para que callasen, les contó cómo el Señor le había sacado de la cárcel, Después dijo: Anunciad esto a Santiago y a los hermanos. Y saliendo fue a otro lugar.

18Cuando se hizo de día, era grande la confusión entre los soldados sobre qué habría sido de Pedro.

19Herodes lo buscaba y no hallándole, hizo inquisición contra los guardias y mandó conducirlos ( al suplicio). Él mismo descendió de Judea a Cesarea en donde se quedó.

20Estaba ( Herodes) irritado contra los tirios y sidonios; mas ellos de común acuerdo se le presentaron y habiendo ganado a Blasto, camarero del rey, pidieron la paz, pues su país era alimentado por el del rey.

21En el día determinado Herodes, vestido de traje real y sentado en el trono, les pronunció un discurso.

22Y el pueblo clamaba: Esta es la voz de un dios y no de un hombre.

23Al mismo instante lo hirió un ángel del Señor por no haber dado a Dios la gloria; y roído de gusanos expiró.

24Entretanto la palabra de Dios crecía y se multiplicaba.

25Mas Bernabé y Saulo, acabada su misión, volvieron de Jerusalén llevando consigo a Juan, el apellidado Marcos.

1Eodem autem tempore misit Herodes rex manus, ut affligeret quosdam de ecclesia.

2Occidit autem Jacobum fratrem Joannis gladio.

3Videns autem quia placeret Judæis, apposuit ut apprehenderet et Petrum. Erant autem dies Azymorum.

4Quem cum apprehendisset, misit in carcerem, tradens quatuor quaternionibus militum custodiendum, volens post Pascha producere eum populo.

5Et Petrus quidem servabatur in carcere. Oratio autem fiebant sine intermissione ab ecclesia ad Deum pro eo.

6Cum autem producturus eum esset Herodes, in ipsa nocte erat Petrus dormiens inter duos milites, vinctus catenis duabus: et custodes ante ostium custodiebant carcerem.

7Et ecce angelus Domini astitit, et lumen refulsit in habitaculo: percussoque latere Petri, excitavit eum, dicens: Surge velociter. Et ceciderunt catenæ de manibus ejus.

8Dixit autem angelus ad eum: Præcingere, et calcea te caligas tuas. Et fecit sic. Et dixit illi: Circumda tibi vestimentum tuum, et sequere me.

9Et exiens sequebatur eum, et nesciebat quia verum est, quod fiebat per angelum: existimabat autem se visum videre.

10Transeuntes autem primam et secundam custodiam, venerunt ad portam ferream, quæ ducit ad civitatem: quæ ultro aperta est eis. Et exeuntes processerunt vicum unum: et continuo discessit angelus ab eo.

11Et Petrus ad se reversus, dixit: Nunc scio vere quia misit Dominus angelum suum, et eripuit me de manu Herodis, et de omni exspectatione plebis Judæorum.

12Consideransque venit ad domum Mariæ matris Joannis, qui cognominatus est Marcus, ubi erant multi congregati, et orantes.

13Pulsante autem eo ostium januæ, processit puella ad audiendum, nomine Rhode.

14Et ut cognovit vocem Petri, præ gaudio non aperuit januam, sed intro currens nuntiavit stare Petrum ante januam.

15At illi dixerunt ad eam: Insanis. Illa autem affirmabat sic se habere. Illi autem dicebant: Angelus ejus est.

16Petrus autem perseverabat pulsans. Cum autem aperuissent, viderunt eum, et obstupuerunt.

17Annuens autem eis manu ut tacerent, narravit quomodo Dominus eduxisset eum de carcere, dixitque: Nuntiate Jacobo et fratribus hæc. Et egressus abiit in alium locum.

18Facta autem die, erat non parva turbatio inter milites, quidnam factum esset de Petro.

19Herodes autem cum requisisset eum et non invenisset, inquisitione facta de custodibus, jussit eos duci: descendensque a Judæa in Cæsaream, ibi commoratus est.

20Erat autem iratus Tyriis et Sidoniis. At illi unanimes venerunt ad eum, et persuaso Blasto, qui erat super cubiculum regis, postulabant pacem, eo quod alerentur regiones eorum ab illo.

21Statuto autem die Herodes vestitus veste regia sedit pro tribunali, et concionabatur ad eos.

22Populus autem acclamabat: Dei voces, et non hominis.

23Confestim autem percussit eum angelus Domini, eo quod non dedisset honorem Deo: et consumptus a vermibus, expiravit.

24Verbum autem Domini crescebat, et multiplicabatur.

25Barnabas autem et Saulus reversi sunt ab Jerosolymis expleto ministerio assumpto Joanne, qui cognominatus est Marcus.

1And at the same time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the church.

2And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

3And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the Azymes.

4And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending, after the pasch, to bring him forth to the people.

5Peter therefore was kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him.

6And 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.

7And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light shined in the room: and he striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: Arise quickly. And the chains fell off from his hands.

8And the angel said to him: Gird thyself, and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

9And going out, he followed him, and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a vision.

10And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them. And going out, they passed on through one street: and immediately the angel departed from him.

11And Peter coming to himself, said: Now I know in very deed, 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.

12And considering, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together and praying.

13And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, whose name was Rhode.

14And as soon as she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but running in she told that Peter stood before the gate.

15But they said to her: Thou art mad. But she affirmed that it was so. Then said they: It is his angel.

16But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened, they saw him, and were astonished.

17But he beckoning to them with his hand to hold their peace, told how the Lord had brought him out of prison, and he said: Tell these things to James, and to the brethren. And going out, he went into another place.

18Now when day was come, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

19And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not; having examined the keepers, he commanded they should be put to death; and going down from Judea to Caesarea, he abode there.

20And he was angry with the Tyrians and the Sidonians. But they with one accord came to him, and having gained Blastus, who was the king’s chamberlain, they desired peace, because their countries were nourished by him.

21And upon a day appointed, Herod being arrayed in kingly apparel, sat in the judgment seat, and made an oration to them.

22And the people made acclamation, saying: It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

23And forthwith an angel of the Lord struck him, because he had not given the honour to God: and being eaten up by worms, he gave up the ghost.

24But the word of the Lord increased and multiplied.

25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having fulfilled their ministry, taking with them John, who was surnamed Mark.