An Angel Helps Peter Escape From Prison
1About this time, King Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church. He planned to make them suffer greatly. 2He had James killed with a sword. James was John’s brother. 3Herod saw that the death of James pleased some Jews. So he arrested Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4After Herod arrested Peter, he put him in prison. Peter was placed under guard. He was watched by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod planned to put Peter on public trial. It would take place after the Passover Feast.
5So Peter was kept in prison. But the church prayed hard to God for him.
6It was the night before Herod was going to bring him to trial. Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. Two chains held him there. Lookouts stood guard at the entrance. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared. A light shone in the prison cell. The angel struck Peter on his side. Peter woke up. “Quick!” the angel said. “Get up!” The chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
8Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” Peter did so. “Put on your coat,” the angel told him. “Follow me.” 9Peter followed him out of the prison. But he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision. 10They passed the first and second guards. Then they came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself. They went through it. They walked the length of one street. Suddenly the angel left Peter.
11Then Peter realized what had happened. He said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent his angel. He set me free from Herod’s power. He saved me from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
12When Peter understood what had happened, he went to Mary’s house. Mary was the mother of John Mark. Many people had gathered in her home. They were praying there. 13Peter knocked at the outer entrance. A servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14She recognized Peter’s voice. She was so excited that she ran back without opening the door. “Peter is at the door!” she exclaimed.
15“You’re out of your mind,” they said to her. But she kept telling them it was true. So they said, “It must be his angel.”
16Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. 17Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet. He explained how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said. Then he went to another place.
18In the morning the soldiers were bewildered. They couldn’t figure out what had happened to Peter. 19So Herod had them look everywhere for Peter. But they didn’t find him. Then Herod questioned the guards closely. He ordered that they be put to death.
Herod Dies
Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they got together and asked for a meeting with him. This was because they depended on the king’s country to supply them with food. They gained the support of Blastus and then asked for peace. Blastus was a trusted personal servant of the king.
21The appointed day came. Herod was seated on his throne. He was wearing his royal robes. He made a speech to the people. 22Then they shouted, “This is the voice of a god. It’s not the voice of a man.” 23Right away an angel of the Lord struck Herod down. Herod had not given praise to God. So he was eaten by worms and died.
24But God’s word continued to spread and many people believed the message.
Barnabas and Saul Are Sent Off
25Barnabas and Saul finished their task. Then they returned from Jerusalem. They took John Mark with them.
Petro Apulumuka Mʼndende
1Inali nthawi yomweyi imene mfumu Herode anamanga ena a mu mpingo ndi cholinga chakuti awazunze. 2Iye analamula kuti Yakobo mʼbale wa Yohane, aphedwe ndi lupanga. 3Ataona kuti zimenezi zinakondweretsa Ayuda, anawonjeza ndi kugwiranso Petro. Izi zinachitika pa nthawi ya Chikondwerero cha Buledi wopanda Yisiti. 4Atamugwira Petro, namutsekera mʼndende, anamupereka kwa magulu anayi a asilikali kuti amuyangʼanire, gulu lililonse linali ndi asilikali anayi. Herode anafuna kumuzenga mlandu pamaso pa anthu onse chikondwerero cha Paska chitapita.
5Kotero Petro anasungidwa mʼndende, koma mpingo unamupempherera kolimba kwa Mulungu.
6Usiku woti mmawa mwake Herode amuzenga mlandu, Petro amagona pakati pa asilikali awiri, atamangidwa maunyolo awiri, ndiponso alonda atayima pa khomo. 7Mwadzidzidzi mngelo wa Ambuye anaonekera ndipo kuwala kunawunika mʼchipindamo. Mngeloyo anamugwedeza Petro mʼnthiti ndi kumudzutsa. Iye anati, “Fulumira, imirira!” Ndipo maunyolo anagwa kuchoka mʼmanja a Petro.
8Kenaka mngelo anati kwa iye, “Vala zovala ndi nsapato.” Ndipo Petro atachita izi mngeloyo anamuwuzanso kuti, “Funda chovala chako ndipo unditsate.” 9Petro anatsatira natuluka mʼndende, koma sanazindikire kuti zimene mngeloyo amachita zimachitikadi; iye amaganiza kuti amaona masomphenya. 10Iwo anadutsa gulu loyamba ndi lachiwiri la asilikali ndipo anafika pa chitseko chachitsulo cholowera mu mzinda. Chitsekocho chinatsekuka chokha ndipo anadutsa. Pamene anayenda kutalika kwa msewu umodzi, mwadzidzidzi mngelo uja anachoka.
11Pamenepo Petro anazindikira nati, “Tsopano ndikudziwa mosakayika kuti Ambuye anatuma mngelo wake kudzandipulumutsa mʼmanja mwa Herode, ndi ku zoyipa zonse zimene Ayuda amafuna kundichitira.”
12Atazindikira zimenezi anapita ku nyumba ya Mariya amayi ake a Yohane, wotchedwanso Marko, kumene kunasonkhana anthu ambiri ndipo amapemphera. 13Petro anagogoda pa chitseko cha panja, ndipo mtsikana wantchito dzina lake Roda anabwera kuti adzatsekule chitseko. 14Atazindikira mawu a Petro anakondwa kwambiri ndipo anabwerera osatsekula ndipo anafuwula kuti, “Petro ali pa khomopa!”
15Anthuwo anati kwa iye, “Wopenga iwe!” Atalimbikira kunena kuti zinali zoona, iwo anati, “Ameneyo ndi mngelo wake.”
16Koma Petro anapitiriza kugogoda ndipo atatsekula chitseko ndi kumuona, anthuwo anadabwa kwambiri. 17Petro anakweza dzanja ndi kuwawuza kuti akhale chete ndipo anawafotokozera mmene Ambuye anamutulutsira mʼndende. Iye anati, “Uzani Yakobo ndi abale ena za zimenezi.” Kenaka anachoka napita kumalo ena.
18Pamene kunacha kunali phokoso lalikulu pakati pa asilikali, iwo anafunsa kuti, “Kodi chamuchitikira Petro ndi chiyani?” 19Herode atamufunafuna ndipo wosamupeza, anawafunsa asilikali ndipo analamulira kuti asilikaliwo aphedwe.
Imfa ya Herode
Kenaka Herode anachoka ku Yudeya ndi kupita ku Kaisareya ndipo anakhala kumeneko kwa kanthawi 20Herode anakwiyira anthu a ku Turo ndi Sidoni; anthuwo anagwirizana zoti akambirane naye. Atapeza thandizo kuchokera kwa Blasito, wantchito wokhulupirika wa mfumu, anapempha kuti pakhale mtendere, chifukwa dziko lawo limadalira dziko la mfumuyo pa chakudya chawo.
21Pa tsiku limene anasankha Herode, atavala zovala zake zaufumu, anakhala pa mpando wake ndipo anayankhula kwa anthuwo. 22Anthuwo anafuwula nati, “Amenewa ndi mawu a mulungu osati a munthu ayi.” 23Nthawi yomweyo mngelo wa Mulungu anamukantha chifukwa sanapereke ulemu kwa Mulungu ndipo anadyedwa ndi mphutsi nafa.
24Koma Mawu a Mulungu anapitirirabe kufalikirafalikira.
25Barnaba ndi Saulo atamaliza ntchito yawo anachoka ku Yerusalemu, atatenga Yohane wotchedwanso Marko.
