Urkyrkan
Peter Freed from Prison
An angel frees Peter from prison while the church prays for him.
Apostlagärningarna 12,1-19
1About that time King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to do them harm.
Κατʼ ἐκεῖνον δὲ τὸν καιρὸν ἐπέβαλεν Ἡρῴδης ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰς χεῖρας κακῶσαί τινας τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας.
2He had James, the brother of John, put to death by the sword.
ἀνεῖλεν δὲ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννου μαχαίρῃ.
3When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he went on to seize Peter as well. This was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
⸂ἰδὼν δὲ⸃ ὅτι ἀρεστόν ἐστιν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις προσέθετο συλλαβεῖν καὶ Πέτρον (ἦσαν ⸀δὲ ἡμέραι τῶν ἀζύμων),
4After arresting him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
ὃν καὶ πιάσας ἔθετο εἰς φυλακήν, παραδοὺς τέσσαρσιν τετραδίοις στρατιωτῶν φυλάσσειν αὐτόν, βουλόμενος μετὰ τὸ πάσχα ἀναγαγεῖν αὐτὸν τῷ λαῷ.
5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying to God for him without ceasing.
ὁ μὲν οὖν Πέτρος ἐτηρεῖτο ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ· προσευχὴ δὲ ἦν ⸀ἐκτενῶς γινομένη ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ⸀περὶ αὐτοῦ.
6On the very night before Herod was to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while sentries stood guard at the door of the prison.
Ὅτε δὲ ἤμελλεν ⸂προαγαγεῖν αὐτὸν⸃ ὁ Ἡρῴδης, τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ ἦν ὁ Πέτρος κοιμώμενος μεταξὺ δύο στρατιωτῶν δεδεμένος ἁλύσεσιν δυσίν, φύλακές τε πρὸ τῆς θύρας ἐτήρουν τὴν φυλακήν.
7Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Quick, get up!" And the chains fell from his wrists.
καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἐπέστη, καὶ φῶς ἔλαμψεν ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι· πατάξας δὲ τὴν πλευρὰν τοῦ Πέτρου ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν λέγων· Ἀνάστα ἐν τάχει· καὶ ἐξέπεσαν αὐτοῦ αἱ ἁλύσεις ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν.
8Then the angel said to him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." He did so. "Wrap your cloak around you," the angel said, "and follow me."
εἶπεν ⸀δὲ ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς αὐτόν· ⸀Ζῶσαι καὶ ὑπόδησαι τὰ σανδάλιά σου· ἐποίησεν δὲ οὕτως. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Περιβαλοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιόν σου καὶ ἀκολούθει μοι.
9So Peter went out and followed him, not realizing that what the angel was doing was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
καὶ ἐξελθὼν ⸀ἠκολούθει, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι ἀληθές ἐστιν τὸ γινόμενον διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου, ἐδόκει δὲ ὅραμα βλέπειν.
10They passed the first guard post and then the second, and came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went out and walked the length of one street. Then, all at once, the angel left him.
διελθόντες δὲ πρώτην φυλακὴν καὶ δευτέραν ἦλθαν ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην τὴν σιδηρᾶν τὴν φέρουσαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ἥτις αὐτομάτη ἠνοίγη αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐξελθόντες προῆλθον ῥύμην μίαν, καὶ εὐθέως ἀπέστη ὁ ἄγγελος ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.
11Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know beyond a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's hand and from everything the Jewish people were expecting."
καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ⸂ἐν ἑαυτῷ γενόμενος⸃ εἶπεν· Νῦν οἶδα ἀληθῶς ὅτι ἐξαπέστειλεν ⸀ὁ κύριος τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξείλατό με ἐκ χειρὸς Ἡρῴδου καὶ πάσης τῆς προσδοκίας τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων.
12Realizing this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many had gathered and were praying.
Συνιδών τε ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ⸀τῆς Μαρίας τῆς μητρὸς Ἰωάννου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Μάρκου, οὗ ἦσαν ἱκανοὶ συνηθροισμένοι καὶ προσευχόμενοι.
13When he knocked at the outer door, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
κρούσαντος δὲ ⸀αὐτοῦ τὴν θύραν τοῦ πυλῶνος προσῆλθε παιδίσκη ὑπακοῦσαι ὀνόματι Ῥόδη,
14Recognizing Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that instead of opening the gate she ran in and announced that Peter was standing outside.
καὶ ἐπιγνοῦσα τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ Πέτρου ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς οὐκ ἤνοιξεν τὸν πυλῶνα, εἰσδραμοῦσα δὲ ἀπήγγειλεν ἑστάναι τὸν Πέτρον πρὸ τοῦ πυλῶνος.
15"You are out of your mind," they told her. But she kept insisting it was so, and they said, "It is his angel."
οἱ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶπαν· Μαίνῃ. ἡ δὲ διϊσχυρίζετο οὕτως ἔχειν. οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον· Ὁ ἄγγελός ⸂ἐστιν αὐτοῦ⸃.
16Meanwhile Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἐπέμενεν κρούων· ἀνοίξαντες δὲ εἶδαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐξέστησαν.
17He motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. "Report this to James and to the brothers," he said. Then he left and went to another place.
κατασείσας δὲ αὐτοῖς τῇ χειρὶ σιγᾶν διηγήσατο αὐτοῖς πῶς ὁ κύριος αὐτὸν ἐξήγαγεν ἐκ τῆς φυλακῆς, εἶπέν ⸀τε· Ἀπαγγείλατε Ἰακώβῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ταῦτα. καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἐπορεύθη εἰς ἕτερον τόπον.
18When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ἦν τάραχος οὐκ ὀλίγος ἐν τοῖς στρατιώταις, τί ἄρα ὁ Πέτρος ἐγένετο.
19Herod made a thorough search for him, and when he did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered them led away for execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
Ἡρῴδης δὲ ἐπιζητήσας αὐτὸν καὶ μὴ εὑρὼν ἀνακρίνας τοὺς φύλακας ἐκέλευσεν ἀπαχθῆναι, καὶ κατελθὼν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ⸀εἰς Καισάρειαν διέτριβεν.