1Now at that very time Herodus the king, surnamed Agrippa, seized some of the people of the congregation to oppress them. 2And he killed Ya’akov the brother of Yokhanan with the sword. 3And when he saw that this pleased the Y’hudim, he proceeded to arrest Shimon Kefa also. This happened during the days of Matzot. 4So he seized him and put him in prison and delivered him to the care of sixteen soldiers to keep him, so that he might deliver him to the Y’hudim after Pesakh.
5And while Shimon was kept in the prison, continual prayer was offered for him to Elohim by the congregation. 6And on the very night before the morning that he was to be delivered up, while Shimon was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and others were guarding the doors of the prison, 7a Malakh of יהוה stood over him, and a light shone in all the prison; and the Malakh touched him on the side and woke him, and said to him, “Rise up quickly.” And the chains fell off from his hands. 8And the Malakh said to him, “Bind on your girdle and put on your sandals.” And so he did. And again he said to him, “Put on your robe and follow me.” 9And he went out and followed the Malakh, not knowing that what was done by the Malakh was real, but thinking he saw a vision. 10When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate and it opened to them of its own accord; and when they had gone out and had passed one street, the Malakh departed from him. 11And when Shimon came to himself he said, “Now I surely know that יהוה has sent His Malakh and has delivered me out of the hand of Herodus, the king, and from all that the Y’hudim were conspiring against me.” 12And when he understood, he went to the house of Miryam the mother of Yokhanan, whose surname was Markos, because many brethren were gathered there praying. 13When he knocked at the gate of the courtyard, a little girl named Rhoda came out to answer. 14And when she recognized Shimon’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate to him, but ran back and said, “Behold, Shimon Kefa stands at the gate of the courtyard.” 15They said to her, “You must be confused!” But she argued that it was so. Then said they, “Perhaps it is his messenger.” 16But Shimon Kefa continued knocking at the gate; and they went out and saw him, and were astonished. 17But he motioned to them with his hand to keep quiet; then he entered and related to them how יהוה had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to Ya’akov and to our brethren.” And he went out and departed for another place.
18Now when it was morning, there was great tumult among the soldiers as to what had become of Shimon. 19When Herodus had sought him and could not find him, he sentenced the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And Shimon Kefa left Y’hudah and stayed at Keysarya.
20Herodus was angry with the people of Tzor and Tzidon, but they assembled together and came to him, and they appealed to Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, and asked him that they might have shalom, because their country was dependent upon the kingdom of Herodus for food supplies. 21Upon the set day, Herodus, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon the throne and addressed the assembly. 22And all the people shouted, saying, “This sounds like the voice of Elohim speaking and not that of a man.” 23And because he did not give the glory to Elohim, in that very hour a Malakh of יהוה smote him, and he was eaten by disease and died. 24But HaB’sorah of Elohim continued to be declared and to reach many. 25Bar-Naba and Sha’ul, after they had fulfilled their ministry, returned from Yerushalayim to Antioch, and took with them Yokhanan, whose surname was Markos.
Coming Soon! We are working daily on translating the remainder of the Brit Khadashah from Aramaic to Hebrew. Check back soon for this chapter’s Hebrew version!
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 