Acts 12:5-25 Therefore Peter, consequently, continued being kept in custody (remained under guard and was being watched) within the prison (or: jail), yet thoughts and speech toward having things be well for him (or: prayer) continued being repeatedly birthed (or: was continuously coming to be) extendedly (i.e., in a way or manner that stretched forth from out of their midst) focused on God around him (or: toward God concerning him), by the called-out community.

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ⁵ Therefore Peter, consequently, continued being kept in custody (remained under guard and was being watched) within the prison (or: jail), yet thoughts and speech toward having things be well [for him] (or: prayer) continued being repeatedly birthed (or: was continuously coming to be) extendedly (i.e., in a way or manner that stretched forth from out of [their] midst) focused on God around him (or: toward God concerning him), by the called-out community. ⁶ So when Herod was being about to bring him forth (or: produce him [to them]), during that night Peter – being bound with two chains – continued sleeping between two soldiers, besides [the] guards before the door [who] continued watching over and guarding the prison (or: jail). ⁷ And yet, look, and consider this! An agent of and from [the] Lord (or: [Christ's or Yahweh's] messenger) made a stand upon [the scene; D reads: stood by Peter], and light shown (or: a light shines) within the midst of the room (= prison cell). Now tapping Peter's side, he (she; it) raised him up, while saying, "Get up quickly!" Then his chains at once fell off from [his] hands. ⁸ Now the agent (messenger) said to him, "Gird yourself (= Fasten your garments with your belt, so as to be ready to walk) and bind on your sandals." So he did so. Then he (she; it) says to him, "Throw your outer garment (robe; cloak) around [you] and keep following me." ⁹ And thus, after going out, he continued following, and yet he had not seen or perceived so as to know that the [incident] presently happening by means of the agent (messenger) is real, so he continued thinking (imagining; supposing) [himself] to be seeing a vision (effect of something seen). ¹⁰ Now, after passing through [the] first guard station, and then a second one, they came upon the iron gate, [which] now is leading into the city – which automatically (spontaneously; by self-acting) was opened up to (or: for) them. And so, having gone out, they proceeded [along] one narrow street (lane; alley) – then suddenly the agent (messenger) stood away (or: withdrew; departed) from him. ¹¹ Next, Peter, suddenly coming to be within (= coming to) himself, said, "Now I have truly seen, and thus am really aware, that the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ] sent forth His agent (messenger) out on a mission, and he extricated me (plucked me out) from the midst of Herod's hand (= power and authority), and from the entire anticipation of the Judean people (or: from everything the people of Judea were focusing their thinking to and looking toward)." ¹² And then, after perceiving [the various aspects of his situation] and consciously considering [it], he came upon the house of Mary, the mother of John – the one surnamed Mark, where quite a few people had been gathered and were crowded together continuing in thinking or speaking toward things being well (i.e., praying). ¹³ So after his knocking [at; on] the door or the portal (or: gateway; entrance), a servant girl named Rhoda came to [the entry] to answer (to obediently hear [the reason for the knock] and to respond; [p74: to go to meet {him}]). ¹⁴ Then, upon recognizing (accurately knowing) Peter's voice, from the joy [of the realization] she did not open up the gateway, but instead, immediately running into [their] midst, reported [that] Peter is standing before the gateway (or: entrance). ¹⁵ Yet they themselves said to her, "You are either manic, or you are out of your mind!" But she continued strongly asserting and thoroughly insisting [that] thus [they] are to continue having [it] (= that it was so). So those folks kept on saying, one after another, [D adds: to her], " [D adds: Perhaps] it is his agent (or: The messenger is from him; or: It is the agent that pertains to him; It is the messenger that has his characteristics)!" ¹⁶ Now Peter continued remaining at [the door], repeatedly knocking. So when they opened [it] up, they saw him and were standing outside of themselves in astonishment (or: beside themselves in amazement). ¹⁷ But, after gesturing (motioning downward) with [his] hand for them to hush and keep silent, he thoroughly related to them how the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh] led him forth out of the prison. Then he said, "Report these things back to Jacob (James) and the brothers." And then, after going out, he went his way into a different place. ¹⁸ Now with the birthing of (or: at its coming to be) day, there was no little (small; slight) commotion (stir; agitation; disturbance) among the soldiers – about what had really become [of] (or: had in fact happened [to]) Peter. ¹⁹ So Herod – after making a thorough search for him and not finding [him] – [and] upon examining and interrogating the guards, ordered [them] to be led away [and punished, or, executed?]. Later, after going down from the Judean [district] into Caesarea, he continued wearing through [the fabric of the days] (= he idled away, or spent, some time [there]). ²⁰ But he was continuing in a rushing passion for battle (or: progressing to a furious fighting mood) in regard to the people of Tyre and of Sidon. So with like mind and purpose, they kept on being present with [their faces] toward him. Then upon persuading (convincing; coaxing; conciliating; winning over) Blastus – the king's personal attendant who is in charge of his sleeping quarters – they kept on asking for peace, because their country [had the situation] to be normally receiving [their] food supplies from the territory and authorization of the king (or: via royal discretion). ²¹ Now on an arranged (set; appointed) day, Herod – having dressed (or: clothed) himself [in] royal attire (garments; apparel; [note: A.T. Robertson comments that Josephus says it was a robe of silver tissue]) – being seated upon the dais (an elevated platform, ascended by steps, for public address; here: = a throne or a judgment seat), was in the midst of giving a speech to them. ²² In response [D adds: his being changed from enmity to friendship by the people of Tyre], the populace gathered [there] began shouting, " [This is] a voice of a god, and not of a human!" ²³ So without delay an agent of [the] Lord [= Yahweh or Christ] from necessity struck him, in return for that [situation] – [since] he did not give the credit (or: glory) to God. Later, having come to be consumed (or: eaten) by worms, he expired (breathed out). ²⁴ But the Logos of God (God's Word, thought and idea; or: the message pertaining to and the source of which is God; the verbal expression which is God [B reads: the Lord {= Christ or Yahweh}]) kept on growing (increasing) and continued being multiplied. ²⁵ Yet Barnabas and Saul, after returning out of [D reads: from; other MSS: into] Jerusalem [E and other witnesses add: into Antioch], [are] fulfilling the dispensing and attending service – having taken along with [them] John, the one surnamed Mark.