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New Testament Reading - Peter Delivered from Prison

¹About that time King Herod moved against some of the believers ²and killed the apostle^a James (John’s brother). ³ When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish leaders, he arrested Peter during the Passover celebration ⁴and imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of sixteen soldiers. Herod’s intention was to deliver Peter to the Jews for execution after the Passover. ⁵But earnest prayer was going up to God from the church for his safety all the time he was in prison.

⁶The night before he was to be executed, he was asleep, double-chained between two soldiers with others standing guard before the prison gate, ⁷when suddenly there was a light in the cell and an angel of the Lord stood beside Peter! The angel slapped him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists! ⁸Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your shoes.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me!” the angel ordered.

⁹So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a dream or vision and didn’t believe it was really happening. ¹⁰They passed the first and second cell blocks and came to the iron gate to the street, and this opened to them of its own accord! So they passed through and walked along together for a block, and then the angel left him.

¹¹Peter finally realized what had happened! “It’s really true!” he said to himself. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jews were hoping to do to me!”

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