12:1 在那个时期，黑落德王已下手磨难教会中的一些人，
12:2 用剑杀了若望的哥哥雅各伯。
About that time King Herod laid hands upon some members of the church to harm them. 12:3 他一看到犹太人喜欢，便命人连伯多禄也加以拘捕，时正值无酵节日；
He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, 12:4 把他拿住以后，就押在监狱中，交由四班兵士──每班四人──看守，愿意在逾越节后，给百姓提出来。
and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (It was (the) feast of Unleavened Bread.) 12:5 伯多禄就被看管在监狱中，而教会恳切为他向天主祈祷。
He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. 12:6 及至黑落德将要提出他的时候，那一夜伯多禄被两道锁链缚着，睡在两个士兵中，门前还有卫兵把守监狱。
Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the church was fervently being made to God on his behalf. 12:7 忽然，主的一位天使显现，有一道光，照亮了房间，天使拍着伯多禄的肋膀，唤醒他说：「快快起来！」锁链遂从他手上落下来。
On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. 12:8 天使向他说：「束上腰，穿上你的鞋！」他都照办了。天使吩咐他说：「披上你的外氅，跟我来罢！」
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, "Get up quickly." The chains fell from his wrists. 12:9 他就出来跟着走，还不知道天使所行的是实在的事，只想是见了异像。
The angel said to him, "Put on your belt and your sandals." He did so. Then he said to him, "Put on your cloak and follow me." 12:10 他们经过第一道岗，又第二道，来到通到城的铁门前，铁门就自动地给他们开了；他们便出去，往前走了一条街，忽然天使离开他，不见了。1
So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 12:11 伯多禄这才清醒过来，说：「现今我实在知道主派了他的天使来，救我脱免黑落德的手和犹太人民所希望的事。」
They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him. 12:12 他既明白过来，就往若望──号称马尔谷──的母亲玛利亚的家去，在那里有好些人聚集祈祷。
Then Peter recovered his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that (the) Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting." 12:13 他敲大门的时候，有一个名叫洛德的使女过来听。
When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who is called Mark, where there were many people gathered in prayer. 12:14 她一认出是伯多禄的声音，喜的没有开门，就跑进去报告说：伯多禄站在大门前。
When he knocked on the gateway door, a maid named Rhoda came to answer it. 12:15 他们都对她说：「你疯了！」她却坚持说：实在是这样。他们反说：「是他的天使。」
She was so overjoyed when she recognized Peter’s voice that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. 12:16 伯多禄还不住的敲门；他们一开门，看见是他，都惊呆了。
They told her, "You are out of your mind," but she insisted that it was so. But they kept saying, "It is his angel." 12:17 伯多禄摆手叫他们不要作声，遂给他们述说上主怎样领他出了监狱，且说：「你们要把这些事报告给雅各伯和弟兄们。」他便出去，往别的地方去了。
But Peter continued to knock, and when they opened it, they saw him and were astounded. 12:18 天一亮，在士兵中，起了不小的骚乱，不知伯多禄出了什么事。
He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and explained (to them) how the Lord had led him out of the prison, and said, "Report this to James and the brothers." Then he left and went to another place. 12:19 黑落德遂搜寻他，搜寻不到，就审讯卫兵，下令把他们处决了。
At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 12:20 那时，黑落德向提洛和漆冬发了大怒；二城的人商量好，来见他，并贿赂了管王卧房的布拉斯托去求和，因为他们那一方当由君王这里获得食粮。
Herod, after instituting a search but not finding him, ordered the guards tried and executed. Then he left Judea to spend some time in Caesarea. 12:21 黑落德在约定的日子，披戴君王的礼服，坐在宝座上向他们演讲。
He had long been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, who now came to him in a body. After winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they sued for peace because their country was supplied with food from the king’s territory. 12:22 人民便呼喊说：「这不是人的声音，而是神的声音。」
On an appointed day, Herod, attired in royal robes, (and) seated on the rostrum, addressed them publicly. 12:23 立刻有上主的天使打击了他，因为他没有归光荣于天主。他为虫子所吃，遂断了气。
The assembled crowd cried out, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." 12:24 天主的道却逐渐发扬广大。
At once the angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not ascribe the honor to God, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. 12:25 巴尔纳伯和扫禄完成了任务，就带着号称马尔谷的若望从耶路撒冷回去了。
But the word of God continued to spread and grow.