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1During those days, Looks Brave (Herod) used his power as chief to bring harm to the sacred family.[#12:1 This is the grandson of Herod the Great, who tried to kill Jesus when he was a baby.]
2He had He Takes Over (James) the brother of He Shows Goodwill (John) killed with the long knife.
3When he found out that this pleased the corrupt tribal leaders, he decided to take Stands on the Rock (Peter) captive also—during the Festival of Bread Without Yeast.
4After capturing him, he put him in prison and assigned sixteen soldiers to guard him—four at a time. Looks Brave (Herod) planned to bring him before the people during the Passover festival.
5But while Stands on the Rock (Peter) was in prison, the sacred family prayed for him with strong hearts as they sent their voices to the Great Spirit.
6On the night before Looks Brave (Herod) was planning to bring him before the people, Stands on the Rock (Peter) was sound asleep between two soldiers who were guarding him. He was bound with two chains, and more guards were guarding the prison gate.
7Out of nowhere a spirit-messenger from Creator appeared, and a light shone all around them. The spirit-messenger nudged Stands on the Rock (Peter) in his side to wake him up.
“Get up quickly!” the messenger instructed him, and right then the chains fell from his hands.
8“Tighten your sash and put on your moccasins,” he added. He did so, and the messenger said, “Now put on your outer garment and follow me.”
9Stands on the Rock (Peter) went out with the spirit-messenger, but he thought he was having a vision and did not know it was really happening.
10They had passed by the first guard, then the second, when they came to the iron gate that leads into the village. The gate opened by itself, they walked down a village path, and right then the messenger left him.
11After his thoughts cleared up, he said to himself, “Now I know for sure that Creator has sent his spirit- messenger to rescue me from the hand of Looks Brave (Herod) and from all that the Tribal Members thought would happen to me.”
12So Stands on the Rock (Peter) went to the home of Sober Tears (Mary) , the mother of Walks in Kindness (John) , who is also named War Club (Mark) . Many of the sacred family had gathered there praying for him .
13He knocked at the gate outside the door, and a servant girl named Rose Bush (Rhoda) went to answer.
14When she recognized the voice of Stands on the Rock (Peter) , she ran back inside without opening the gate and told everyone it was Stands on the Rock (Peter) who was at the gate.
15“You have lost your mind!” they said to her, but she assured them that it was he.
“It must be his spirit-messenger,” they kept saying to each other.
16Meanwhile Stands on the Rock (Peter) was still knocking at the gate. When they opened the door and saw him at the gate, they could not believe their eyes.
17Stands on the Rock (Peter) motioned to them with his hand to be silent. He then told them how Creator had rescued him from the prison.
“Tell He Leads the Way (James) and the others what has happened,” he said to them. He then left to go to another place.
18The next morning the soldiers who were guarding Stands on the Rock (Peter) were in a big uproar, for he was gone!
19Looks Brave (Herod) came and searched for him also. When he could not find him, he questioned the guards and then ordered them to be put to death. He then traveled down from the Land of Promise (Judea) to Chief Village (Caesarea) and stayed there.
20Looks Brave (Herod) was angry with the people of Rock Land (Tyre) and Hunting Grounds (Sidon) , so they sent some messengers to him to make peace, for their people depended on the food that came from the land Looks Brave (Herod) ruled over. The messengers won the favor of Budding Branch (Blastus) , the most trusted servant of Looks Brave (Herod) .
21After that Looks Brave (Herod) chose a day to make his decision about this matter. He put on his chiefly regalia and sat down on the Seat of Deciding to speak to the people using many words.
22The crowd began to shout, “This is not the voice of a man, but of a great spirit!”
23Because Looks Brave (Herod) did not give the honor over to the Great Spirit, a spirit-messenger from Creator struck him down. He was then eaten by worms and crossed over to death.
24Meanwhile, Creator’s message continued to grow strong among the people and to spread far and wide.
25Their task was now complete , so Son of Comfort (Barnabas) and Man Who Questions (Saul) returned from Village of Peace (Jerusalem) to Stands Against (Antioch) , taking with them Walks in Kindness (John) who was also named War Club (Mark) .