Acts 12

1 About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church.

1 Or intorno a quel tempo, il re Erode mise mano a maltrattare alcuni della chiesa;

2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.

2 e fece morir per la spada Giacomo, fratello di Giovanni.

3 And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

3 E vedendo che ciò era grato ai Giudei, continuo e fece arrestare anche Pietro. Or erano i giorni degli azzimi.

4 He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

4 E presolo, lo mise in prigione, dandolo in guardia a quattro mute di soldati di quattro l’una; perché, dopo la Pasqua, voleva farlo comparire dinanzi al popolo.

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.

5 Pietro dunque era custodito nella prigione; ma fervide preghiere eran fatte dalla chiesa a Dio per lui.

6 On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison.

6 Or quando Erode stava per farlo comparire, la notte prima, Pietro stava dormendo in mezzo a due soldati, legato con due catene; e le guardie davanti alla porta custodivano la prigione.

7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.

7 Ed ecco, un angelo del Signore sopraggiunse, e una luce risplendé nella cella; e l’angelo, percosso il fianco a Pietro, lo svegliò, dicendo: Lèvati prestamente. E le catene gli caddero dalle mani.

8 “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”

8 E l’angelo disse: Cingiti, e lègati i sandali. E Pietro fece così. Poi gli disse: Mettiti il mantello, e seguimi.

9 So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision.

9 Ed egli, uscito, lo seguiva, non sapendo che fosse vero quel che avveniva per mezzo dell’angelo, ma pensando di avere una visione.

10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.

10 Or com’ebbero passata la prima e la seconda guardia, vennero alla porta di ferro che mette in città, la quale si aperse loro da sé; ed essendo usciti, s’inoltrarono per una strada: e in quell’istante l’angelo si partì da lui.

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”

11 E Pietro, rientrato in sé, disse: Ora conosco per certo che il Signore ha mandato il suo angelo e mi ha liberato dalla mano di Erode e da tutta l’aspettazione del popolo dei Giudei.

12 And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.

12 E considerando la cosa, venne alla casa di Maria, madre di Giovanni soprannominato Marco, dove molti fratelli stavano raunati e pregavano.

13 He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.

13 E avendo Pietro picchiato all’uscio del vestibolo, una serva, chiamata Rode venne ad ascoltare;

14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”

14 e riconosciuta la voce di Pietro, per l’allegrezza non aprì l’uscio, ma corse dentro ad annunziare che Pietro stava davanti alla porta.

15 “You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

15 E quelli le dissero: Tu sei pazza! Ma ella asseverava che era così. Ed essi dicevano: E’ il suo angelo.

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.

16 Ma Pietro continuava a picchiare, e quand’ebbero aperto, lo videro e stupirono.

17 Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.

17 Ma egli, fatto lor cenno con la mano che tacessero, raccontò loro in qual modo il Signore l’avea tratto fuor della prigione. Poi disse: Fate sapere queste cose a Giacomo ed ai fratelli. Ed essendo uscito, se ne andò in un altro luogo.

18 At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.

18 Or, fattosi giorno, vi fu non piccol turbamento fra i soldati, perché non sapevano che cosa fosse avvenuto di Pietro.

19 After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.

19 Ed Erode, cercatolo, e non avendolo trovato, esaminate le guardie, comandò che fosser menate al supplizio. Poi, sceso di Giudea a Cesarea, vi si trattenne.

20 Now Herod was in a furious dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food.

20 Or Erode era fortemente adirato contro i Tiri e i Sidoni; ma essi di pari consentimento si presentarono a lui; e guadagnato il favore di Blasto, ciambellano del re, chiesero pace, perché il loro paese traeva i viveri dal paese del re.

21 On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people.

21 Nel giorno fissato, Erode, indossato l’abito reale, e postosi a sedere sul trono, li arringava pubblicamente.

22 And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”

22 E il popolo si mise a gridare: Voce d’un dio, e non d’un uomo!

23 Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

23 In quell’istante, un angelo del Signore lo percosse, perché non avea dato a Dio la gloria; e morì, roso dai vermi.

24 But the word of God continued to spread and multiply.

24 Ma la parola di Dio progrediva e si spandeva di più in più.

25 When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark.

25 E Barnaba e Saulo, compiuta la loro missione, tornarono da Gerusalemme, prendendo seco Giovanni soprannominato Marco.