Acts 12 is the prison-break chapter of the early church - King Herod executes James, arrests Peter, and posts four squads of soldiers to keep him. While Peter sleeps in chains between two guards, the church prays. Then an angel appears, the chains fall off, the iron gate opens by itself, and Peter walks free.
Full sung version coming soon.
Lyrics
About that time King Herod stretched out his hands To oppress some of the assembly He killed James the brother of John with the sword When he saw that it pleased the Jews He proceeded to seize Peter also
During the days of unleavened bread When he had arrested him he put him in prison Delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him Intending to bring him out to the people After the Passover
Peter therefore was kept in the prison But constant prayer was made by the assembly To God for him The same night when Herod was about to bring him out Peter was sleeping between two soldiers
Bound with two chains Guards in front of the door kept the prison And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him And a light shone in the cell He struck Peter on the side and woke him up
Stand up quickly His chains fell off his hands The angel said to him get dressed And put on your sandals He did so
He said put on your cloak and follow me And he went out and followed him He didn’t know that what was being done by the angel was real But thought he saw a vision When they were past the guards they came to the iron gate
That leads into the city Which opened to them by itself They went out and went down one street And immediately the angel departed from him When Peter had come to himself he said
Now I truly know that the Lord Has sent out his angel and delivered me Out of the hand of Herod And from everything the Jewish people were expecting Thinking about that he came to the house of Mary
The mother of John called Mark Where many were gathered together and were praying The Lord has sent his angel
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Acts 12 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.
Published 2026-05-24 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press