---
title: "Acts 12 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/acts/12/
description: "Herod's persecution. Peter's deliverance by an angel. Herod's punishment. Acts 12 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Acts 12

Acts 12 is chapter 12 of 28 in the Acts of the Apostles. Here are all 25 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> Herod's persecution. Peter's deliverance by an angel. Herod's punishment.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Acts 12 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. Now at the same time, king Herod extended his hand, in order to afflict some from the Church.
2. Then he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.
3. And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he set out next to apprehend Peter also. Now it was the days of Unleavened Bread.
4. So when he had apprehended him, he sent him into prison, handing him over into the custody of four groups of four soldiers, intending to produce him to the people after the Passover.
5. And so Peter was detained in prison. But prayers were being made without ceasing, by the Church, to God on his behalf.
6. And when Herod was ready to produce him, in that same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, and was bound with two chains. And there were guards in front of the door, guarding the prison.
7. And behold, an Angel of the Lord stood near, and a light shined forth in the cell. And tapping Peter on the side, he awakened him, saying, “Rise up, quickly.” And the chains fell from his hands.
8. Then the Angel said to him: “Dress yourself, and put on your boots.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your garment around yourself and follow me.”
9. And going out, he followed him. And he did not know this truth: that this was being done by an Angel. For he thought that he was seeing a vision.
10. And passing by the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city; and it opened for them by itself. And departing, they continued on along a certain side street. And suddenly the Angel withdrew from him.
11. And Peter, returning to himself, said: “Now I know, truly, that the Lord sent his Angel, and that he rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the people of the Jews were anticipating.”
12. And as he was considering this, he arrived at the house of Mary, the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered and were praying.
13. Then, as he knocked at the door of the gate, a girl went out to answer, whose name was Rhoda.
14. And when she recognized the voice of Peter, out of joy, she did not open the gate, but instead, running in, she reported that Peter stood before the gate.
15. But they said to her, “You are crazy.” But she reaffirmed that this was so. Then they were saying, “It is his angel.”
16. But Peter was persevering in knocking. And when they had opened, they saw him and were astonished.
17. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he explained how the Lord had led him away from prison. And he said, “Inform James and those brothers.” And going out, he went away to another place.
18. Then, when daylight came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers, as to what had happened concerning Peter.
19. And when Herod had requested him and did not obtain him, having had the guards interrogated, he ordered them led away. And descending from Judea into Caesarea, he lodged there.
20. Now he was angry with those of Tyre and Sidon. But they came to him with one accord, and, having persuaded Blastus, who was over the bedchamber of the king, they petitioned for peace, because their regions were supplied with food by him.
21. Then, on the appointed day, Herod was clothed in kingly apparel, and he sat in the judgment seat, and he gave a speech to them.
22. Then the people were crying out, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”
23. And immediately, an Angel of the Lord struck him down, because he had not given honor to God. And having been consumed by worms, he expired.
24. But the word of the Lord was increasing and multiplying.
25. Then Barnabas and Saul, having completed the ministry, returned from Jerusalem, bringing with them John, who was surnamed Mark.

## Acts 12 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Eodem autem tempore misit Herodes rex manus, ut affligeret quosdam de ecclesia.
2. Occidit autem Jacobum fratrem Joannis gladio.
3. Videns autem quia placeret Judæis, apposuit ut apprehenderet et Petrum. Erant autem dies Azymorum.
4. Quem cum apprehendisset, misit in carcerem, tradens quatuor quaternionibus militum custodiendum, volens post Pascha producere eum populo.
5. Et Petrus quidem servabatur in carcere. Oratio autem fiebat sine intermissione ab ecclesia ad Deum pro eo.
6. Cum autem producturus eum esset Herodes, in ipsa nocte erat Petrus dormiens inter duos milites, vinctus catenis duabus: et custodes ante ostium custodiebant carcerem.
7. Et ecce angelus Domini astitit, et lumen refulsit in habitaculo: percussoque latere Petri, excitavit eum, dicens: Surge velociter. Et ceciderunt catenæ de manibus ejus.
8. Dixit autem angelus ad eum: Præcingere, et calcea te caligas tuas. Et fecit sic. Et dixit illi: Circumda tibi vestimentum tuum, et sequere me.
9. Et exiens sequebatur eum, et nesciebat quia verum est, quod fiebat per angelum: existimabat autem se visum videre.
10. Transeuntes autem primam et secundam custodiam, venerunt ad portam ferream, quæ ducit ad civitatem: quæ ultro aperta est eis. Et exeuntes processerunt vicum unum: et continuo discessit angelus ab eo.
11. Et Petrus ad se reversus, dixit: Nunc scio vere quia misit Dominus angelum suum, et eripuit me de manu Herodis, et de omni exspectatione plebis Judæorum.
12. Consideransque venit ad domum Mariæ matris Joannis, qui cognominatus est Marcus, ubi erant multi congregati, et orantes.
13. Pulsante autem eo ostium januæ, processit puella ad audiendum, nomine Rhode.
14. Et ut cognovit vocem Petri, præ gaudio non aperuit januam, sed intro currens nuntiavit stare Petrum ante januam.
15. At illi dixerunt ad eam: Insanis. Illa autem affirmabat sic se habere. Illi autem dicebant: Angelus ejus est.
16. Petrus autem perseverabat pulsans. Cum autem aperuissent, viderunt eum, et obstupuerunt.
17. Annuens autem eis manu ut tacerent, narravit quomodo Dominus eduxisset eum de carcere, dixitque: Nuntiate Jacobo et fratribus hæc. Et egressus abiit in alium locum.
18. Facta autem die, erat non parva turbatio inter milites, quidnam factum esset de Petro.
19. Herodes autem cum requisisset eum et non invenisset, inquisitione facta de custodibus, jussit eos duci: descendensque a Judæa in Cæsaream, ibi commoratus est.
20. Erat autem iratus Tyriis et Sidoniis. At illi unanimes venerunt ad eum, et persuaso Blasto, qui erat super cubiculum regis, postulabant pacem, eo quod alerentur regiones eorum ab illo.
21. Statuto autem die Herodes vestitus veste regia sedit pro tribunali, et concionabatur ad eos.
22. Populus autem acclamabat: Dei voces, et non hominis.
23. Confestim autem percussit eum angelus Domini, eo quod non dedisset honorem Deo: et consumptus a vermibus, expiravit.
24. Verbum autem Domini crescebat, et multiplicabatur.
25. Barnabas autem et Saulus reversi sunt ab Jerosolymis expleto ministerio assumpto Joanne, qui cognominatus est Marcus.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- cf. CCC ¶ 2636: Prayer of Intercession ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 334: Heaven and Earth ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 3: The festival of the unleavened bread, or the pasch, which answers to our Easter.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Wed, Apr 21, 2027: Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter — First Reading, Acts 12:24—13:5a
- Tue, Jun 29, 2027 (computed): Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles — First Reading, Acts 12:1-11
- Wed, May 10, 2028 (computed): Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter — First Reading, Acts 12:24—13:5a
- Thu, Jun 29, 2028 (computed): Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles — First Reading, Acts 12:1-11

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).