Textus Receptus Bibles
Geneva Bible 1560/1599
| 12:1 | Nowe about that time, Herod the King stretched forth his hands to vexe certaine of the Church, |
| 12:2 | And he killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword. |
| 12:3 | And when he sawe that it pleased the Iewes, he proceeded further, to take Peter also (then were the dayes of vnleauened bread.) |
| 12:4 | And when he had caught him, he put him in prison, and deliuered him to foure quaternions of souldiers to be kept, intending after the Passeouer to bring him foorth to the people. |
| 12:5 | So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer was made of ye Church vnto God for him. |
| 12:6 | And when Herod woulde haue brought him out vnto the people, the same night slept Peter betweene two souldiers, bound with two chaines, and the keepers before the doore, kept the prison. |
| 12:7 | And behold the Angel of the Lord came vpon them, and a light shined in the house, and he smote Peter on the side, and raysed him vp, saying, Arise quickely. And his chaines fell off from his handes. |
| 12:8 | And the Angel saide vnto him, Girde thy selfe, and binde on thy sandales. And so he did. Then he said vnto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. |
| 12:9 | So Peter came out and followed him, and knewe not that it was true, which was done by the Angel, but thought he had seene a vision. |
| 12:10 | Nowe when they were past the first and the second watch, they came vnto the yron gate, that leadeth vnto the citie, which opened to them by it owne accord, and they went out, and passed through one streete, and by and by the Angel departed from him. |
| 12:11 | And when Peter was come to himselfe, he said, Nowe I know for a trueth, that the Lord hath sent his Angel, and hath deliuered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the wayting for of the people of the Iewes. |
| 12:12 | And as he considered the thing, he came to the house of Marie, the mother of Iohn, whose surname was Marke, where many were gathered together, and prayed. |
| 12:13 | And when Peter knocked at the entrie doore, a maide came foorth to hearken, named Rhode, |
| 12:14 | But when she knew Peters voyce, she opened not the entrie doore for gladnesse, but ranne in, and tolde howe Peter stood before the entrie. |
| 12:15 | But they said vnto her, Thou art mad. Yet she affirmed it constantly, that it was so. Then said they, It is his Angel. |
| 12:16 | But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened it, and sawe him, they were astonied. |
| 12:17 | And he beckened vnto them with the hand, to hold their peace, and told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he saide, Goe shewe these things vnto Iames and to the brethren: and he departed and went into an other place. |
| 12:18 | Nowe assoone as it was day, there was no small trouble among the souldiers, what was become of Peter. |
| 12:19 | And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded them to be led to be punished. And he went downe from Iudea to Cesarea, and there abode. |
| 12:20 | Then Herod was angrie with them of Tyrus and Sidon, but they came all with one accord vnto him, and perswaded Blastus the Kings Chamberlaine, and they desired peace, because their countrey was nourished by the Kings land. |
| 12:21 | And vpon a day appointed, Herod arayed himselfe in royall apparell, and sate on the iudgement seate, and made an oration vnto them. |
| 12:22 | And the people gaue a shoute, saying, The voyce of God, and not of man. |
| 12:23 | But immediatly the Angel of the Lord smote him, because he gaue not glorie vnto God, so that he was eaten of wormes, and gaue vp the ghost. |
| 12:24 | And the worde of God grewe, and multiplied. |
| 12:25 | So Barnabas and Saul returned from Hierusalem, when they had fulfilled their office, and tooke with them Iohn, whose surname was Marke. |
Geneva Bible 1560/1599
The Geneva Bible is one of the most influential and historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the King James translation by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of 16th century Protestantism and was the Bible used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, John Donne, and John Bunyan. The language of the Geneva Bible was more forceful and vigorous and because of this, most readers strongly preferred this version at the time.
The Geneva Bible was produced by a group of English scholars who, fleeing from the reign of Queen Mary, had found refuge in Switzerland. During the reign of Queen Mary, no Bibles were printed in England, the English Bible was no longer used in churches and English Bibles already in churches were removed and burned. Mary was determined to return Britain to Roman Catholicism.
The first English Protestant to die during Mary's turbulent reign was John Rogers in 1555, who had been the editor of the Matthews Bible. At this time, hundreds of Protestants left England and headed for Geneva, a city which under the leadership of Calvin, had become the intellectual and spiritual capital of European Protestants.
One of these exiles was William Whittingham, a fellow of Christ Church at Oxford University, who had been a diplomat, a courtier, was much traveled and skilled in many languages including Greek and Hebrew. He eventually succeeded John Knox as the minister of the English congregation in Geneva. Whittingham went on to publish the 1560 Geneva Bible.
This version is significant because, it came with a variety of scriptural study guides and aids, which included verse citations that allow the reader to cross-reference one verse with numerous relevant verses in the rest of the Bible, introductions to each book of the Bible that acted to summarize all of the material that each book would cover, maps, tables, woodcut illustrations, indices, as well as other included features, all of which would eventually lead to the reputation of the Geneva Bible as history's very first study Bible.