Acts 12:20-25 - Herod's Gruesome Death
20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon [Note: These were seaport cities not under his jurisdiction]. They came to him as a group, having befriended Blastus, an officer of the king [Herod], and tried to arrange a peaceful relationship [with him] because the country was dependant on him for their food supply. 21 And then, on a particular day, Herod, dressed in his royal robes, delivered a speech [to the people] from his throne. 22 The people began shouting, "His is the voice of a god and not a man." 23 Suddenly, an angel from God struck him [with a terrible condition] because he refused to honor God [by what he said in his speech], so he was consumed by worms and died. 24 But the [influence of the] message of God grew and [the number of disciples] multiplied. 25 Barnabas and Saul returned [to Antioch] from Jerusalem after they had fulfilled their mission [i.e., of taking the contribution for the famine-stricken people of Judea. See 11:27-30]. They took John Mark [back to Antioch with them].