And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

The angel said to him, "Fasten your belt and put on your sandals." Peter did so. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your cloak and follow me."

And Peter went out following the angel. He did not realize that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

when they had pass'd the first and second guard, they came to the iron-gate that leads to the city, which open'd to them of itself: so they went out and pass'd together thro' one street: when all of a sudden the angel quitted Peter. Then coming to himself; now,

And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

When Peter realized what had happened, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where a large number of people had gathered and were praying.

And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

But they said to her, "You've lost your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was Peter, and they kept saying, "It is his angel!"

But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

Peter signed to them with his hand to be silent, and then told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison, adding: "Tell James and the Brethren all this." Then he left the house, and went away to another place.

Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

And he was in bitter hostility with the Tyrians and Sidonians; but they came to him with one accord, and, having gained Blastus the king's chamberlain, sought peace, because their country was nourished by the king's.

But those Jews who had not the faith, made the minds of the Gentiles bitter against the brothers.

He heard Paul speaking, and Paul, gazing steadily at him and noticing that he had faith enough to make him better,

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Simeon (Simon Peter) has described how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name [to honor Him and be identified with Him].

The Governor of the Jail told Paul of his instructions. "The Magistrates have sent an order for your discharge," he said, "so you had better leave the place at once and go quietly away."

Now these people were more noble and open-minded than those in Thessalonica, so they received the message [of salvation through faith in the Christ] with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives],

Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised.

For a certain man by name Demetrius, a silver-beater, making silver temples of Artemis, brought no small gain to the artisans;

So then, because these things may not be doubted, it would be better for you to be quiet, and do nothing unwise.

And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:

And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, [and to progressively understand His plan with clarity and power] and to see the Righteous One [Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and to hear a message from His [own] mouth.

And it would have been better if they had come here to make a statement, if they have anything against me.

Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.

And I often punished them [making them suffer] in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme; and in my extreme rage at them, I kept hunting them even to foreign cities [harassing and persecuting them].

Neverthelater, the under-captain believed the governor, and the master, better than those things which were spoken of Paul.

When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent storm continued to batter us, we finally abandoned all hope of being saved.

And when they had been without food for a long time, Paul got up among them and said, Friends, it would have been better if you had given attention to me and not gone sailing out from Crete, to undergo this damage and loss.

and [if you claim to] know His will and approve the things that are essential or have a sense of what is excellent, based on your instruction from the Law,

Circumcision has its value, if you are obeying the Law. But, if you are a breaker of the Law, your circumcision is no better than uncircumcision.

How then is the Jew better off? or what profit is there in circumcision?

But if our unrighteousness causes God's plan of justifying men to be better known, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous, who inflicts punishment? I speak as a man.

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

Whose mouth is full of curses and bitter words:

And not being feeble in faith though his body seemed to him little better than dead (he being about a hundred years old) and Sarah was no longer able to have children:

For in accordance with my better inner nature I approve God's law,

that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

do not brag that you are better than those branches. But if you do brag—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.

Do not let evil get the better of you; get the better of evil by doing good.

One person regards one day as better [or more important] than another, while another regards every day [the same as any other]. Let everyone be fully convinced (assured, satisfied) in his own mind.

It is better not to take meat or wine or to do anything which might be a cause of trouble to your brother.

I add, we that are better inform'd ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not study our own pleasure.

For Christ did not give pleasure to himself, but, as it is said, The bitter words of those who were angry with you came on me.

Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I am [a disciple] of Paul,” or “I am [a disciple] of Apollos,” or “I am [a disciple] of Cephas (Peter),” or “I am [a disciple] of Christ.”

But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters].

He that planteth, and he that watereth, are neither better than the other. Every man yet shall receive his reward according to his labour.

Let no one of you deceive himself. If any one of you imagines that he is wiser than the rest of you, in what this world calls wisdom, he had better become a fool, so as to become really wise.

whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter) or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things are yours,

For who made you better than your brother? or what have you that has not been given to you? but if it has been given to you, what cause have you for pride, as if it had not been given to you?

but there is so much immorality that every man had better have a wife of his own and every woman a husband of her own.

Do not keep back from one another what is right, but only for a short time, and by agreement, so that you may give yourselves to prayer, and come together again; so that Satan may not get the better of you through your loss of self-control.

But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

But if she does leave him, she must remain single, or better, be reconciled to her husband. I instruct the husband too not to divorce his wife.

You were a slave when you were called? Never mind. Of course, if you do find it possible to get free, you had better avail yourself of the opportunity.

I think then, that it is---better on account of the present distress,---that it is better, I say,

So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

But it will be better for her to keep as she is, in my opinion: and it seems to me that I have the Spirit of God.

But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you, who know better, eating in an idol's temple, he will be encouraged to eat what has been offered to idols, won't he?

Have we not the right to take along with us a believing wife, as do the rest of the apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas (Peter)?

If others share in this rightful claim over you, do not we even more? However, we did not exercise this right, but we put up with everything so that we will not hinder [the spread of] the good news of Christ.

But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

while any woman who prays or prophesies without a veil on her head dishonours her head; she is no better than a shaven woman.

Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation.

and desire earnestly the better gifts; and yet a far excelling way do I shew to you:

I will show you a far better way. If I can speak the languages of men and even of angels, but have no love, I am only a noisy gong or a clashing cymbal.

But in the church it would be better for me to make use of five words of which the sense was clear, so that others might have profit, than ten thousand words in a strange tongue.

and that He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the Twelve.

and last of all, as to one untimely (prematurely, traumatically) born, He appeared to me also.

yea, and we are no better than enthusiastic impostors by affirming that God raised up Christ, when he never did raise him up.

So that Satan may not get the better of us: for we are not without knowledge of his designs.

Make room for me in your hearts. I have not wronged or harmed or got the better of anybody.

Such people had better understand that when I arrive and take action I will do just as I say I will in my letters when I am far away.

Are they servants of Christ?
I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one:
with far more labors,
many more imprisonments,
far worse beatings, near death many times.

So to keep me from being too much elated a bitter physical affliction was sent to me, a very messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too much elated.

For what is there in which the other churches had the better of you, except in the fact that I would not permit myself to be a burden to you? You must forgive me that wrong!

But be that as it may, I did not burden you [with my support]. But [some say that] I was sly and took you by trickery.

For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may not find you to be what I desire, and that you may find me to be what you do not desire; that perhaps there may be contention, jealousy, bitter feeling, party spirit, ill-natured talk, backbiting, undue eulogy, unrest;

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

And recognizing the grace [that God had] bestowed on me, James and Cephas (Peter) and John, who were reputed to be pillars [of the Jerusalem church], gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we could go to the Gentiles [with their blessing] and they to the circumcised (Jews).

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

Then the rest of the Jews also discontinued [eating with Gentiles] along with Peter, until even Barnabas was influenced to go along with this hypocritical practice.

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

Now what I am saying is this: As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a slave, even though he owns everything.

Worship of images, use of strange powers, hates, fighting, desire for what another has, angry feelings, attempts to get the better of others, divisions, false teachings,

with that new and better self which has been created to resemble God in the righteousness and holiness which come from the truth.

Let all bitter, sharp and angry feeling, and noise, and evil words, be put away from you, with all unkind acts;

so that you may always approve the better things, and be men of transparent character and blameless life,

Some, it is true, are [actually] preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry [toward me—for no better reason than a competitive spirit or misguided ambition], but others out of goodwill and a loyal spirit [toward me].

but the former preach Christ [insincerely] out of selfish ambition [just self-promotion], thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment.

For, as I see it, living means Christ and dying something even better.

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: