Acts 5:17–29

Imprisonment and Release

¹⁷But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is ^athe sect of ^bthe Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.

¹⁸They laid hands on the apostles and ^aput them in a public jail.

¹⁹But during the night ^aan angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said,

²⁰“Go, stand and ¹speak to the people in the temple ^2athe whole message of this Life.”

²¹Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple ^aabout daybreak and began to teach.

Now when ^bthe high priest and his associates came, they called ^cthe ¹Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought.

²²But ^athe officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported back,

²³saying, “We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside.”

²⁴Now when ^athe captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what ¹would come of this.

²⁵But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

²⁶Then ^athe captain went along with ^bthe officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for ^cthey were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

²⁷When they had brought them, they stood them ¹before ^athe Council. The high priest questioned them,

²⁸saying, “We gave you ^astrict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and ¹yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and ^bintend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, “^aWe must obey God rather than men.