¹⁷The high priest and all his companions were Sadducees. They were very jealous of the apostles. ¹⁸So they arrested them and put them in the public prison. ¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord came. He opened the prison doors and brought the apostles out. ²⁰“Go! Stand in the temple courtyard,” the angel said. “Tell the people all about this new life.”

²¹Early the next day they did as they had been told. They entered the temple courtyard. There they began to teach the people.

The high priest and his companions arrived. They called the Sanhedrin together. The Sanhedrin was a gathering of all the elders of Israel. They sent for the apostles who were in prison. ²²The officers arrived at the prison. But they didn’t find the apostles there. So they went back and reported it. ²³“We found the prison locked up tight,” they said. “The guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, we didn’t find anyone inside.” ²⁴When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were bewildered. They wondered what would happen next.

²⁵Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courtyard. They are teaching the people.” ²⁶So the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles back. But they didn’t use force. They were afraid the people would kill them by throwing stones at them.

²⁷They brought the apostles to be judged by the Sanhedrin. The high priest questioned them. ²⁸“We gave you clear orders not to teach in Jesus’ name,” he said. “But you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. You want to make us guilty of this man’s death.”

²⁹Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God instead of people!

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