The apostles are taken and brought before the council. They are forbidden to preach, but they turn themselves to prayer, and are more obedient to God than to men.

4 As they spoke to the people, the priests and the chief warden of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, ² taking it grievously that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from death. ³ And they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening. ⁴ However, many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men was about five thousand.

⁵ And it happened on the next day that their rulers and elders and scribes, ⁶ as Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priests, gathered together at Jerusalem, ⁷ and set the apostles before them and asked, By what power or in what name have you done this, Sirs?

⁸ Then Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, said to them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, ⁹ if we this day are examined concerning the good deed done to the sick man, how he has been made whole, ¹⁰ let it be known to you all, and to the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth – whom you crucified, and whom God raised again from death – even by him does this man stand here present before you, healed. ¹¹ Jesus is the stone cast aside by you builders, which is set in the chief place of the corner. ¹² Neither is there salvation in any other, nor yet also is there any other name given to mankind in which we can be saved.

¹³ When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were unlearned men and lay people, they marvelled. And they knew them, that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing also the man that was healed standing with them, they could not speak against it. ¹⁵ But they ordered them to go aside out of the council, and conferred among themselves, ¹⁶ saying, What shall we do with these men? For a manifest sign has been done by them, and is openly known to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us threaten them, and charge them to speak to no one in this name from now on.

¹⁸ And they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them and said, Whether it is right in the sight of God to obey you more than God, you judge. ²⁰ For we cannot but speak that which we have seen and heard.

²¹ So they threatened them and let them go, and found no way to punish them, because of the people. For all the people lauded God for the miracle that was done. ²² For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been shown.