Acts 5:20-29

English Standard Version

²⁰ “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all ^(A)the words of ^(B)this ^(C)Life.” ²¹ And when they heard this, ^(D)they entered the temple ^(E)at daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. ²² But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ²³ “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” ²⁴ Now when ^(F)the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. ²⁵ And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison ^(G)are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” ²⁶ Then ^(H)the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for ^(I)they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

²⁷ And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, ^(J)“We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you ^(K)intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, ^(L)“We must obey God rather than men.