Acts 5:17-26
Expanded Bible
Leaders Try to Stop the Apostles
17 The high priest and all his friends (a ·group [sect; religious party] called the Sadducees [4:1]) became very ·jealous [indignant; or zealous; C perhaps referring to their religious zeal]. 18 They ·took [seized; arrested; L put hands on] the apostles and put them in [public] ·jail [custody]. 19 But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the ·jail [prison] and led the apostles outside. The angel said, 20 “Go stand in the Temple [C courts; 2:46] and tell the people ·everything [or the full message; L all the words] about this new life.” 21 When the apostles heard this, they obeyed and went into the Temple [C courts; 2:46] early in the morning and ·continued [or began] teaching.
When the high priest and his friends arrived, they called a meeting of the ·leaders [L Sanhedrin; 4:15] ·and [or that is,] ·all the important elders [L the whole senate/council of the sons of Israel]. They sent some men to the ·jail [prison] to bring the apostles to them. 22 But, upon arriving, the ·officers [temple police] could not find the apostles. So they went back and reported to the leaders. 23 They said, “·The jail was [L We found the jail] closed and locked, and the guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, ·the jail was empty [L we found no one inside]!” 24 Hearing this, the captain of the Temple guards and the ·leading [T chief] priests were ·confused [puzzled; confounded] and wondered what ·was happening [or this might lead to].
25 Then someone came and told them, “Listen [L Look]! The men you put in ·jail [prison] are standing in the Temple [courts] teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain and ·his men [the officers/attendants; C the temple police] went out and brought the apostles back. But they did not use force, because they were afraid the people would stone them to death.
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