The Apostles Persecuted

¹⁷ Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party^(A) of the Sadducees,^(B) were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.^{(C) 19} But during the night an angel^(D) of the Lord opened the doors of the jail^(E) and brought them out.^{(F) 20} “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”^(G)

²¹ At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

When the high priest and his associates^(H) arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin^(I)—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles.

²⁵ Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” ²⁶ At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people^(A) would stone them.

²⁷ The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin^(B) to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸ “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,”^(C) he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”^(D)

²⁹ Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!^(E)

⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing^(A) because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.^{(B) 42} Day after day, in the temple courts^(C) and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news^(D) that Jesus is the Messiah.^(E)