Acts 5:22-42 ▼

22 But when the officers came, & founde them not in the pryson, they returned, and tolde,

23 Saying: The pryson truely founde we shut with all diligence, & the kepers standyng without, before the doores: But when we had opened, we founde no man within.

24 Then when the chiefe priest and the ruler of the temple, and the hye priestes hearde these thynges, they doubted of them, whervnto this woulde growe.

25 Then came one and shewed them, saying: Beholde, the men that ye put in pryson, stande in the temple, and teache the people.

26 Then went the ruler of the temple, with the officers, and brought them without violence: (For they feared the people, lest they should haue ben stoned)

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the counsell. And the chiefe priest asked them,

28 Saying: dyd not we strayghtly commaunde you, that ye shoulde not teache in this name? And beholde, ye haue fylled Hierusalem with your doctrine, and intende to bryng this mans blood vpon vs.

29 Then Peter and the other Apostles aunswered, and sayde: We ought more to obey God then men.

30 The God of our fathers raysed vp Iesus, whom ye slewe, & hanged on tree.

31 Hym hath God lyft vp with his ryght hande, to be a prince and a sauiour, for to geue repentaunce to Israel, and forgeuenesse of sinnes.

32 And we are recordes of these thynges which we say, & so is also the holy ghost, whom God hath geuen to them that obey hym.

33 When they hearde that, they claue asunder, and sought meanes to slea the.

34 Then stoode there vp one in the counsell, a pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctour of lawe, had in reputation among all the people, and commaunded the Apostles to go asyde a litle space,

35 And sayde vnto them: Ye men of Israel, take heede to your selues, what ye entende to do, as touchyng these men.

36 For before these dayes rose vp one Theudas, boastyng him selfe, to whom resorted a number of men, about a foure hundred, which was slayne: and they all which beleued hym, were scattered abrode, and brought to naught.

37 After this man, arose vp one Iudas of Galilee, in the dayes of tribute, and drewe away much people after hym: He also perished, and all, euen as many as hearkened to hym, were scattered abrode.

38 And nowe I saye vnto you, refrayne your selues fro these men, and let them alone: For yf this counsell or this worke be of men, it wyll come to naught.

39 But and yf it be of God, ye can not destroy it, lest haply ye be founde to stryue agaynst God.

40 And to hym agreed the other: And when they had called the Apostles, they beat them, and commaunded that they shoulde not speake in the name of Iesu, and let them go.

41 And they departed from the counsell, reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name.

42 And dayly in the temple, and in euery house, they ceassed not to teach & preach Iesus Christe.