14. More and more people believed in the Lord, and many men and women were added to the group of believers.
15. So the people brought those who were sick into the streets and put them on little beds and mats. They were hoping that Peter’s shadow might fall on them as he walked by.
16. People came from all the towns around Jerusalem. They brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits. All of them were healed.
17. The high priest and all his friends, a group called the Sadducees, became very jealous.
18. They grabbed the apostles and put them in jail.
19. But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail. The angel led the apostles outside and said,
20. “Go and stand in the Temple area. Tell the people everything about this new life.”
21. When the apostles heard this, they did what they were told. They went into the Temple area about sunrise and began to teach the people. The high priest and his friends came together and called a meeting of the high council and all the older Jewish leaders. They sent some men to the jail to bring the apostles to them.
22. When the men went to the jail, they could not find the apostles there. So they went back and told the Jewish leaders about this.
23. They said, “The jail was closed and locked. The guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, the jail was empty!”
24. The captain of the Temple guards and the leading priests heard this. They were confused and wondered what it all meant.
25. Then another man came and told them, “Listen! The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple area teaching the people.”
26. The captain and his men went out and brought the apostles back. But the soldiers did not use force, because they were afraid of the people. They were afraid the people would stone them to death.