16Being frustrated, one after another, they said, “◄There is really nothing that we can do to punish these two men!/How can we (inc) do anything to punish these two men?► RHQ Almost everyone HYP who is living in Jerusalem knows that they have done an amazing miracle, so we cannot tell people that it did not happen!
17However, we must not allow other people to hear about this miracle. So we must tell these men that we will punish them if they continue to tell other people about this MTY man who they say gave them the power to do it.”
18So the Jewish leaders commanded guards to bring the two apostles into that room again. After they did so, they commanded them both that they should never speak about Jesus, and they should not teach anyone about him MTY again.
19But Peter and John replied, “Would God think that it is right for us two to obey you and not to obey him? We(exc) will let you decide which of those you think is proper.
20But as for us, we cannot obey you. We will not stop telling people about the things that we (exc) have seen Jesus do and what we have heard him teach.”
21Then the Jewish leaders again told Peter and John not to disobey them. But all the people there were praising God about what had happened to the lame man. The leaders knew that only God could have enabled Peter and John to miraculously heal the man, because the man was more than forty years old and he was lame when his mother bore him. They also knew that the people would become angry if they punished the two apostles. So, because they could not decide how to punish Peter and John, they finally let them go.
23After Peter and John had been released, they went to the other believers and reported all that the chief priests and other Jewish elders had said to them.
24When they heard that, they all agreed as they prayed to God, and one of them prayed, “O Lord! You (sg) made the sky, the earth and the oceans, and everything in them.
Acts 4
Acts 4:16-24