Acts 5:23

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

“We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Ps 2:4 : 4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust; the Lord taunts them.
  • Ps 33:10 : 10 The LORD frustrates the decisions of the nations; he nullifies the plans of the peoples.
  • Prov 21:30 : 30 There is no wisdom and there is no understanding, and there is no counsel against the LORD.
  • Lam 3:37 : 37 מ(Mem) Whose command was ever fulfilled unless the Lord decreed it?
  • Lam 3:55-58 : 55 ק(Qof) I have called on your name, O LORD, from the deepest pit. 56 You heard my plea:“Do not close your ears to my cry for relief!” 57 You came near on the day I called to you; you said,“Do not fear!” 58 ר(Resh) O Lord, you championed my cause, you redeemed my life.
  • Dan 3:11-25 : 11 And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12 But there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon– Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego– and these men have not shown proper respect to you, O king. They don’t serve your gods and they don’t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage demanded that they bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them,“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and that you don’t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected? 15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar,“We do not need to give you a reply concerning this. 17 If our God whom we are serving exists, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. 18 But if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. 20 He ordered strong soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 22 But since the king’s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed by the leaping flames. 23 But those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the furnace of blazing fire while still securely bound. 24 God Delivers His Servants Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers,“Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied to the king,“For sure, O king.” 25 He answered,“But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!”
  • Dan 6:22-24 : 22 My God sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths so that they have not harmed me, because I was found to be innocent before him. Nor have I done any harm to you, O king.” 23 Then the king was delighted and gave an order to haul Daniel up from the den. So Daniel was hauled up out of the den. He had no injury of any kind, because he had trusted in his God. 24 The king gave another order, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den– they, their children, and their wives. They did not even reach the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
  • Matt 27:63-66 : 63 and said,“Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said,‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body and say to the people,‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them,“Take a guard of soldiers. Go and make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went with the soldiers of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
  • Matt 28:12-15 : 12 After they had assembled with the elders and formed a plan, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 telling them,“You are to say,‘His disciples came at night and stole his body while we were asleep.’ 14 If this matter is heard before the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story is told among the Jews to this day.
  • John 8:59 : 59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden from them and went out from the temple area.
  • Acts 5:19 : 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Acts 5:18-22
    5 verses
    85%

    18They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.

    19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,

    20“Go and stand in the temple courts and proclaim to the people all the words of this life.”

    21When they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began teaching. Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin– that is, the whole high council of the Israelites– and sent to the jail to have the apostles brought before them.

    22But the officers who came for them did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,

  • Acts 5:24-27
    4 verses
    77%

    24Now when the commander of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were greatly puzzled concerning it, wondering what this could be.

    25But someone came and reported to them,“Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people!”

    26Then the commander of the temple guard went with the officers and brought the apostles without the use of force(for they were afraid of being stoned by the people).

    27When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, and the high priest questioned them,

  • Acts 16:26-28
    3 verses
    77%

    26Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose.

    27When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he assumed the prisoners had escaped.

    28But Paul called out loudly,“Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”

  • Acts 12:16
    74%

    16Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were greatly astonished.

  • Acts 16:23-24
    2 verses
    74%

    23After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to guard them securely.

    24Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

  • Acts 12:5-7
    3 verses
    73%

    5So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly praying to God for him.

    6On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison.

    7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying,“Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

  • Acts 12:10-11
    2 verses
    72%

    10After they had passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, when at once the angel left him.

    11When Peter came to himself, he said,“Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting to happen.”

  • Acts 16:35-40
    6 verses
    72%

    35At daybreak the magistrates sent their police officers, saying,“Release those men.”

    36The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying,“The magistrates have sent orders to release you. So come out now and go in peace.”

    37But Paul said to the police officers,“They had us beaten in public without a proper trial– even though we are Roman citizens– and they threw us in prison. And now they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! They themselves must come and escort us out!”

    38The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas were Roman citizens

    39and came and apologized to them. After they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly to leave the city.

    40When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then departed.

  • Acts 12:18-19
    2 verses
    72%

    18At daybreak there was great consternation among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.

    19When Herod had searched for him and did not find him, he questioned the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

  • Acts 19:40
    71%

    40For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause we can give to explain this disorderly gathering.”

  • Matt 28:13-14
    2 verses
    71%

    13telling them,“You are to say,‘His disciples came at night and stole his body while we were asleep.’

    14If this matter is heard before the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”

  • Acts 28:21
    71%

    21They replied,“We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there and reported or said anything bad about you.

  • Luke 24:24
    70%

    24Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.”

  • Acts 23:9
    70%

    9There was a great commotion, and some experts in the law from the party of the Pharisees stood up and protested strongly,“We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

  • John 18:16
    69%

    16But Peter was left standing outside by the door. So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, and brought Peter inside.

  • Acts 21:30
    69%

    30The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, and immediately the doors were shut.

  • Acts 4:16
    69%

    16saying,“What should we do with these men? For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them, and we cannot deny it.

  • Luke 24:3
    69%

    3but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

  • Acts 14:27
    69%

    27When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported all the things God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles.

  • Acts 23:29
    69%

    29I found he was accused with reference to controversial questions about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment.

  • Acts 4:20-21
    2 verses
    69%

    20for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”

    21After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened.

  • Acts 17:9
    69%

    9After the city officials had received bail from Jason and the others, they released them.

  • Acts 24:12
    69%

    12They did not find me arguing with anyone or stirring up a crowd in the temple courts or in the synagogues or throughout the city,

  • Matt 28:11
    68%

    11The Guards’ Report While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened.

  • Acts 24:20
    68%

    20Or these men here should tell what crime they found me guilty of when I stood before the council,

  • Col 4:3
    68%

    3At the same time pray for us too, that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

  • Acts 17:6
    68%

    6When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, screaming,“These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too,

  • Acts 28:16
    68%

    16When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.