The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!”

At daybreak ¹  the magistrates ²  sent their police officers, ³  saying, “Release those men.”

But the officers ¹  who came for them ²  did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ³ 

He went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard ¹  how he might ²  betray Jesus, ³  handing him over to them. ⁴ 

The Pharisees ¹  heard the crowd ²  murmuring these things about Jesus, ³  so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers ⁴  to arrest him. ⁵ 

Then the officers ¹  returned ²  to the chief priests and Pharisees, ³  who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” ⁴ 

So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers ¹  and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees. ²  They came to the orchard ³  with lanterns ⁴  and torches and weapons.

Then the squad of soldiers ¹  with their commanding officer ²  and the officers of the Jewish leaders ³  arrested ⁴  Jesus and tied him up. ⁵ 

The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ¹  were Roman citizens ² 

Then ¹  Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, ²  and the elders who had come out to get him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs like you would against an outlaw? ³ 

When Jesus ¹  had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face and said, ²  “Is that the way you answer the high priest?”

When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify ¹  him! Crucify him!” ²  Pilate said, ³  “You take him and crucify him! ⁴  Certainly ⁵  I find no reason for an accusation ⁶  against him!”

Then the commander ¹  of the temple guard ²  went with the officers ³  and brought the apostles ⁴  without the use of force ⁵  (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people). ⁶ 

So the next day Agrippa ¹  and Bernice came with great pomp ²  and entered the audience hall, ³  along with the senior military officers ⁴  and the prominent men of the city. When Festus ⁵  gave the order, ⁶  Paul was brought in.

But Paul said to the police officers, ¹  “They had us beaten in public ²  without a proper trial ³  – even though we are Roman citizens ⁴  – and they threw us ⁵  in prison. And now they want to send us away ⁶  secretly? Absolutely not! They ⁷  themselves must come and escort us out!” ⁸