Acts 5:23

Acts 5:23
(KJV)   Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.\
(1611 KJV) Saying, The prison truely found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doores, but when we had opened, we found no man within.
(1587 Geneva Bible) Saying, Certainely we founde the prison shut as sure as was possible, and the keepers standing without, before the doores: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
(1568 Bishops Bible) 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.
(1539 Great Bible) sayinge: the preson truly founde we shut with all diligence, and the kepers standynge without before the dores. But when we had opened, we founde no man with in.
(1535 Coverdale Bible) and sayde:The preson founde we shut with all diligence, and the kepers stondinge without before the dores: but wha we had opened, we founde noman therin.
(1526 Tyndale) sayinge: the preson founde we shut as sure as was possible and the kepers stondynge with out before ye dores. But whe we had opened we founde no man with in.
 
Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) saying, The prison-house we found shut in all safety, and the keepers standing at the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
(1901 ASV) saying, The prison-house we found shut in all safety, and the keepers standing at the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
(AMP) “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened [the doors], we found no one inside.”
(CEB) “We found the prison locked and well-secured, with guards standing at the doors, but when we opened the doors we found no one inside!”
(CEV) “We found the jail locked tight and the guards standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors and went in, we didn’t find anyone there.”
(CSB) “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
(Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition) Saying: The prison indeed we found shut with all diligence, and the keepers standing before the doors; but opening it, we found no man within.
(ERV) 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!”
(ESV) “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.”
(GNB) “When we arrived at the jail, we found it locked up tight and all the guards on watch at the gates; but when we opened the gates, we found no one inside!”
(HCSB) “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”
(ISV) “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
(JB PHILLIPS) But when the officers arrived at the prison they could not find them there. They came back and reported, “We found the prison securely locked and the guard standing on duty at the doors, but when we opened up we found no one inside.”
(LEB) saying, “We found the prison locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”
(LB) “The jail doors were locked, and the guards were standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
(THE MESSAGE) When the police got there, they couldn’t find them anywhere in the jail. They went back and reported, “We found the jail locked tight as a drum and the guards posted at the doors, but when we went inside we didn’t find a soul.”
(NABRE) “We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
(NASV) saying, “We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside.”
(NCV) They said, “The jail was closed and locked, and the guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, the jail was empty!”
(NET) “We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
(NIRV) “We found the jail locked up tight,” they said. “The guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, we didn’t find anyone inside.”
(NIV) “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
(NLV) The soldiers said, “We found the door of the prison locked and the soldiers watching the doors. When we opened the door, we found no one inside.”
(NLT) “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
(NRSV) “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
(RSV) “We found the prison securely locked and the sentries standing at the doors, but when we opened it we found no one inside.”
(TLV) saying, “We found the prison locked with maximum security and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened up, we found no one inside.”
(VOICE) Temple Police: The prison was secure and locked, and the guards were standing in front of the doors; but when we unlocked the doors, the cell was empty.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) saying: “We found the jail locked and secure, and the guards were standing at the doors, but on opening it up, we found no one inside.”
 
Textus Receptus – Traditional Text
λεγοντες οτι το μεν δεσμωτηριον ευρομεν κεκλεισμενον εν παση ασφαλεια και τους φυλακας εξω εστωτας προ των θυρων ανοιξαντες δε εσω ουδενα ευρομεν
 
Hort-Westcott – Critical Text
λεγοντες οτι το δεσμωτηριον ευρομεν κεκλεισμενον εν παση ασφαλεια και τους φυλακας εστωτας επι των θυρων ανοιξαντες δε εσω ουδενα ευρομεν
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
D 05 - Bezae Cantabrigiensis - Fifth century
E 08 - Sixth century
P 025 - Ninth century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Stephanus (1550 A.D.)
Elzivir’s (1624, 1633)
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omits “without” after “standing”
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
Nestle-Aland - 2012 - Twenty Eighth Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
Hodges and Farstad - Majority Text 1982 as corrected in 1985
 
Affected Teaching
The apostles were thrown into prison for preaching the Gospel.  When the temple soldiers came to get them, they found the guards standing outside but when they went in, the apostles were not there, after the angel released them they went back to the temple to teach the people.  The fact that the text states that the guards were outside the prison tells us that they were also doing a perimeter search for the prisoners when they did not find them inside the prison.   From this vantage point they would have seen the apostles escaping form the prison but they did not.  The modern versions make it sound like they just stood at the doors of the prison rather than being on the outside where they could have spotted them escaping.  The King James shows a total escape by the apostles because of where the guards were stationed on the outside of the prison rather than the inside.
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