Peter and Cornelius
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of
1what was known as the Italian Cohort,
2
a devout man
2who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.
3
3About the ninth hour of the day
4he saw clearly in a vision
5an angel of God come in and say to him, "Cornelius."
4
And he stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms
6have ascended
7as a memorial before God.
5
And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.
6
He is lodging
8with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea."
7
When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him,
8
and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Peter's Vision
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city,
9Peter went up
10on the housetop about
11the sixth hour to pray.
10
And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into
12a trance
11
and saw
13the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.
12
In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.
13
And there came a voice to him:
"Rise, Peter; kill and eat."
14
But Peter said, "By no means, Lord;
14for I have never eaten anything that is
15common or
16unclean."
15
And the voice came to him again a second time,
17"What God has made clean, do not call common."
16
This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17
Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what
18the vision that he had seen might mean, behold,
19the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate
18
and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.
19
And while Peter was pondering
20the vision,
21the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.
20
Rise and go down and
22accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them."
21
And Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?"
22
And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and
23God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by
24a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and
25to hear what you have to say."
23
So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and
26some of
27the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.