New Living Translation NLT
English Standard Version ESV
1 In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.
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At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort,
2 He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.
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a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.
3 One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.
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About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius. ”
4 Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!
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And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord? ” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.
5 Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.
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And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.
6 He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.”
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He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. ”
7 As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.
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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 He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.
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and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon,
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The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.
10 and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
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And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance
11 He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.
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and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.
12 In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.
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In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.
13 Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”
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And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat. ”
14 “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean. ”
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But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. ”
15 But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”
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And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common. ”
16 The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.
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This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17 Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing outside the gate,
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Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate
18 they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there.
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and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.
19 Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you.
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And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
20 Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”
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Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them. ”
21 So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”
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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 They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.”
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And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say. ”
23 So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.
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So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
24 They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
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And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him.
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When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!”
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But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man. ”
27 So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.
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And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered.
28 Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.
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And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.
29 So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”
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So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me. ”
30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me.
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And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing
31 He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God!
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and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.
32 Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.’
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Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. ’
33 So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”
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So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord. ”
34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.
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So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
35 In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.
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but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
36 This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
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As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ ( he is Lord of all),
37 You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism.
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you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:
38 And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
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how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
39 “And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross,
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And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,
40 but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear,
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but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear,
41 not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
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not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead.
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And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”
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To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. ”
44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.
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While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.
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And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,
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For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,
47 “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”
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“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? ”
48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.
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And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025