Acts 10:1–48

¹ At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment. ² He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly. ³ One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” ⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God. ⁵ Now send men to Joppa to call for a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” ⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his attendants. ⁸ He explained what had happened and sent them to Joppa. ⁹ The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. ¹³ Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” ¹⁴ “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” ¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven. ¹⁷ While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate. ¹⁸ They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there. ¹⁹ As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.” ²¹ So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?” ²² “Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.” ²³ So Peter invited them in as his guests. And the next day he got ready and went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa. ²⁴ The following day he arrived in Caesarea, where Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and… ²⁶ …