Acts 10

¹At 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.

⁵Now send men to Joppa to call for a man [named] Simon who is called Peter.

⁶He is staying with Simon [the] tanner, whose house is by [the] sea.”

⁷When the angel who spoke to him had gone, [Cornelius] called two of [his] servants and a devout soldier from among his attendants.

⁸He explained what had happened [and] sent them to Joppa.

⁹The 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.

¹⁰He became hungry and wanted [something] to eat, but [while] the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.

¹¹He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.

¹²It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.

¹³Then 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.

¹⁶This happened three times, and all at once the [sheet] was taken back up into heaven.

¹⁷While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house [and] approached the gate.

¹⁸They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying [there].

¹⁹As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.

²⁰So 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.”

²³So [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.

²⁴The following day he arrived in Caesarea, [where] Cornelius was expecting them [and] had called together his relatives and close friends.

²⁵As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him [and] fell at [his] feet to worship [him].

²⁶But Peter helped him up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

²⁷[As] [Peter] talked with him, he went inside and found many [people] gathered together.

²⁸He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit [him]. But God has shown me [that] I should not call [any] man impure or unclean.

²⁹So when I was invited, I came without objection. I ask, then, why have you sent for me?”

³⁰Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me

³¹and said,‘ Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God.

³²Therefore send to Joppa for Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in [the] home of Simon [the] tanner, by [the] sea.’

³³So I sent for you immediately, and you were kind enough to come. Now then, we {are} all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has instructed you [to tell us].”

³⁴Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,

³⁵but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.

³⁶He has sent [this] message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, [who] is Lord of all.

³⁷You yourselves know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee with the baptism that John proclaimed:

³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with [the] Holy Spirit and with power, [and] how [Jesus] went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

³⁹We [are] witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put [Him] to death by hanging [Him] on a tree,

⁴⁰God raised [Him] up on the third day and caused Him to be seen —

⁴¹not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from [the] dead.

⁴²And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the [One] appointed by God to judge [the] living and [the] dead.

⁴³All the prophets testify about Him [that] everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

⁴⁴[While] Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard [his] message.

⁴⁵All the circumcised believers [who] had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

⁴⁶For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God. Then Peter said,

⁴⁷“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these [people]? [They] have received the Holy Spirit just as we [have]!”

⁴⁸So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay [for a few] days.