Acts 10:1-22 ▼

1 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, named Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

2 a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who did many acts of charity to the people, and prayed to God always.

3 He distinctly saw, in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and saying to him, Cornelius.

4 And having looked steadily on him, he was afraid, and said: "What is it, Lord? He said to him: Your prayers and your charitable deeds have come up for a memorial before God.

5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter;

6 he lodges with 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 household servants, and a devout soldier, one of those who waited on him,

8 and having made known all things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9 And on the morrow, as they were going on their journey, and were drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the house top to pray, about the sixth hour.

10 And he became very hungry, and desired to eat; but while they were making ready, he fell into a trance;

11 and he saw heaven opened, and some vessel, like a great sheet, descending, bound by the four corners, and let down to the earth.

12 In this were all kinds of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts and creeping things 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; for I have never eaten any thing common or unclean.

15 And the voice came to him again a second time: What God has cleansed, you must not call common.

16 This was done the third time; and the vessel was taken up again into heaven.

17 Now, while Peter was perplexed within himself about the meaning of the vision which he had seen, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius, having made inquiry for the house of Simon, stood before the gate.

18 And they called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, lodged there.

19 While Peter was thinking of the vision, the Spirit said to him: Behold, three men ask for you:

20 arise then, and go down, and go with them without hesitation, for I have sent them.

21 And Peter came down to the men, and said: Behold, I am he whom you seek; what is the cause of your coming?

22 They replied: Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that fears God, and of good report among the whole nation of the Jews, was instructed by a holy angel to call you to his house, and to hear words from you.