Acts 10:1-23 ▼

1 And there was a certain man in Caesarea, by name Cornelius, a centurion from a cohort that is called Italian,

2 pious, and fearing God with all his house, also doing many kind acts to the people, and always imploring God;

3 he saw in a vision openly, as it were the ninth hour of the day, a messenger of God coming in to him, and saying to him, “Cornelius”;

4 and he having looked earnestly on him, and becoming afraid, said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your kind acts came up for a memorial before God,

5 and now send men to Joppa, and send for a certain one Simon, who is surnamed Peter;

6 this one lodges with a certain Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea; this one will speak to you what you must do.”

7 And when the messenger who is speaking to Cornelius went away, having called two of his servants, and a pious soldier of those waiting on him continually,

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

9 And on the next day, as these are proceeding on the way, and are drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour,

10 and he became very hungry, and wished to eat; and they making ready, there fell on him a trance,

11 and he beholds Heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending to him, as a great sheet, bound at the four corners, and let down on the earth,

12 in which were all the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the birds of the sky,

13 and there came a voice to him: “Having risen, Peter, slay and eat.”

14 And Peter said, “Not so, Lord; because at no time did I eat anything common or unclean”;

15 and [there is] a voice again a second time to him: “What God cleansed, you do not declare common”;

16 and this was done three times, and again was the vessel received up to Heaven.

17 And as Peter was perplexed in himself what the vision that he saw might be, then, behold, the men who have been sent from Cornelius, having made inquiry for the house of Simon, stood at the gate,

18 and having called, they were asking if Simon, who is surnamed Peter, lodges here.

19 And Peter thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men seek you;

20 but having risen, go down and go on with them, doubting nothing, because I have sent them”;

21 and Peter having come down to the men who have been sent from Cornelius to him, said, “Behold, I am he whom you seek, what [is] the cause for which you are present?”

22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a man righteous and fearing God, well testified to, also, by all the nation of the Jews, was divinely warned by a holy messenger to send for you, to his house, and to hear sayings from you.”

23 Having called them in, therefore, he lodged them, and on the next day Peter went forth with them, and certain of the brothers from Joppa went with him,