10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea 1 named Cornelius, a centurion 2 of what was known as the Italian Cohort. 3 10:2 He 4 was a devout, God-fearing man, 5 as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people 6 and prayed to God regularly. 10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon 7 he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God 8 who came in 9 and said to him, “Cornelius.” 10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius 10 replied, 11 “What is it, Lord?” The angel 12 said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity 13 have gone up as a memorial 14 before God. 10:5 Now 15 send men to Joppa 16 and summon a man named Simon, 17 who is called Peter. 10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, 18 whose house is by the sea.” 10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius 19 called two of his personal servants 20 and a devout soldier from among those who served him, 21 10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
10:9 About noon 22 the next day, while they were on their way and approaching 23 the city, Peter went up on the roof 24 to pray. 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him. 25 10:11 He 26 saw heaven 27 opened 28 and an object something like a large sheet 29 descending, 30 being let down to earth 31 by its four corners. 10:12 In it 32 were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles 33 of the earth and wild birds. 34 10:13 Then 35 a voice said 36 to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter 37 and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!” 38 10:15 The voice 39 spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider 40 ritually unclean!” 41 10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. 42
10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over 43 what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was 44 and approached 45 the gate. 10:18 They 46 called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, 47 was staying there as a guest. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about 48 the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up, 49 go down, and accompany them without hesitation, 50 because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down 51 to the men and said, “Here I am, 52 the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, 53 a righteous 54 and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, 55 was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message 56 from you.” 10:23 So Peter 57 invited them in and entertained them as guests.
On the next day he got up and set out 58 with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa 59 accompanied him. 10:24 The following day 60 he entered Caesarea. 61 Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously 62 for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when 63 Peter came in, Cornelius met 64 him, fell 65 at his feet, and worshiped 66 him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up, 67 saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.” 68 10:27 Peter 69 continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together. 70 10:28 He said to them, “You know that 71 it is unlawful 72 for a Jew 73 to associate with or visit a Gentile, 74 yet God has shown me that I should call no person 75 defiled or ritually unclean. 76 10:29 Therefore when you sent for me, 77 I came without any objection. Now may I ask why 78 you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius 79 replied, 80 “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, 81 I was praying in my house, and suddenly 82 a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity 83 have been remembered before God. 84 10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, 85 by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. 86 So now we are all here in the presence of God 87 to listen 88 to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” 89
10:34 Then Peter started speaking: 90 “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, 91 10:35 but in every nation 92 the person who fears him 93 and does what is right 94 is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know 95 the message 96 he sent to the people 97 of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace 98 through 99 Jesus Christ 100 (he is Lord 101 of all) – 10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 102 10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, 103 that 104 God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He 105 went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, 106 because God was with him. 107 10:39 We 108 are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea 109 and in Jerusalem. 110 They 111 killed him by hanging him on a tree, 112 10:40 but 113 God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, 114