Now there was a man
at aCaesarea
named
Cornelius
, a centurion
of what was bcalled
the Italian
1cohort
,
a devout man
and aone who feared
God
with all
his household
, and bgave
many
1alms
to the Jewish people
and prayed
to God
continually
.
About athe 1ninth
hour
of the day
he clearly
saw
bin a vision
can angel
of God
who had just come
in and said
to him, "Cornelius
!"
And afixing his gaze
on him and being
much
alarmed
, he said
, "What
is it, Lord
?" And he said
to him, "Your prayers
and 1alms
bhave ascended
cas a memorial
before
God
.
"Now dispatch
some men
to aJoppa
and send
for a man
named Simon
, who
is also called
Peter
;
he is staying with a tanner
named aSimon
, whose
house
is by the sea
."
When the angel
who was speaking
to him had left
, he summoned
two
of his 1servants
and a devout
soldier
of those
who were his personal
attendants
,
and after he had explained everything
to them, he sent
them to aJoppa
.
On the next day
, as they were on their way
and approaching
the city
, aPeter
went
up on bthe housetop
about
cthe 1sixth
hour
to pray
.
But he became hungry
and was desiring
to eat
; but while they were making
preparations
, he afell
into a trance
;
and he *saw athe 1sky
opened
up, and an 2object
like
a great
sheet
coming
down
, lowered
by four
corners
to the ground
,
and there were in it all kinds of four-footed
animals
and 1crawling
creatures
of the earth
and birds
of the 2air
.
A voice came
to him, "Get
up, Peter
, 1kill
and eat
!"
But Peter said
, "By no
means
, aLord
, for bI have never
eaten
anything
1unholy
and unclean
."
Again a voice
came to him a second
time
, " aWhat
God
has cleansed
, no
longer consider
1unholy
."
This happened
three
times
, and immediately
the 1object
was taken
up into the 2sky
.
Now while
Peter
was greatly
perplexed
in 1mind
as to what
athe vision
which
he had seen
might be, behold
, bthe men
who had been sent
by Cornelius
, having asked
directions
for Simon's
house
, appeared
at the gate
;
and calling out, they were asking
whether
Simon
, who was also called
Peter
, was staying
there
.
While Peter was reflecting
on athe vision
, bthe Spirit
said
to him, "Behold
, 1three
men
are looking
for you.
"But get up, go
downstairs
and aaccompany
them 1without
misgivings
, for I have sent
them Myself
."
Peter went
down
to the men
and said
, "Behold
, I am
the one you are looking
for; what
is the reason
for which
you have come
?"
They said, "Cornelius
, a centurion
, a righteous
and aGod-fearing
man
well
spoken
of by the entire
nation
of the Jews
, bwas divinely directed
by a choly
angel
to send
for you to come to his house
and hear
1 da message
from you."
So he invited
them in and gave
them lodging
.
And on the next day
he got
up and went
away
with them, and asome
of bthe brethren
from cJoppa
accompanied
him.
On the following day
he entered
aCaesarea
. Now
Cornelius
was waiting
for them and had called
together
his relatives
and close
friends
.
When Peter
entered
, Cornelius
met
him, and fell
at his feet
and 1 aworshiped
him.
But Peter raised
him up, saying
, " aStand
up; I too
am
just a man
."
As he talked with him, he entered
and *found
amany
people
assembled
.
And he said to them, "You yourselves
know
how
aunlawful
it is for a man
who is a Jew
to associate
with a foreigner
or
to visit
him; and yet bGod
has shown
me that I should not call
any
man
1unholy
or
unclean
.
"That is why I came
without
even
raising
any objection
when I was sent
for. So
I ask
for what
reason
you have sent
for me."
Cornelius said
, " aFour
days
ago
to this
hour
, I was praying
in my house
during bthe 1ninth
hour
; and behold
, ca man
stood
before
me in shining
garments
,
and he *said, `Cornelius
, your prayer
has been heard
and your 1alms
have been remembered
before
God
.
`Therefore send
to aJoppa
and invite
Simon
, who
is also called
Peter
, to come to you; he is staying
at the house
of Simon
the tanner
by the sea
.'
"So I sent
for you immediately
, and you have 1been kind
enough
to come
. Now
then
, we are all
here
present
before
God
to hear
all
that you have been commanded
by the Lord
."
aOpening his mouth
, Peter
said
:
"I most certainly
understand
now that bGod
is not one
to show
partiality
,
but ain every nation
the man who 1 bfears
Him and 2does
what is right
is welcome
to Him.
"The word which
He sent
to the sons
of Israel
, apreaching
1 bpeace
through
Jesus
Christ
(He is cLord
of all
)--
you yourselves know
the thing
which took
place
throughout
all
Judea
, starting
from Galilee
, after
the baptism
which
John
proclaimed
.
" 1You know of aJesus of Nazareth
, how
God
banointed
Him with the Holy
Spirit
and with power
, 2 cand how He went
about
doing
good
and healing
all
who were oppressed
by the devil
, for dGod
was with Him.
"We are awitnesses of all
the things
He did
both
in the 1land
of the Jews
and in Jerusalem
. They also
bput
Him to death
by hanging
Him on a 2cross
.
" aGod raised
Him up on the third
day
and granted
that He become
visible
,
anot to all the people
, but to bwitnesses
who were chosen
beforehand
by God
, that is, to us cwho
ate
and drank
with Him after
He arose
from the dead
.
"And He aordered us to 1preach
to the people
, and solemnly
to btestify
that this
is the One who has been cappointed
by God
as dJudge
of the living
and the dead
.
"Of Him aall the prophets
bear
witness
that through
bHis name
everyone
who believes
in Him receives
forgiveness
of sins
."
While Peter was still
speaking
these
words
, athe Holy
Spirit
fell
upon all
those
who were listening
to the 1message
.
aAll the 1circumcised
believers
who
came
with Peter
were amazed
, because
the gift
of the Holy
Spirit
had been bpoured
out on the Gentiles
also
.
For they were hearing them aspeaking
with tongues
and exalting
God
. Then
Peter
answered
,
" aSurely no
one
can
refuse
the water
for these
to be baptized
who
bhave received
the Holy
Spirit
just
as we did, can he?"
And he aordered them to be baptized
bin the name
of Jesus
Christ
. Then
they asked
him to stay
on for a few
days
.