Acts 10

¹Nowthere wasa certain man in Cæsarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

²a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.

³He saw in a vision openly, as it were about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius.

⁴And he, fastening his eyes upon him, and being affrighted, said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God.

⁵And now send men to Joppa, and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter:

⁶he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side.

⁷And when the angel that spake unto him was departed, he called two of his household-servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;

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

⁹Now on the morrow, as they were on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour:

¹⁰and he became hungry, and desired to eat: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance;

¹¹and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth:

¹²wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven.

¹³And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat.

¹⁴But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean.

¹⁵And a voice came unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common.

¹⁶And this was done thrice: and straightway the vessel was received up into heaven.

¹⁷Now while Peter was much perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood before the gate,

¹⁸and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, were lodging there.

¹⁹And while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

²⁰But arise, and get thee down, and go with them, nothing doubting: for I have sent them.

²¹And Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

²²And they said, Cornelius a centurion, a righteous man and one that feareth God, and well reported of by all the nation of the Jews, was warned of God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words from thee.

²³So he called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow he arose and went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

²⁴And on the morrow they entered into Cæsarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his kinsmen and his near friends.

²⁵And when it came to pass that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.

²⁶But Peter raised him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

²⁷And as he talked with him, he went in, and findeth many come together:

²⁸and he said unto them, Ye yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to join himself or come unto one of another nation; and yet unto me hath God showed that I should not call any man common or unclean:

²⁹wherefore also I came without gainsaying, when I was sent for. I ask therefore with what intent ye sent for me.

³⁰And Cornelius said, Four days ago, until this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel,

³¹and saith, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

³²Send therefore to Joppa, and call unto thee Simon, who is surnamed Peter; he lodgeth in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea side.

³³Forthwith therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all things that have been commanded thee of the Lord.

³⁴And Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

³⁵but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him.

³⁶The word which he sent unto the children of Israel, preaching good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)—

³⁷that saying ye yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judæa, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

³⁸even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

³⁹And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom also they slew, hanging him on a tree.

⁴⁰Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest,

⁴¹not to all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

⁴²And he charged us to preach unto the people, and to testify that this is he who is ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead.

⁴³To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.

⁴⁴While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word.

⁴⁵And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit.

⁴⁶For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

⁴⁷Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

⁴⁸And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Acts 10

¹At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.

²He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.

³One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

⁴Cornelius 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.”

¹⁵The 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.”

²¹So 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.”

²⁷As 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.”

⁴⁴While 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.