Acts 10:1-22

1Now at Caesarea [Maritima] there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Regiment,

2a devout man and one who, along with all his household, feared God. He made many charitable donations to the Jewish people, and prayed to God always.

3About the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had come to him and said, “Cornelius!”

4Cornelius was frightened and stared intently at him and said, “What is it, lord (sir)?” And the angel said to him, “Your prayers and gifts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God [an offering made in remembrance of His past blessings].

5Now send men to Joppa and have them call for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter [and invite him here];

6he is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

7When the angel who was speaking to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his own personal attendants;

8and after explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9The next day, as they were on their way and were approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof of the house about the sixth hour (noon) to pray,

10but he became hungry and wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared he fell into a trance;

11and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet descending, lowered by its four corners to the earth,

12and it contained all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.

13A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”

14But Peter said, “Not at all, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common (unholy) and [ceremonially] unclean.”

15And the voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy).”

16This happened three times, and then immediately the object was taken up into heaven.

17Now Peter was still perplexed and completely at a loss as to what his vision could mean when the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon’s house, arrived at the gate.

18And they called out to ask whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

19While Peter was thoughtfully considering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Now listen, three men are looking for you.

20Get up, go downstairs and go with them without hesitating or doubting, because I have sent them Myself.”

21Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. For what reason have you come?”

22They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man well spoken of by all the Jewish people, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear what you have to say.”