Acts 10:1-16

1Now there was a man at 1Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was 2called the Italian 3cohort, 2a devout man and 4one who feared God with all his household, and 5gave many 6alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3About 7the 8ninth hour of the day he clearly saw 9in a vision 10an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4And 11fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and 12alms 13have ascended 14as a memorial before God. 5Now dispatch some men to 15Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6he is staying with a tanner named 16Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his 17servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to 18Joppa.

9On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, 19Peter went up on 20the housetop about 21the 22sixth hour to pray. 10But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he 23fell into a trance; 11and he saw 24the 25sky opened up, and an 26object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and 27crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the 28air. 13A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, 29kill and eat!” 14But Peter said, “By no means, 30Lord, for 31I have never eaten anything 32unholy and unclean.” 15Again a voice came to him a second time, “33What God has cleansed, no longer consider 34unholy.” 16This happened three times, and immediately the 35object was taken up into the 36sky.