Acts 10:3-30

3About 1the 2ninth hour of the day he clearly saw 3in a vision 4an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4And he 5looked at him intently and became terrified, and said, “What is it, lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and charitable gifts 6have ascended 7as a memorial offering before God. 5Now dispatch some men to 8Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6he is staying with a tanner named 9Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7When the angel who spoke to him left, he summoned two of his 10servants and a devout soldier from his personal attendants, 8and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to 11Joppa.

9On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, 12Peter went up on 13the 14housetop about 1516the sixth hour to pray. 10But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he 17fell into a trance; 11and he saw 18the sky opened up, and an 19object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12and on it were all kinds of four-footed animals and 20crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, 21kill and eat!” 14But Peter said, “By no means, 22Lord, for 23I have never eaten anything 24unholy and unclean.” 15Again a voice came to him a second time, “25What God has cleansed, no longer 26consider unholy.” 16This happened three times, and immediately the 27object was taken up into the sky.

17Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in 28mind as to what 29the vision which he had seen might 30mean, behold, 31the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate; 18and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19While Peter was reflecting on 32the vision, 33the Spirit said to him, “Behold, 34three men are looking for you. 20But get up, go downstairs and 35accompany them 36without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21Peter 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?” 22They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and 37God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, 38was divinely directed by a 39holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear 4041a message from you.” 23So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

Now on the next day he got ready and went away with them, and 42some of 43the brothers from 44Joppa accompanied him. 24On the following day he entered 45Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and 4647worshiped him. 26But Peter helped him up, saying, “48Stand up; I, too, am just a man.” 27As he talked with him, he entered and found 49many people assembled. 28And he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is 50forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a 51foreigner; and yet 52God has shown me that I am not to call any person 53unholy or unclean. 29That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask, for what reason did you send for me?”

30Cornelius said, “54Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during 55the 56ninth hour; and behold, 57a man stood before me in shining clothing,