Acts 10:1-22

1Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Cohort.

2He was a devout man, revering God with all his household. He gave tzadakah generously to the people and prayed to God continually.

3About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

4He stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” The angel said to him, “Your prayers and tzadakah have gone up as a memorial offering before God.

5Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, also named Peter.

6He is being entertained as a guest by Simon the tanner, whose house is beside the sea.”

7When the angel speaking to him had left, he called two of his servants and a soldier from among those attached to his command.

8After he explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9The next day, as the soldiers were traveling and approaching the city, Peter went up to the rooftop to pray, at about the sixth hour.

10Now he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were preparing something, he fell into a trance.

11He saw the heavens opened, and something like a great sheet coming down, lowered by its four corners to the earth.

12In it were all sorts of four-footed animals and reptiles and birds of the air.

13A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

14But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord! For never have I eaten anything unholy or unclean.”

15Again a voice came to him, a second time: “What God has made clean, you must not consider unholy.”

16This happened three times, and the sheet was immediately taken up to heaven.

17Now while Peter was puzzling about what the vision he had seen might mean, behold, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and appeared before the gate.

18They called out and began to ask whether Simon, also called Peter, was staying in this place as a guest.

19Now while Peter was mulling over the vision, the Ruach said to him, “Look here, three men are looking for you.

20But get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitating, because I Myself have sent them.”

21Going down to the men, Peter said, “Here, I’m the one you’re looking for. What is the reason for your coming?”

22And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well-spoken of by all the Jewish people, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message from you.”