Acts 10

1 Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a commander of a hundred from the cohort called the Italian, [a] 2 a devout man who feared God with his whole household, doing many acts of mercy for the people and begging God continually. [b] 3 He saw plainly in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, a messenger of God coming in to him and saying to him, “Cornelius.” [c] 4 And he looked intently at him and became afraid and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of mercy have gone up as a memorial before God. [d] 5 And now send men to Joppa and send for a certain Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is a guest with a certain Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 And when the messenger who spoke to him went away, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from those who were devoted to him, 8 and having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9 And on the next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 And he became hungry and wanted to eat; and while they were getting things ready, a trance came upon him, [e] 11 and he sees heaven opened and a vessel coming down like a great sheet, being let down to the earth by four corners, 12 in which were all the four-footed animals and creeping things of the earth and birds of heaven. 13 And there came a voice to him, “Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, because I have never eaten anything common and unclean.” [f] † 15 And the voice came to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not make common.” 16 And this happened three times, and immediately the vessel was taken up into heaven.

17 Now while Peter was thoroughly at a loss within himself over what the vision he had seen might mean, look — the men sent by Cornelius, having asked their way to Simon’s house, stood at the gate; 18 and calling out they asked whether Simon called Peter was a guest there. 19 And while Peter was pondering over the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look — men are looking for you. [g] 20 But get up and go down and go with them, without hesitating at all, because I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “Look — I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason you are here?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a commander of a hundred, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by the whole nation of the Jews, was instructed by a holy messenger to send for you to his house and to hear words from you.”

23 So he called them in and gave them lodging. And on the next day he got up and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him. 24 And on the next day he entered Caesarea. And Cornelius was expecting them, having called together his relatives and his close friends. 25 And when it came about that Peter went in, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet and bowed down. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up. I myself am also a man.” 27 And talking with him he went in, and he finds many gathered together; 28 and he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is against the law for a Jewish man to join himself to a foreigner or to come near him; and to me God has shown that I should call no person common or unclean. [h] 29 That is why I came without objecting when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you sent for me.”

30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, up to this hour, I was praying at the ninth hour in my house; and look — a man stood before me in shining clothing [i] 31 and says, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of mercy have been remembered before God. 32 So send to Joppa and call for Simon who is called Peter; he is a guest in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So at once I sent to you, and you did well to come. So now we are all here before God to hear everything that has been commanded you by the Lord.”

34 And Peter opened his mouth and said, “In truth I am grasping that God is not one who takes account of who a man is, [j] 35 but in every nation the one who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him. † 36 The word he sent to the children of Israel, bringing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ — this one is Lord of all — 37 you yourselves know what came about through all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the immersion that John proclaimed: [k] 38 Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power; who went through the land doing good and healing all who were being overpowered by the Accuser, because God was with him. [l]

39 “And we are witnesses of everything he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they did away with him by hanging him on a tree. [m] 40 This one God raised on the third day and gave him to become plain to see, 41 not to all the people but to witnesses appointed beforehand by God — to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to proclaim to the people and to testify fully that this is the one marked out by God as judge of living and dead. 43 To this one all the prophets testify, that everyone who trusts in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were hearing the word. 45 And those from the circumcision who trusted, all who had come with Peter, were astounded, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the nations too; 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, [n] 47 “Can anyone hold back the water so that these should not be immersed, who received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 And he gave orders for them to be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on some days.