Now a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of a cohort that was called Italian,
pious and fearing God with all his house, giving much alms to the people, and entreating God continually,
saw in a vision manifestly about ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in unto him and saying to him, Cornelius.
But he gazing on him and being affrighted, said, What is [it], Lord? And he said to him, Thy prayers and thine alms have gone up for a memorial before God.
And now send men unto Joppa, and fetch [one] Simon, who is surnamed Peter;
he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea.
And when the angel that spoke to him had departed, he called two of his domestics and a pious soldier of those in close attendance,
and having recounted all to them, sent them to Joppa.
And on the morrow, when they were journeying and drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray about [the] sixth hour;
and he became hungry and desired to eat; and while they made ready, a trance came over him,
and he beholdeth the heaven opened and a certain vessel descending as a great sheet by four corners let down upon the earth
in which were all the quadrupeds and reptiles of the earth and [the] birds of the sky.
And there came a voice unto him, Arise, Peter, slay and eat.
But Peter said, By no means, Lord; because never did I eat anything common and unclean.
And a voice [came] again a second time unto him, What God cleansed deem not thou common.
And this was done thrice; and straightway the vessel was taken up into heaven.
And as Peter was perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that had been sent by Cornelius, having sought out the house of Simon, stood at the gate,
and having called, were enquiring whether Simon surnamed Peter lodged there.
Now while Peter was pondering over the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men seek thee,
but arise, go down and journey with them nothing doubting because I have sent them.
And Peter went down unto the men and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause for which ye are here?
And they said, Cornelius, a centurion, a man righteous, and fearing God, and attested by the whole nation of the Jews, was divinely warned by a holy angel to send for thee unto his house and to hear words from thee.
Having therefore called them in he lodged [them].
And on the morrow, he entered into Caesarea; and Cornelius was awaiting them, having called together his kinsmen and his near friends.
And when it came to pass that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, did homage;
but Peter raised him, saying, Rise up, I myself also am a man.
And conversing with him he entered and findeth many come together;
and he said to them, Yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to join himself or come unto one of another race. And me God showed to call no man common or unclean:
wherefore also without gainsaying I came when sent for. I ask then on what account ye sent for me.
And Cornelius said, Four days ago till this hour I was fasting and the ninth [hour] praying in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing
and says, Cornelius thy prayer is heard, and thine alms had in remembrance before God:
send then unto Joppa, and call for Simon who is surnamed Peter. He lodgeth in the house of Simon a tanner by [the] sea.
Forthwith then I sent unto thee, and thou hast done well in arriving. Now then we are all here before God to hear all the things that have been commanded thee of the Lord.
And Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons
but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to him.
The word which he sent forth to the sons of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), a
ye know b the matter that came to pass throughout the whole of Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached(
Jesus of Nazareth how that God anointed him with [the] Holy Spirit and power; who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.
And we [are] c witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom also d they slew hanging [him] on a tree,
him God raised on the third day and gave him to be manifest
not to all the people, but to witnesses that were chosen before by God, to us which ate and drank with him, after he rose from [the] dead.
And he charged us to preach to the people and testify that this is he that is ordained by God judge of living and dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness that every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins through his Name.
While Peter was yet speaking these sayings, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those that were hearing the word.
And the faithful of the circumcision, as many as came with Peter, were amazed, because upon the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For they heard them speaking with tongues, and magnifying God. Then answered Peter,
Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized which received the Holy Spirit even as we.
And he directed them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they entreated him to abide certain days.