10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea¹ named Cornelius, a centurion² of what was called the Italian Cohort.³ 10:2 He⁴ was a devout, God-fearing man,⁵ as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people⁶ and prayed to God regularly. 10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon⁷ he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God⁸ who came in⁹ and said to him, “Cornelius.” 10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius¹⁰ replied,¹¹ “What is it, Lord?” The angel¹² said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity¹³ have gone up as a memorial¹⁴ before God. 10:5 Now¹⁵ send men to Joppa¹⁶ and summon a man named Simon,¹⁷ who is called Peter. 10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner,¹⁸ whose house is by the sea.” 10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius¹⁹ called two of his personal servants²⁰ and a devout soldier from among those who served him,²¹ 10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

10:9 About noon²² the next day, while they were on their way and approaching²³ the city, Peter went up on the roof²⁴ to pray. 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal,²⁵ a trance came over him.²⁶ 10:11 He²⁷ saw heaven²⁸ opened²⁹ and an object something like a large sheet³⁰ descending,³¹ being let down to earth³² by its four corners. 10:12 In it³³ were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles³⁴ of the earth and birds of the air.³⁵ 10:13 Then³⁶ a voice said³⁷ to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter³⁸ and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!”³⁹ 10:15 The voice⁴⁰ spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider⁴¹ ritually unclean.”⁴² 10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.⁴³

10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over⁴⁴ what the vision he had seen could mean, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was⁴⁵ and approached⁴⁶ the gate. 10:18 They⁴⁷ called out to ask if Simon, called Peter,⁴⁸ was staying there as a guest. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about⁴⁹ the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up,⁵⁰ go down, and accompany them without hesitation,⁵¹ because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down⁵² to the men and said, “Here I am,⁵³ the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion,⁵⁴ a righteous⁵⁵ and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation,⁵⁶ was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message⁵⁷ from you.” 10:23 So Peter⁵⁸ invited them in and entertained them as guests.

On the next day he got up and set out⁵⁹ with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa⁶⁰ accompanied him. 10:24 The following day⁶¹ he entered Caesarea.⁶² Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously⁶³ for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when⁶⁴ Peter came in, Cornelius met⁶⁵ him, fell⁶⁶ at his feet, and worshiped⁶⁷ him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up,⁶⁸ saying, “Stand up, I too am only a man.” 10:27 Peter⁶⁹ kept on talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together.⁷⁰ 10:28 He said to them, “You know that⁷¹ it is unlawful⁷² for a Jew⁷³ to associate with or visit a Gentile,⁷⁴ yet God has shown me that I should call no person⁷⁵ defiled or ritually unclean.⁷⁶ 10:29 Therefore when you sent for me,⁷⁷ I came without any objection. Now may I ask why⁷⁸ you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius⁷⁹ replied,⁸⁰ “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon,⁸¹ I was praying in my house, and suddenly⁸² a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity⁸³ have been remembered before God.⁸⁴ 10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner,⁸⁵ by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come.⁸⁶ So now we are all here in the presence of God⁸⁷ to hear⁸⁸ everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.”⁸⁹

10:34 Then Peter started speaking:⁹⁰ “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people,⁹¹ 10:35 but in every nation⁹² the person who fears him⁹³ and does what is right⁹⁴ is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know⁹⁵ the message⁹⁶ he sent to the people⁹⁷ of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace⁹⁸ through⁹⁹ Jesus Christ¹⁰⁰ (he is Lord¹⁰¹ of all)— 10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced:¹⁰² 10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth,¹⁰³ that¹⁰⁴ God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He¹⁰⁵ went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,¹⁰⁶ because God was with him.¹⁰⁷ 10:39 We¹⁰⁸ are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea¹⁰⁹ and in Jerusalem. They¹¹⁰ killed him by hanging him on a cross,¹¹¹ 10:40 but¹¹² God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen,¹¹³ 10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen,¹¹⁴ who ate and drank¹¹⁵ with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He¹¹⁶ commanded us to preach to the people and to warn¹¹⁷ them¹¹⁸ that he is the one¹¹⁹ appointed¹²⁰ by God as judge¹²¹ of the living and the dead. 10:43 About him all the prophets testify,¹²² that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins¹²³ through his name.”

10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on¹²⁴ all those who heard the message.¹²⁵ 10:45 The¹²⁶ circumcised believers¹²⁷ who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished¹²⁸ that¹²⁹ the gift of the Holy Spirit¹³⁰ had been poured out¹³¹ even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising¹³² God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did,¹³³ can he?”¹³⁴ 10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized¹³⁵ in the name of Jesus Christ.¹³⁶ Then they asked him to stay for several days.