Acts 10:9–32

Peter Has a Vision

⁹And the next day, as^* they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about the sixth hour. ¹⁰And he became hungry and wanted to eat. But while^* they were preparing the food,^* a trance came over him. ¹¹And he saw heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet coming down, being let down to the earth by its four corners, ¹²in which were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and birds of the sky. ¹³And a voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!” ¹⁴But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common and unclean!” ¹⁵And the voice came again to him for the second time: “The things which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!” ¹⁶And this happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.

¹⁷Now while Peter was greatly perplexed within himself as to what the vision that he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having found the house of Simon by asking around, stood at the gate. ¹⁸And they called out and^* asked if Simon who was also called Peter was staying there as a guest. ¹⁹And while^* Peter was reflecting about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, men^d are looking for you. ²⁰But get up, go down, and go with them—not hesitating at all, because I have sent them.” ²¹So Peter went down to the men and^* said, “Behold, I am he whom you are looking for! What is the reason for which you have come?” ²²And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man—and well spoken of by the whole nation of the Jews—was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you.” ²³So he invited them in and^* entertained them as guests, and on the next day he got up and^* went away with them. And some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. ²⁴And on the next day he entered into Caesarea.

Peter Visits Cornelius

Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and^* had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵So it happened that when Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his^* feet, and^* worshiped him.^{* 26}But Peter helped him up, saying, “Get up! I myself am also a man!” ²⁷And as he^* conversed with him, he went in and found many people gathered. ²⁸And he said to them, “You know that it is forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or to approach a foreigner. And to me God has shown that I should call no man common or unclean. ²⁹Therefore—and without raising any objection—I came when I^* was sent for. So I ask for what reason you sent for me.”

³⁰And Cornelius said, “Four days ago at this hour,^e the ninth, I was praying in my house. And behold, a man in shining clothing stood before me ³¹and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your charitable deeds have been remembered before God. ³²Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon who is also called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner,^f by the sea.