^10:9About noon²² the next day, while they were on their way and approaching²³ the city, Peter went up on the roof²⁴ to pray. ^10:10He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him.²⁵^10:11He²⁶ saw heaven²⁷ opened²⁸ and an object something like a large sheet²⁹ descending,³⁰ being let down to earth³¹ by its four corners. ^10:12In it³² were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles³³ of the earth and wild birds.³⁴^10:13Then³⁵ a voice said³⁶ to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter³⁷ and eat!” ^10:14But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!”³⁸^10:15The voice³⁹ spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider⁴⁰ ritually unclean!”⁴¹^10:16This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.⁴²

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Footnotes

22 Grk “about the sixth hour.”
23 The participles ὁδοιπορούντων (hodoiporountōn, “while they were on their way”) and ἐγγιζόντων (engizontōn, “approaching”) have been translated as temporal participles.
24 Went up on the roof. Most of the roofs in the NT were flat roofs made of pounded dirt, sometimes mixed with lime or stones, supported by heavy wooden beams. They generally had an easy means of access, either a sturdy wooden ladder or stone stairway, sometimes on the outside of the house.
25 The traditional translation, “he fell into a trance,” is somewhat idiomatic; it is based on the textual variant ἐπέπεσεν (epepesen, “he fell”) found in the Byzantine text but almost certainly not original.
26 Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
27 Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
28 On the heavens “opening,” see Matt 3:16; Luke 3:21; Rev 19:11 (cf. ἀνοίγω 2). This is the language of a vision or a revelatory act of God.
29 Or “a large linen cloth” (the term was used for the sail of a ship; ὀθόνη).
30 Or “coming down.”
31 Or “to the ground.”
32 Grk “in which.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
33 Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25–26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate. See also Gen 6:20, as well as the law making such creatures unclean food in Lev 11:2–47.
34 Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. πετεινόν).
35 Grk “And there came.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
36 Grk “a voice to him”; the word “said” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
37 Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (thuson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate.
38 Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akathartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts. Peter insisted he would not violate the law by eating anything defiled and ritually unclean. These food laws were one of the practices that distinguished Jews from their Gentile neighbors. The practice made table fellowship with Gentiles awkward. For an example of Jewish attitudes to this, see Dan 1:8–16; 1 Macc 1:41–64; 142; Tacitus, History 5.5.
39 Grk “And the voice.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
40 Or “declare.”
41 For the significance of this vision see Mark 7:14–23; Rom 14:14; Eph 2:11–22. God directed this change in practice.
42 Or “into the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

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

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the roof about noon. He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth. In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky. A voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”

“No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything impure and ritually unclean.”

Again, a second time, the voice said to him, “What God has made clean, do not call impure.” This happened three times, and suddenly the object was taken up into heaven.

NLTNew Living Translation

The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”

“No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”

But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And 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. And he became hungry and wanted to eat. But while they were preparing the food, a trance came over him. And he saw heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet coming down, being let down to the earth by its four corners, in which were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and birds of the sky. And a voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!” But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common and unclean!” And the voice came again to him for the second time: “The things which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!” And this happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.

KJV 1900King James Version

On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

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