1 Now there was a man at aCaesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was bcalled the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and aone who feared God with all his household, and bgave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About athe ninth hour of the day he clearly saw bin a vision can angel of God who had just come in and said to him, "Cornelius!" 4 And afixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms bhave ascended cas a memorial before God. 5 "Now dispatch some men to aJoppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named aSimon, whose house is by the sea." 7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to aJoppa. 9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, aPeter went up on bthe housetop about cthe sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he afell into a trance; 11 and he saw athe sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!" 14 But Peter said, "By no means, aLord, for bI have never eaten anything unholy and unclean." 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, "aWhat God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. 17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what athe vision which he had seen might be, behold, bthe men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon's house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on athe vision, bthe Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 "But get up, go downstairs and aaccompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself." 21 Peter went down to the men and said, "Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?" 22 They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and aGod-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, bwas divinely directed by a choly angel to send for you to come to his house and hear da message from you." 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging. 24 On the following day he entered aCaesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and aworshiped him. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, "aStand up; I too am just a man." 27 As he talked with him, he entered and found amany people assembled. 28 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how aunlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet bGod has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. 29 "That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me." 30 Cornelius said, "aFour days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during bthe ninth hour; and behold, ca man stood before me in shining garments, 31 and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 'Therefore send to aJoppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.' 33 "So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord." 34 aOpening his mouth, Peter said: 35 but ain every nation the man who bfears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. 36 "The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, apreaching bpeace through Jesus Christ (He is cLord of all)-- 37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 "You know of aJesus of Nazareth, how God banointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, cand how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for dGod was with Him. 39 "We are awitnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also bput Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 "aGod raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41 anot to all the people, but to bwitnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us cwho ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 "And He aordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to btestify that this is the One who has been cappointed by God as dJudge of the living and the dead. 43 "Of Him aall the prophets bear witness that through bHis name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins." 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, athe Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 aAll the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been bpoured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them aspeaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 "aSurely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who bhave received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?" 48 And he aordered them to be baptized bin the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.