Peter’s Vision

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour¹ to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a ^jtrance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were ^kall kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, ^l“By no means, Lord; for ^mI have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, ⁿ“What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 ^u“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a ^vtrance I saw a ^wvision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ^x‘By no means, Lord; for ^ynothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ^z‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ 10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the ^aSpirit told me to go with them, ^bmaking no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them ^cjust as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ^d‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same ^egift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, ^fwho was I that I could stand in God’s way?”