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.

17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the ^oSpirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation,² for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So he invited them in to be his guests.

The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and ^pworshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how ^qunlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour,³ and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God ^rshows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who ^sfears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is ^tLord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, ^ubeginning from Galilee after ^vthe baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God ^wanointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was ^xwith him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a ^ytree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as ^zwitnesses, who ^aate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he ^bcommanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be ^cjudge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets ^dbear witness that ^eeveryone who ^fbelieves ^gin him ^hreceives forgiveness of sins ⁱthrough his ^jname.”

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit ^kfell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the ^lcircumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out ^meven on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them ⁿspeaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 ^o“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit ^pjust as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the ^qname of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

1 Now the apostles and the brothers⁴ who were throughout Judea ^rheard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ^sthe circumcision party⁵ criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ^tate with them.” 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?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they ^gglorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”