1In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius. He was a centurion in the regiment called the Italian regiment.
2He was a devout man. He and all his household feared God. He gave much money to help the poor, and he prayed to God always.
3About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in to him and saying to him, "Cornelius."
4When he looked at him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, Lord?" The angel said to him, "Your prayers and your gifts to the poor have gone up before God as a memorial."
5Now send men to Joppa, and send for a man called Simon, who is also named Peter.
6"He is staying with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you ought to do."
7When the angel who spoke to Cornelius had gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of those who waited on him all the time.
8He told them everything that had happened, and sent them to Joppa.
9The next day, as they went on their journey and came near the city, Peter went up on the roof of the house to pray, about the sixth hour.
10He became very hungry and wanted to eat. But while they were getting the food ready, he fell into a trance.
11He saw heaven opened, and something coming down to him. It was like a great sheet, tied at its four corners, and let down to the earth.
12In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and birds of the air.
13A voice came to him: "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."
14But Peter said, "No, Lord. I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."
15The voice spoke to him again, a second time: "What God has made clean, do not call common."
16This happened three times, and then the sheet was taken up again into heaven.
17Peter was puzzled, wondering what this vision he had seen could mean. Look, the men who were sent from Cornelius had asked the way to Simon's house, and were standing at the gate.
18They called out and asked whether Simon, who was also named Peter, was staying there.
19While Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Look, three men are looking for you."
20"So get up, go down, and go with them. Do not doubt at all, for I have sent them."
21Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Look, I am the man you are looking for. Why have you come?"
22They said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man who fears God, and who is well spoken of by the whole nation of the Jews, was warned by God through a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to hear words from you."
23So Peter called them in and gave them a place to stay. The next day Peter set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.
24The day after that they came into Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had called together his relatives and close friends.
26But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up. I myself am only a man."
27Talking with him, Peter went in and found many people gathered together.
28He said to them, "You know that it is against the law for a Jewish man to keep company with someone of another nation, or to visit him. 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 objecting. I ask, then, why have you sent for me?"
30Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour. At the ninth hour I was praying in my house, and look, a man in bright clothing stood in front of me."
31He said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God.
32So send to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. He is staying in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.'
33"So I sent to you at once, and you have done well to come. Now we are all here before God, to hear everything that God has commanded you to say."
34Then Peter began to speak: "Truly I see that God does not favour one person over another."
35In every nation, anyone who fears him and does righteousness is accepted by him.
36This is the word God sent to the children of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all.
37You know that word. It spread through all Judaea, beginning in Galilee, after the baptism that John preached.
38You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good, and healing all who were under the power of the devil, for God was with him.
39We are witnesses of everything he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree.
40God raised him up on the third day, and let him be seen openly,
41not by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had chosen beforehand, that is, by us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed to be the Judge of the living and the dead.
43"All the prophets give witness to him, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.
45The believers from among the circumcised, all those who had come with Peter, were astonished, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles too.
46For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said,
47"Can anyone refuse water, so that these people should not be baptized? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we did."
48So he commanded that they be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay for some days.