Acts 10 — NETB
10Verse 1Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort.Verse 2He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people and prayed to God regularly.Verse 3About three o’clock one afternoon he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius.”Verse 4Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius replied, “What is it, Lord?” The angel said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have gone up as a memorial before God.Verse 5Now send men to Joppa and summon a man named Simon, who is called Peter.Verse 6This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”Verse 7When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius called two of his personal servants and a devout soldier from among those who served him,Verse 8and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.Verse 9About noon the next day, while they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.Verse 10He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him.Verse 11He saw heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet descending, being let down to earth by its four corners.Verse 12In it were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and wild birds.Verse 13Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter and eat!”Verse 14But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!”Verse 15The voice spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider ritually unclean!”Verse 16This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.Verse 17Now while Peter was puzzling over what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was and approached the gate.Verse 18They called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, was staying there as a guest.Verse 19While Peter was still thinking seriously about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you.Verse 20But get up, go down, and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.”Verse 21So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here I am, the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?”Verse 22They said, “Cornelius the centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message from you.”Verse 23So Peter invited them in and entertained them as guests. On the next day he got up and set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.Verse 24The following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.Verse 25So when Peter came in, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshiped him.Verse 26But Peter helped him up, saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.”Verse 27Peter continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together.Verse 28He said to them, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile, yet God has shown me that I should call no person defiled or ritually unclean.Verse 29Therefore when you sent for me, I came without any objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?”Verse 30Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my house, and suddenly a man in shining clothing stood before meVerse 31and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity have been remembered before God.Verse 32Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’Verse 33Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. So now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.”Verse 34Then Peter started speaking: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people,Verse 35but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is welcomed before him.Verse 36You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all) –Verse 37you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced:Verse 38with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.Verse 39We are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree,Verse 40but God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen,Verse 41not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.Verse 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to warn them that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.Verse 43About him all the prophets testify, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”