1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.
2 He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
3 One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.
5 Now send men to Joppa to call for a man named Simon who is called Peter.
6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his attendants.
8 He explained what had happened and sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
11 He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.
13 Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
14 “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven.
17 While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
18 They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there.
19 As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
20 So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.”
21 So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”
22 “Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.”
23 So Peter invited them in as his guests. And the next day he got ready and went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.