²³ So he invited them in to be his guests.

The next day he rose and went away with them, and ^(A)some of ^(B)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 ^(C)fell down at his feet and ^(D)worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter lifted him up, saying, ^(E)“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 unlawful it is for a Jew ^(F)to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but ^(G)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, ^(H)“Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at ^(I)the ninth hour,^[a] and behold, ^(J)a man stood before me in bright clothing ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, ^(K)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.”

Gentiles Hear the Good News

³⁴ So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that ^(L)God ^(M)shows no partiality, ³⁵ but ^(N)in every nation anyone who fears him and ^(O)does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ As for ^(P)the word that he sent to Israel, ^(Q)preaching good news of ^(R)peace through Jesus Christ (^(S)he is Lord of all), ³⁷ you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, ^(T)beginning ^(U)from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: ³⁸ how ^(V)God anointed Jesus of Nazareth ^(W)with the Holy Spirit and with ^(X)power. He went about doing good and healing all ^(Y)who were oppressed by the devil, ^(Z)for God was with him. ³⁹ And ^(AA)we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. ^(AB)They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰ but ^(AC)God raised him on ^(AD)the third day and made him to ^(AE)appear, ^41 (AF)not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as ^(AG)witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² And ^(AH)he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify ^(AI)that he is the one appointed by God to be judge ^(AJ)of the living and the dead. ^43 (AK)To him ^(AL)all the prophets bear witness that ^(AM)everyone who believes in him receives ^(AN)forgiveness of sins ^(AO)through his name.”

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying these things, ^(AP)the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And the believers from among ^(AQ)the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because ^(AR)the gift of the Holy Spirit ^(AS)was poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they were hearing them ^(AT)speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ^47 (AU)“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit ^(AV)just as we have?” ⁴⁸ And he ^(AW)commanded them ^(AX)to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Peter Reports to the Church

11 Now the apostles and ^(AY)the brothers^[b] who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ^(AZ)the circumcision party^[c] criticized him, saying, ^3 (BA)“You went to uncircumcised men and ^(BB)ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began and explained it to them in order: ^5 (BC)“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, 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, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘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 Spirit told me to go with them, ^(BD)making no distinction. ^(BE)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 (BF)he will declare to you a message by which ^(BG)you will be saved, you and all your household.’ ¹⁵ As I began to speak, ^(BH)the Holy Spirit fell on them ^(BI)just as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ^(BJ)‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If then ^(BK)God gave ^(BL)the same gift to them as he gave to us ^(BM)when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, ^(BN)who was I ^(BO)that I could stand in God's way?” ¹⁸ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they ^(BP)glorified God, saying, ^(BQ)“Then to the Gentiles also God has ^(BR)granted ^(BS)repentance that leads to life.”