Cornelius Sends a Delegation

10 There was a certain man in ^(A)Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian ^[a]Regiment, ^2 (B)a devout man and one who ^(C)feared God with all his household, who gave ^[b]alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. ³ About ^[c]the ninth hour of the day ^(D)he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

⁴ And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”

So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. ⁵ Now ^(E)send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. ⁶ He is lodging with ^(F)Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. ^(G)He^[d] will tell you what you must do.” ⁷ And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. ⁸ So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter’s Vision

⁹ The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, ^(H)Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about ^[e]the sixth hour. ¹⁰ Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and ^(I)saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. ¹³ And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

¹⁴ But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! ^(J)For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

¹⁵ And a voice spoke to him again the second time, ^(K)“What God has ^[f]cleansed you must not call common.” ¹⁶ This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Summoned to Caesarea

¹⁷ Now while Peter ^[g]wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate. ¹⁸ And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.

¹⁹ While Peter thought about the vision, ^(L)the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. ^20 (M)Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”

²¹ Then Peter went down to the men ^[h]who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”

²² And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and ^(N)has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” ²³ Then he invited them in and lodged them.

On the next day Peter went away with them, ^(O)and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

Peter Meets Cornelius

²⁴ And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter lifted him up, saying, ^(P)“Stand up; I myself am also a man.” ²⁷ And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. ²⁸ Then he said to them, “You know how ^(Q)unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But ^(R)God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. ²⁹ Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”

³⁰ So Cornelius said, ^[i]“Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, ^(S)a man stood before me ^(T)in bright clothing, ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, ^(U)your prayer has been heard, and ^(V)your ^[j]alms are remembered in the sight of God. ³² Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. ^[k]When he comes, he will speak to you.’ ³³ So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”

Preaching to Cornelius’ Household

³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ^(W)“In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. ³⁵ But ^(X)in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is ^(Y)accepted by Him. ³⁶ The word which God sent to the ^[l]children of Israel, ^(Z)preaching peace through Jesus Christ—^(AA)He is Lord of all— ³⁷ that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and ^(AB)began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: ³⁸ how ^(AC)God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who ^(AD)went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, ^(AE)for God was with Him. ³⁹ And we are ^(AF)witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom ^[m]they ^(AG)killed by hanging on a tree. ⁴⁰ Him ^(AH)God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, ^41 (AI)not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us ^(AJ)who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. ⁴² And ^(AK)He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify ^(AL)that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge ^(AM)of the living and the dead. ^43 (AN)To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, ^(AO)whoever believes in Him will receive ^(AP)remission^[n] of sins.”

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, ^(AQ)the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. ^45 (AR)And ^[o]those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, ^(AS)because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

Then Peter answered, ⁴⁷ “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit ^(AT)just as we have?” ^48 (AU)And he commanded them to be baptized ^(AV)in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Then he came to ^(A)Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, ^(B)named Timothy, ^(C)the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. ² He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. ³ Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he ^(D)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. ⁴ And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the ^(E)decrees to keep, ^(F)which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. ^5 (G)So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

The Macedonian Call

⁶ Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of ^(H)Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in ^[a]Asia. ⁷ After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the ^[b]Spirit did not permit them. ⁸ So passing by Mysia, they ^(I)came down to Troas. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A ^(J)man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go ^(K)to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia Baptized at Philippi

¹¹ Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to ^(L)Philippi, which is the ^[c]foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. ¹³ And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. ¹⁴ Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of ^(M)Thyatira, who worshiped God. ^(N)The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. ¹⁵ And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So ^(O)she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

¹⁶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl ^(P)possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters ^(Q)much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she did for many days.

But Paul, ^(R)greatly ^[d]annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” ^(S)And he came out that very hour. ¹⁹ But ^(T)when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and ^(U)dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

²⁰ And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, ^(V)exceedingly trouble our city; ²¹ and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” ²² Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes ^(W)and commanded them to be beaten with rods. ²³ And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴ Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Philippian Jailer Saved

²⁵ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ^26 (X)Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately ^(Y)all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. ²⁷ And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

²⁹ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, ^(Z)“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ So they said, ^(AA)“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ Now when he had brought them into his house, ^(AB)he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

Paul Refuses to Depart Secretly

³⁵ And when it was day, the magistrates sent the ^[e]officers, saying, “Let those men go.”

³⁶ So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned ^(AC)Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”

³⁸ And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. ³⁹ Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and ^(AD)asked them to depart from the city. ⁴⁰ So they went out of the prison ^(AE)and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.