Gevurot 10-12

Orthodox Jewish Bible

10 Now a certain ish in Caesarea by name Cornelius, a centurion from what was called the Italian cohort,

² A devout man, a yire Elohim, as was all his bais, who practiced much tzedakah for the benefit of Am Yisroel, and davened to Hashem continually.

³ Cornelius clearly saw in a chazon (vision) lav davka (approximately) at the ninth hour of the day (three o’clock in the afternoon) a malach Hashem having come to him and having said to him, "Cornelius!" [TEHILLIM 55:17]

⁴ And having looked intently at him and having become afraid, Cornelius said, "What is it, Adon?" The malach said to him, "Your tefillos and your giving tzedakah have ascended as a zikaron (memorial) before Hashem. [TEHILLIM 20:3]

⁵ "Now dispatch some anashim to Yafo and send for a certain Shimon who is also called Kefa.

⁶ "This one is staying with a certain Shimon, a tanner, whose bais is by the sea."

⁷ And, when the malach speaking to him had departed, Cornelius summoned shnayim of his household avadim and a devout chaiyal (soldier) from among the ones in his service,

⁸ Having explained everything, sent them to Yafo.

⁹ Now on the next day, as these were traveling and drawing near to Yafo, around the sixth hour (noon), Kefa went up on to the roof to daven (pray).

¹⁰ And Kefa became hungry, and was wanting to have a meal; but while they were preparing it, Kefa fell into a trance;

¹¹ And he sees Shomayim having been opened, and a certain object descending like a large linen cloth lowered by four corners upon haAretz.

¹² In this were all the fourfooted animals and remasim haAdamah (creepers of the earth) and oph haShomayim (birds of heaven, birds of the air).

¹³ And there came a bat kol (voice) to him, "Get up, Kefa, kill and eat!"

¹⁴ But Kefa said, "Chalilah li, Adonoi! For I have never eaten basar piggul (unclean meat) or shikkutz tameh (abominable unclean thing)." [VAYIKRA 11:4-20; 20-25; DEVARIM 14:3-20; YECHEZKEL 4:14]

¹⁵ And the bat kol came to Kefa again for a second time, "What Hashem made tahor (clean), you should no longer regard as tameh (unclean)." [BERESHIS 9:3]

¹⁶ And this happened shloshah pe’amim; and immediately the object was taken up into Shomayim.

¹⁷ Now, while Kefa was greatly perplexed within himself as to what the chazon which he saw might be, hinei, the anashim, who had been sent by Cornelius, and who had, by inquiring, found the bais of Shimon, stood at the gate.

¹⁸ And, calling out, they were asking if Shimon, the one called Kefa, is staying here.

¹⁹ And while Kefa was reflecting on the chazon, the Ruach Hakodesh said to him, "Hinei, shloshah anashim are looking for you.

²⁰ "But get up and go downstairs and accompany them without apprehensions, for I myself have sent them."

²¹ And Kefa went downstairs to the anashim and said, "Hinei, I am the one whom you are seeking; for what reason did you come?"

²² And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an ish tzaddik, and a yire Elohim with a shem tov with all the Am HaYehudim, was directed by a malach kadosh to summon you to his bais and to hear a message from you."

²³ Therefore, having invited them in, Kefa gave them hachnosas orchim (hospitality, lodging). And on the next day Kefa got up and went away with them, and some of the Achim b’Moshiach from Yafo accompanied him.

²⁴ And on the following day, Moshiach’s Shliach Shimon Kefa entered into Caesarea, and Cornelius was expecting them, having called together his krovey mishpokhot (relatives) and close friends.

²⁵ Now when it came about that Kefa entered, Cornelius met him, falling at his feet to pay him reverence. [DANIEL 7:14; 3:18]

²⁶ Kefa made him stand up, saying, "Get up. I myself am only a ben Adam like everyone else."

²⁷ And as he conversed with Cornelius, Kefa entered and finds many having assembled,

²⁸ And he said to them, "You have da’as that it is asur (prohibited) for an ish Yehudi to associate with or to approach a nokhri (foreigner). And yet to me Hashem showed to call no one shikkutz (abomination) or tameh (unclean).

²⁹ "Therefore, also, when summoned, I came, raising no objections. And so I ask for what reason you summoned me?"

³⁰ Cornelius said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was davening in my bais at the ninth hour, and, hinei, a being stood before me enrobed in shining radiance,

³¹ "And he said, ‘Cornelius, your tefillah was heard and your tzedakah is remembered before Hashem.

³² ‘Therefore, send to Yafo and summon Shimon who is called Kefa. He is staying in the bais of Shimon the tanner by the sea.’

³³ "At once I sent for you and you did well having come. Now, therefore, we all are present before Hashem to hear all the things that have been commanded to you by Adonoi."

³⁴ And opening his mouth, Kefa said, "Omein, I have binah that Hashem is not one to show masso panim (partiality), [Dt 10:17; 2Ch 19:7; Job 34:19]

³⁵ "But in every nation the ones who have yirat Shomayim and work Tzidkat Hashem are acceptable to him.

³⁶ "The dvar which he sent to the Bnei Yisroel, preaching shalom through Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua (Hu Adon Kol!) [Isa 52:7; Ps 107:20; 147:18 TARGUM HASHIVIM]

³⁷ "That word, I say, you know the thing which took place throughout all Yehudah, having begun from the Galil after the tevilah of teshuva which Yochanan preached;

³⁸ "You know Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua from Natzeret, how Hashem anointed him with the Ruach Hakodesh and with ko’ach (power), and how he went about doing mitzvot and giving refu’ah shlemah to all the ones being oppressed by Samael (the devil) because Hashem was with him. [YESHAYAH 61:1]

³⁹ "We are edim (witnesses) of all things which he did both in the countryside of Yehudah and in Yerushalayim. And they also put him to death, having hanged nivlato al haEtz (his body on the Tree, DEVARIM 21:23).

⁴⁰ "This one Hashem made to stand up alive again on the Yom HaShelishi and granted to him to be visible,

⁴¹ "Not to Klal Yisroel, but to edim which had been chosen beforehand by Hashem, that is, to us who ate and drank together with him at Tish after the Techiyas HaMoshiach.

⁴² "Moshiach gave mitzvah to us to preach to the people and to bear solemn edut that this one is the one having been appointed by Hashem as Shofet HaChayyim v’HaMesim.

⁴³ "To this one all the Nevi’im bear witness that through ha-Shem of him [Moshiach Yehoshua, Yeshua] everyone who has emunah in him has selicha (forgiveness) of chatta’'im (averos, sins).

⁴⁴ While Kefa was still speaking these words, the Ruach Hakodesh fell upon all the ones hearing the dvar.

⁴⁵ And the Messianic Jews who had come with Kefa were mishpoyel (standing in awe) that also upon the Goyim the matnat HaRuach Hakodesh has been poured out.

⁴⁶ For they were hearing them speaking in leshonot and exalting Hashem. Then Kefa answered,

⁴⁷ "Surely no one can refuse the mikveh mayim for these to be given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva who have received the Ruach Hakodesh just as we did, can he?" [Ac 2:4; cf Lk 3:16; Ac 11:16]

⁴⁸ And Kefa directed for them to be given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva in the Shem of Moshiach Yehoshua (Yeshua). Then they asked him to remain some yamim.

11 And the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Achim b’Moshiach, the ones throughout Yehudah, heard that also the non-Jews received the dvar Hashem.

² But when Kefa went up to Yerushalayim, those of the faction of the Bris Milah were taking issue with him,

³ Saying, "You entered into a bais of anashim arelim (uncircumcised men) and you sat at tish with them."

⁴ But Kefa began explaining to them beseder (in order), saying,

⁵ "I was davening in the shtetl of Yafo and in a trance I saw a chazon (vision) of a certain object descending like a large linen cloth lowered by four corners from Shomayim, and it came up to me.

⁶ "And when I had gazed upon it, I saw fourfooted animals of ha’aretz and chayyat hasadeh and remasim haAdamah and oph HaShomayim.

⁷ "And I heard also a bat kol saying to me, ‘Get up, Kefa. Kill and eat.’

⁸ "But I said, ‘By no means, Adoni, because nothing common or tameh (unclean) has ever entered into my stomach.’

⁹ "And the bat kol answered for a second time from Shomayim, ‘What Hashem made tahor (clean) do not declare tameh (unclean).’

¹⁰ "This happened shlosh pe’amim, and everything was pulled up again into Shomayim.

¹¹ "Hinei, at once shloshah anashim stood at the bais in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

¹² "And the Ruach Hakodesh said to me to accompany them without hesitating and these sheshet haAchim b’Moshiach came with me also, and we entered into the bais of the ish.

¹³ "He reported to us how he saw the malach in his bais having stood and having said, ‘Send to Yafo and summon Shimon, the one being called Kefa,

¹⁴ ‘Who will speak words to you by which you and all your bais will find Yeshu’at Eloheinu.’

¹⁵ "As I began to speak, the Ruach Hakodesh fell upon them, just as also upon us in the beginning.

¹⁶ And I remembered the dvar of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu, how he used to say, ‘Yochanan gave a tevilah of teshuva with a mikveh mayim, but you will be given a tevilah with the Ruach Hakodesh.'

¹⁷ "If then Hashem gave the same matanah to them as also to us after believing in Moshiach Adoneinu, who then was I to stand in the way of Hashem?"

¹⁸ And having heard these things, they were silenced and glorified Hashem, saying ‘Then also to the Nations Hashem has given teshuva unto Chayyim.'

¹⁹ Then the ones, that is, those having been scattered because of the tzoros that happened in connection with Stefanos, came to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking to no one the dvar Hashem except only to Yehudim.

²⁰ And there were some of them, anashim of Cyprus and Cyrene, who having come to Antioch, were speaking also to the Yevanim, proclaiming the Besuras HaGeulah of Adoneinu Yehoshua.

²¹ The hand of Adonoi was on them and a large number, having had emunah, turned to Moshiach Adoneinu.

²² The report about them was heard in the ears of the Kehillah of Moshiach in Yerushalayim, and they sent out Bar-Nabba to go to Antioch;

²³ Who, having come, and having seen the Chen v’Chesed Hashem, rejoiced and was encouraging everyone with deveykus (devotion) to HaAdon to remain true to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu.

²⁴ For Bar-Nabba was a mentsh, a gavra, an ish tov full of the Ruach Hakodesh and of emunah. And a great multitude was added to Adoneinu.

²⁵ And Bar-Nabba left for Tarsus to look for Sha’ul,

²⁶ And, having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year, they met with Moshiach’s Kehillah there, and taught a large multitude. And it was in Antioch that the talmidim were first called Ma’aminim HaMeshichiyim (Messianic Believers).

²⁷ Now in these yamim, nevi’im came down from Yerushalayim to Antioch.

²⁸ One of them, by name of Agav, having got up, indicated through the Ruach Hakodesh a great famine was about to come all over the world. And this famine actually occurred during the time of Claudius.

²⁹ Now the talmidim decided that according to their means, each of them would send support to the Achim b’Moshiach dwelling in Yehudah;

³⁰ Which also they did, having sent to the Ziknei HaKehillot by the hand of Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul.

12 Now during that time Herod the king laid his hands on Moshiach’s Kehillah to harm some of them.

² He killed Ya’akov the ach Yochanan with a cherev (sword).

³ Having seen that this was pleasing to the Judeans, Herod proceeded to arrest Kefa also. This happened during the yamim of Chag HaMatzot. [SHEMOT 12:15; 23:25]

⁴ When he had Kefa seized, he put him in the beis hasohar, having handed him over to four squads of chaiyalim to guard him, intending after Pesach to bring him before the people.

⁵ Therefore, Kefa was being kept in the beis hasohar. But tefillah to Hashem was earnestly being made by Moshiach’s Kehillah for him.

⁶ But b’lailah, when Herod was about to lead him out, Kefa, bound with two sharsherot (chains), was sleeping between two chaiyalim; and, before the delet (door), were shomrim (guards) keeping watch over the beis hasohar.

⁷ Then a malach HaAdon approached and ohr (light) shone in the cheder (room), and, having struck the side of Kefa, he awoke him, saying, "Get up quickly!" And the kavlei varzel (shackles of iron) fell off his hands. [TEHILLIM 107:14; 149:8]

⁸ The malach said to Kefa, "Put on your gartel and tie your sandals." And Kefa did so. And the malach says to him, "Put on your kaftan and follow me."

⁹ And having gone out, Kefa was following the malach, and he did not have da’as that the thing was happening grahda (as a matter of fact, in reality), but he was thinking he was seeing a chazon through the malach.

¹⁰ And having gone through the shomrim (guards), the first and the second, they came upon the Sha’ar HaBarzel leading to the Ir Kodesh. This was opened to them by itself. And having gone out, they went along one rekhov (street), and immediately the malach went away from him.

¹¹ And Kefa, having come to himself, said, "Now I have da’as for sure that HaAdon sent out his malach and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Judean people." [TEHILLIM 34:7; DANIEL 3:28; 6:22]

¹² Having realized this, Kefa came upon the bais of Miryam the Em (mother) of Yochanan, the one being called Markos, where there were many having been assembled and davening.

¹³ And when Kefa knocked on the delet (door) of the gate, a na’arah by name Rhoda, approached to listen.

¹⁴ And having recognized the kol (voice) of Kefa, from simcha she did not open the gate but, having run inside, she reported that Kefa stood at the gate.

¹⁵ But the ones there said to her, "You are meshuggah!" But she kept insisting it was so. But they were saying, "It is his malach."

¹⁶ But Kefa continued knocking. And having opened the gate, they saw him, and were mishpoyel (standing in awe).

¹⁷ And having motioned to them with his hand to be silent, he told them how HaAdon led him out from the beis hasohar. Then Kefa said, "Report to Ya’akov [see p.848] and to the Achim b’Moshiach these things." And having gone out, Kefa went to another place.

¹⁸ Now when it was boker, there was not a little commotion among the chaiyalim as to what had become of Kefa.

¹⁹ Now Herod, having sought after him and not having found him, after questioning the shomrim, commanded them to be led away to execution. Then Herod went down from Yehudah to Caesarea, and was staying there.

²⁰ Now Herod was gor (very) angry with the people of Tzor and those of Tzidon, and with one mind they were coming to him; and, having won over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they were requesting shalom, because their country was fed by the king’s lands. [MELACHIM ALEF 5:9,11; YECHEZKEL 27:17]

²¹ Now on the appointed day, Herod, having clothed himself with royal malbush (clothing) and having sat down on the kes hamishpat, was delivering a public address to them.

²² And the multitude was crying out, "Hinei, the kol of a g-d and not of an ish!"

²³ Immediately, a malach Adonoi struck him, because he did not give the kavod to Hashem. And, having become eaten with worms, Herod died. [SHMUEL ALEF 25:38; SHMUEL BAIS 24:16,17; MELACHIM BAIS 19:35]

²⁴ But the dvar Hashem was growing and increasing.

²⁵ And Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul returned from Yerushalayim, having fulfilled their shlichus (mission) to deliver the tzedakah and having taken along with them [back to Antioch], Yochanan the one called Markos.