Acts 10:9-23

Common English Bible

⁹ At noon on the following day, as their journey brought them close to the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted to eat. While others were preparing the meal, he had a visionary experience. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened up and something like a large linen sheet being lowered to the earth by its four corners. ¹² Inside the sheet were all kinds of four-legged animals, reptiles, and wild birds.^{[a] 13} A voice told him, “Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!”

¹⁴ Peter exclaimed, “Absolutely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

¹⁵ The voice spoke a second time, “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, then the object was suddenly pulled back into heaven.

¹⁷ Peter was bewildered about the meaning of the vision. Just then, the messengers sent by Cornelius discovered the whereabouts of Simon’s house and arrived at the gate. ¹⁸ Calling out, they inquired whether the Simon known as Peter was a guest there.

¹⁹ While Peter was brooding over the vision, the Spirit interrupted him, “Look! Three people are looking for you. ²⁰ Go downstairs. Don’t ask questions; just go with them because I have sent them.”

²¹ So Peter went downstairs and told them, “I’m the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”

²² They replied, “We’ve come on behalf of Cornelius, a centurion and righteous man, a God-worshipper who is well-respected by all Jewish people. A holy angel directed him to summon you to his house and to hear what you have to say.” ²³ Peter invited them into the house as his guests.

The next day he got up and went with them, together with some of the believers from Joppa.