Acts 10:1-33

Easy-to-Read Version

Peter and Cornelius

10 In the city of Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a Roman army officer in what was called the Italian Unit. ² He was a religious man. He and all the others who lived in his house were worshipers of the true God. He gave much of his money to help the poor people and always prayed to God. ³ One afternoon about three o’clock, Cornelius had a vision. He clearly saw an angel from God coming to him and saying, “Cornelius!”

⁴ Staring at the angel and feeling afraid, Cornelius said, “What do you want, sir?”

The angel said to him, “God has heard your prayers and has seen your gifts to the poor. He remembers you and all you have done. ⁵ Send some men now to the city of Joppa to get a man named Simon, who is also called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with someone also named Simon, a leatherworker who has a house beside the sea.” ⁷ The angel who spoke to Cornelius left. Then Cornelius called two of his servants and a soldier. The soldier was a religious man, one of his close helpers. ⁸ Cornelius explained everything to these three men and sent them to Joppa.

⁹ The next day they were coming near Joppa about noon, when Peter was going up to the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He was hungry and wanted to eat. But while they were preparing the food for Peter to eat, he had a vision. ¹¹ He saw something coming down through the open sky. It looked like a big sheet being lowered to the ground by its four corners. ¹² In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds. ¹³ Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill anything here and eat it.”

¹⁴ But Peter said, “I can’t do that, Lord! I have never eaten anything that is not pure or fit to be used for food.”

¹⁵ But the voice said to him again, “God has made these things pure. Don’t say they are unfit to eat.” ¹⁶ This happened three times. Then the whole thing was taken back up into heaven. ¹⁷ Peter wondered what this vision meant.

The men Cornelius sent had found Simon’s house. They were standing at the door. ¹⁸ They asked, “Is Simon Peter staying here?”

¹⁹ While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Listen, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ Get up and go downstairs. Go with these men without wondering if it’s all right, because I sent them.” ²¹ So Peter went downstairs and said to them, “I think I’m the man you are looking for. Why did you come here?”

²² The men said, “A holy angel told Cornelius to invite you to his house. He is an army officer. He is a good man, one who worships God, and all the Jewish people respect him. The angel told him to invite you to his house so that he can listen to what you have to say.” ²³ Peter asked the men to come in and stay for the night.

The next day Peter got ready and went away with the three men. Some of the believers from Joppa went with him. ²⁴ The next day they came to the city of Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them and had already gathered his relatives and close friends at his house.

²⁵ When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him. He fell down at Peter’s feet and worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter told him to get up. Peter said, “Stand up! I am only a man like you.” ²⁷ Peter continued talking with Cornelius. Then Peter went inside and saw a large group of people gathered there.

²⁸ Peter said to the people, “You understand that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit anyone who is not a Jew. But God has shown me that I should not consider anyone unfit or say they are not pure. ²⁹ That’s why I didn’t argue when your men asked me to come here. Now, please tell me why you sent for me.”

³⁰ Cornelius said, “Four days ago, I was praying in my house. It was at this same time—three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly there was someone standing before me wearing bright, shiny clothes. ³¹ He said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and has seen your gifts to the poor. He remembers you and all you have done. ³² So send some men to the city of Joppa and tell Simon Peter to come. He is staying with another man named Simon, a leatherworker who has a house beside the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately. It was very good of you to come here. Now we are all here before God to hear everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”