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Peter Visits Cornelius

The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, 10 and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. 12 In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. 13 Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”

14 “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.[a]

15 But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” 16 The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.

17 Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing outside the gate, 18 they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there.

19 Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you. 20 Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”

21 So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”

22 They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.” 23 So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

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Footnotes

  1. 10:14 Greek anything common and unclean.

On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, (A)Peter went up on (B)the [a]housetop about [b](C)the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he (D)fell into a trance; 11 and he *saw (E)the sky opened up, and an [c]object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and on it were all kinds of four-footed animals and [d]crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, [e]kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, (F)Lord, for (G)I have never eaten anything [f]unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “(H)What God has cleansed, no longer [g]consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the [h]object was taken up into the sky.

17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in [i]mind as to what (I)the vision which he had seen might [j]mean, behold, (J)the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on (K)the vision, (L)the Spirit said to him, “Behold, [k]three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and (M)accompany them [l]without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and (N)God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, (O)was divinely directed by a (P)holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear [m](Q)a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

Peter in Caesarea

Now on the next day he got ready and went away with them, and (R)some of (S)the brothers from (T)Joppa accompanied him.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 10:9 Housetops were flat living areas
  2. Acts 10:9 I.e., noon
  3. Acts 10:11 Or vessel
  4. Acts 10:12 Or reptiles
  5. Acts 10:13 Or sacrifice
  6. Acts 10:14 Or profane; lit common
  7. Acts 10:15 Lit make common
  8. Acts 10:16 Or vessel
  9. Acts 10:17 Lit himself
  10. Acts 10:17 Lit be
  11. Acts 10:19 One early ms two
  12. Acts 10:20 Lit doubting nothing
  13. Acts 10:22 Lit words