Redeeming What Is the Lord’s

27 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow^(A) to dedicate a person to the Lord by giving the equivalent value, ³ set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels^[a] of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel^[b];^{(B) 4} for a female, set her value at thirty shekels^[c]; ⁵ for a person between the ages of five and twenty, set the value of a male at twenty shekels^[d](C) and of a female at ten shekels^[e]; ⁶ for a person between one month and five years, set the value of a male at five shekels^[f](D) of silver and that of a female at three shekels^[g] of silver; ⁷ for a person sixty years old or more, set the value of a male at fifteen shekels^[h] and of a female at ten shekels. ⁸ If anyone making the vow is too poor to pay^(E) the specified amount, the person being dedicated is to be presented to the priest, who will set the value^(F) according to what the one making the vow can afford.

⁹ “‘If what they vowed is an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the Lord,^(G) such an animal given to the Lord becomes holy.^{(H) 10} They must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one;^(I) if they should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy. ¹¹ If what they vowed is a ceremonially unclean animal^(J)—one that is not acceptable as an offering to the Lord—the animal must be presented to the priest, ¹² who will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, that is what it will be. ¹³ If the owner wishes to redeem^(K) the animal, a fifth must be added to its value.^(L)

¹⁴ “‘If anyone dedicates their house as something holy to the Lord, the priest will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, so it will remain. ¹⁵ If the one who dedicates their house wishes to redeem it,^(M) they must add a fifth to its value, and the house will again become theirs.

¹⁶ “‘If anyone dedicates to the Lord part of their family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it—fifty shekels of silver to a homer^[i] of barley seed. ¹⁷ If they dedicate a field during the Year of Jubilee, the value that has been set remains. ¹⁸ But if they dedicate a field after the Jubilee,^(N) the priest will determine the value according to the number of years that remain^(O) until the next Year of Jubilee, and its set value will be reduced. ¹⁹ If the one who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it,^(P) they must add a fifth to its value, and the field will again become theirs. ²⁰ If, however, they do not redeem the field, or if they have sold it to someone else, it can never be redeemed. ²¹ When the field is released in the Jubilee,^(Q) it will become holy,^(R) like a field devoted to the Lord;^(S) it will become priestly property.

²² “‘If anyone dedicates to the Lord a field they have bought, which is not part of their family land, ²³ the priest will determine its value up to the Year of Jubilee,^(T) and the owner must pay its value on that day as something holy to the Lord. ²⁴ In the Year of Jubilee the field will revert to the person from whom it was bought,^(U) the one whose land it was. ²⁵ Every value is to be set according to the sanctuary shekel,^(V) twenty gerahs^(W) to the shekel.

²⁶ “‘No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the Lord;^(X) whether an ox^[j] or a sheep, it is the Lord’s. ²⁷ If it is one of the unclean animals,^(Y) it may be bought back at its set value, adding a fifth of the value to it. If it is not redeemed, it is to be sold at its set value.

²⁸ “‘But nothing that a person owns and devotes^[k](Z) to the Lord—whether a human being or an animal or family land—may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy^(AA) to the Lord.

²⁹ “‘No person devoted to destruction^[l] may be ransomed; they are to be put to death.^(AB)

³⁰ “‘A tithe^(AC) of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy^(AD) to the Lord. ³¹ Whoever would redeem^(AE) any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value^(AF) to it. ³² Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod^(AG)—will be holy to the Lord. ³³ No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution.^(AH) If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.^(AI)’”

³⁴ These are the commands the Lord gave Moses at Mount Sinai^(AJ) for the Israelites.^(AK)

Praise to the Lord

⁹ In that day^(AD) they will say,

Cornelius Calls for Peter

10 At Caesarea^(A) there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. ² He and all his family were devout and God-fearing;^(B) he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. ³ One day at about three in the afternoon^(C) he had a vision.^(D) He distinctly saw an angel^(E) of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering^(F) before God.^{(G) 5} Now send men to Joppa^(H) to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner,^(I) whose house is by the sea.”

⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. ⁸ He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.^(J)

Peter’s Vision^(K)

⁹ About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof^(L) to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.^{(M) 11} He saw heaven opened^(N) and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. ¹³ Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

¹⁴ “Surely not, Lord!”^(O) Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”^(P)

¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”^(Q)

¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

¹⁷ While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision,^(R) the men sent by Cornelius^(S) found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. ¹⁸ They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

¹⁹ While Peter was still thinking about the vision,^(T) the Spirit said^(U) to him, “Simon, three^[a] men are looking for you. ²⁰ So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”^(V)

²¹ Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

²² The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man,^(W) who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”^{(X) 23} Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Peter at Cornelius’s House

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers^(Y) from Joppa went along.^{(Z) 24} The following day he arrived in Caesarea.^(AA) Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”^(AB)

²⁷ While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.^{(AC) 28} He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile.^(AD) But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.^{(AE) 29} So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

³⁰ Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes^(AF) stood before me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³² Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism^{(AG) 35} but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.^{(AH) 36} You know the message^(AI) God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news^(AJ) of peace^(AK) through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.^{(AL) 37} You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸ how God anointed^(AM) Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing^(AN) all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.^(AO)

³⁹ “We are witnesses^(AP) of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross,^{(AQ) 40} but God raised him from the dead^(AR) on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹ He was not seen by all the people,^(AS) but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate^(AT) and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people^(AU) and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.^{(AV) 43} All the prophets testify about him^(AW) that everyone^(AX) who believes^(AY) in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”^(AZ)

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on^(BA) all who heard the message. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter^(BB) were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out^(BC) even on Gentiles.^{(BD) 46} For they heard them speaking in tongues^[b](BE) and praising God.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water.^(BF) They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”^{(BG) 48} So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.^(BH) Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.