Book of Common Prayer

10 In Caesarea lived a man named Cornelius. He was a big captain in the army. His soldiers were called the Italian Group.

² He was a good man. He and all the people of his house obeyed God. He gave many gifts to the poor. He always talked with God.

³ About three o'clock one afternoon, he clearly saw an angel from God coming to him in a vision. `Cornelius,' said the angel.

⁴ Cornelius looked at him. He was afraid and asked, `What is it, Sir?' The angel answered him, `God has heard what you said to him. He has remembered your gifts to the poor.

⁵ Send men to Joppa to call Simon, whose other name is Peter.

⁶ He is staying with Simon, the man who makes skins into leather. His house is by the sea. Peter will tell you what you should do.'

⁷ When the angel which spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his house servants. He also called one of the soldiers who believed in God and who always helped him.

⁸ He told them carefully all about his vision. Then he sent them to Joppa.

⁹ They went the next day. They were coming near to the city. About midday, Peter went up on the flat roof of the house to talk with God.

¹⁰ He became very hungry and wanted to eat. While food was being made ready, something like a dream came over him.

¹¹ He saw the sky open. A bundle like a big blanket was tied by the corners. It was let down to earth.

¹² In the bundle were all kinds of animals and snakes and birds.

¹³ Then Peter heard a voice saying to him, `Get up, Peter. Kill some and eat.'

¹⁴ But Peter said, `No, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is not holy or not clean.'

¹⁵ Then the voice spoke to him again, saying, `What God has made clean you must not call unholy.'

¹⁶ This happened three times. Then the thing was taken up right away into the sky.

¹² That same day, two of the disciples were going to the town called Emmaus. It was about two hours walk from Jerusalem.

¹³ They were talking together about all the things that had happened.

¹⁴ While they were talking and asking each other questions, Jesus himself came and walked with them.

¹⁵ But even though they saw him, they did not know who he was.

¹⁶ Jesus asked them, `What is this that you are talking about as you walk along looking so sad?'

¹⁷ One of them named Cleophas answered him. He said, `Are you a stranger in Jerusalem and do not know what has happened there these last days?'

¹⁸ Jesus said, `What things?" They said, `All that has happened to Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet of God. He had power to do big works and to teach the people. He was respected by God and all the people.

¹⁹ Our chief priests and rulers gave him over to be punished by death, and they nailed him to a cross.

²⁰ But we were hoping that he was the one who would free the people of Israel. But that is not all. This is the third day since they did it.

²¹ Some of our women told us things that surprised us. Early this morning they were at the grave.

²² They did not find his body there. They came back and said that they saw angels. The angels told them that Jesus was living.

²³ Some of us went to the grave. And they found everything just as the women said. But they did not see Jesus.'

²⁴ Then he said to them, `You foolish men! Your hearts are slow to believe all that the prophets of God have said long ago.

²⁵ Christ had to have this trouble and go to the place where he will be great, did he not?'

²⁶ Then he told them the meaning of all that Moses and all the prophets of God long ago had written about him.

²⁷ They came near the village to which they were going. It looked as if he was going on further.

²⁸ But they begged him not to go further. They said, `Stay with us. It will soon be night. The day is almost finished.' So he went in to stay with them.

²⁹ He sat down at the table with them. Then he took the bread and thanked God for it. He broke it and gave it to them.

³⁰ Then they saw who he was. They knew him. And then suddenly they could not see him any more.

³¹ They said to each other, `It was like a fire burning in our hearts when he talked to us on the road and told us the meaning of the holy writings!'

³² They got up right then and went back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples together. Some other people were with them.

³³ These people said, `The Lord has really risen! He came to Simon!'

³⁴ Then the men from Emmaus told them what had happened on the road. They told how they knew Jesus when he broke bread and gave it to them.

³⁵ While they were telling them this, Jesus himself stood there with them. He said to them, `Peace to you!'