Book of Common Prayer
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and getting near the town, Peter went up onto the roof of the house to pray. It was around midday; 10 he was hungry, and asked for something to eat. While they were preparing it, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened, and a vessel like a great sail coming down towards the earth, suspended by its four corners. 12 In the sail there was every kind of four-footed creature, reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then he heard a voice: “Get up, Peter!” said the voice. “Kill and eat!”
14 “Certainly not, Master!” said Peter. “I’ve never eaten anything common or unclean!”
15 “What God has made clean,” said the voice, coming now for a second time, “you must not regard as common.”
16 This all happened three times, and then suddenly the sail was whisked back up to heaven.
Peter goes to Cornelius
17 When Peter came to himself, he was puzzled as to what the vision he had seen was all about. Then, suddenly, the men sent by Cornelius appeared, standing by the gate. They had been asking for Simon’s house, 18 inquiring if someone by the name of Simon called Peter was staying there. 19 Peter was still pondering the vision, when the spirit spoke to him.
“Look,” said the spirit. “There are three men searching for you. 20 It’s all right; get up, go down and go with them. Don’t be prejudiced; I have sent them.”
21 So Peter went down to the men.
“Here I am,” he said. “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 “There is a man called Cornelius,” they replied. “He is a centurion, and he is a righteous and God-fearing man. The whole people of the Jews will testify to him. A holy angel told him in a vision to send for you to come to his house, so that he can hear any words you may have to say.”
23 So he invited them in and put them up for the night.
In the morning he got up and went with them. Some of the believers from Joppa went with him.
32 Don’t be afraid, little flock. Your father is delighted to give you the kingdom.
33 “Sell your possessions and give alms. Make yourselves purses that don’t wear out, a treasure in heaven that lasts forever, where the thief doesn’t come near and the moth doesn’t destroy. 34 Yes: where your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be too.”
Jesus’ call to watchfulness
35 “Make sure you’re dressed and ready with your lamps alight,” said Jesus. 36 “You need to be like people waiting for their master when he comes back from the wedding feast, so that when he comes and knocks they will be able to open the door for him at once. 37 A blessing on the servants whom the master finds awake when he comes! I’m telling you the truth: he will put on an apron and sit them down and come and wait on them. 38 A blessing on them if he comes in the second watch of the night, or even the third, and finds them like that!
39 “But you should know this: if the householder had known what time the thief was coming, he wouldn’t have let his house be broken into. 40 You too should be ready, because the son of man is coming at a time you don’t expect.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.