M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

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.

¹⁷ `I have seen a strange thing,' Peter said to himself. `I wonder what it all means.' He was thinking about all this. And the men whom Cornelius sent had asked the way to Simon's house. Now they stood at the gate.

¹⁸ `Is this where Simon Peter is staying?' they called.

¹⁹ Peter was still thinking about what he had seen. Then the Spirit of God said to him, `Three men are looking for you.

²⁰ Get up. Go down and go with them. Do not fear to go, because I have sent them.'

²¹ Then Peter went down to the men whom Cornelius had sent to him. He said, `Here I am. You are looking for me. Why have you come?'

²² They answered, `God sent a holy angel to Cornelius. He told him to call you to his house and hear what you have to say. Cornelius is a captain in the army. He is a good man. He does what is right and obeys God. All the Jews speak well of him.'

²³ Peter said, `Come in.' He had them stay as his guests. The next day he and some of the Christian brothers from Joppa went with the men.

²⁴ The day after that, they reached Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had called his family and close friends together.

²⁵ Peter was about to enter the house. Cornelius met him. He kneeled down at his feet and worshipped him.

²⁶ But Peter raised him up and said, `Please stand up. I too am only a man.

²⁷ Peter talked to him and went in with him. He saw many people who had come together.

²⁸ He began to talk with them. He said, `You yourselves know it is against our law for a Jew to visit and be friends with someone who is not a Jew. But God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.

²⁹ So when you sent for me, I did not say "No". Now I ask, why did you send for me?'

³⁰ Cornelius answered, `Four days ago, it was just at this time, three o'clock. I was in my house talking with God. I had not eaten any food. A man stood in front of me wearing shining clothes.

³¹ He said to me, "Cornelius, God has heard what you said to him. He has remembered your gifts to the poor.

³² Send men to Joppa to call for Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon, the man who makes skins into leather. His house is by the sea."

³³ So I sent for you right away. You have done well to come. Now we are all here before God to hear all that the Lord has told you to tell me.'

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak, `I really understand now. God does not love some people more than others.

³⁵ But he takes anyone who obeys him. He takes anyone who does what is right. It does not matter to what nation they belong.

³⁶ To the people of Israel God has sent the good news. He gives peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all!

³⁷ You yourselves know the story of what happened all through Judea. It started in Galilee after the baptism which John talked about.

³⁸ God gave Jesus of Nazareth the Holy Spirit and power. Jesus went about doing good deeds. He healed all those who were held by the devil. God was with him.

³⁹ We saw all the things which he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they hung him on a piece of wood and killed him.

⁴⁰ On the third day, God raised him up to let people see him.

⁴¹ Not all the people saw him. But God had chosen us to see and to talk about him. We saw him. We ate and drank with him after he rose from death.

⁴² He told us to tell the people that God chose him to judge both the living people and the dead people.

⁴³ All the prophets tell about him. They say, "Everyone who believes in him will have his wrong ways forgiven through his name." '

⁴⁴ While Peter was saying this, the Holy Spirit came on all those who heard the message.

⁴⁵ The believers who came with Peter were Jews. They were very much surprised that the Holy Spirit was also sent to those who were not Jews. 46,

^46-47 hey heard them speak in tongues of other languages and praise God. Then Peter said, `These people have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. Can anyone say they may not be baptised in water?'

⁴⁸ So he said they were to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. They begged him to stay with them for a while.

5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarene people.

² There were graves in that place. As soon as Jesus came out of the boat, a man came from among the graves to meet him. The man had a bad spirit in him.

³ The man lived among the graves. No person could tie him, not even with chains.

⁴ Many times people had tied him with strong ropes and chains. But he broke the chains and tore the ropes into many pieces. No person was strong enough to hold the man.

⁵ All the time he stayed in the hills where the graves were. He screamed day and night and cut himself with sharp stones.

⁶ Jesus was still far from him, but when he saw Jesus he ran to him. He kneeled down in front of Jesus and worshipped him.

⁷ He called out loud, `Jesus, Son of the High God, what are you going to do to me? I beg you not to hurt me.'

⁸ He said this because Jesus had said to him, `You bad spirit, come out of the man.'

⁹ Jesus asked, `What is your name?' He answered, `My name is An Army, for we are many.'

¹⁰ He begged Jesus saying, `Do not send us out of the country.'

¹¹ Many pigs were feeding on the hill there.

¹² The bad spirits begged Jesus saying, `Send us to the pigs so that we can go into them.'

¹³ Jesus let them go right away. The bad spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. The pigs ran fast down the steep hill into the sea. They died in the water. The number of pigs was about two thousand.

¹⁴ Then the men who cared for the pigs ran away. They told the people in the city and all around the country about it. The people went out to see what had happened.

¹⁵ They came to Jesus. They saw the man who had the many bad spirits in him. He was sitting with clothes on and was not crazy any more. The people were afraid.

¹⁶ Those who had seen it told them what had happened to the man who used to have many bad spirits. And they told about the pigs.

¹⁷ Then the people began to beg Jesus to go away out of their country.

¹⁸ So Jesus got into the boat again. The man who used to have the bad spirits in him begged to go with him.

¹⁹ But Jesus did not let him. He said, `Go home. Tell your friends what the Lord has done for you. Tell them that he has helped you.'

²⁰ So the man went away and told people in the Ten Towns what Jesus had done for him. All the people were surprised.

²¹ Jesus crossed over the sea again to the other side. Many people came to him while he was near the water.

²² One of the rulers of the meeting house came to him. His name was Jairus. When he saw Jesus, he kneeled down before him.

²³ He said, `My little daughter is dying. I beg you, come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.'

²⁴ So Jesus went with Jairus. Many people went with Jesus and pushed against him.

²⁵ A woman among them had a sickness for twelve years. She was bleeding all the time.

²⁶ Many doctors tried to heal her. She spent all the money she had to pay them. She was not better, but was getting worse.

²⁷ When she heard of Jesus, she came among the people behind him. Then she reached out and touched his clothes.

²⁸ She said to herself, `If only I touch his clothes, I will be well.'

²⁹ The bleeding stopped right away. She could feel that she was healed of her trouble.

³⁰ Jesus knew right away that power to heal went out from him. He turned around among the people and said, `Who touched my clothes?'

³¹ But his disciples said to him, `You see all these people pushing around you. Why do you ask, "Who touched me?" '

³² He looked around to see who had done it.

³³ The woman was afraid and trembled. She knew what had happened to her. She kneeled down in front of Jesus and told him the truth about herself.

³⁴ He said to her, `Daughter, you were healed because you believed. Go and do not be troubled. You are healed.'

³⁵ While Jesus was still talking, some people came from the ruler's house. They said, `Your daughter has died. Why trouble the Teacher any more?'

³⁶ Jesus heard it. He said to the ruler, `Do not fear. Only believe.'

³⁷ Jesus did not let anyone go with him only Peter, James, and his brother John.

³⁸ They came to the ruler's house. Jesus saw that there was trouble. People were crying and making much noise because the ruler's daughter had died.

³⁹ When he came into the house, he said to them, `Why do you make so much noise and cry? The girl is not dead, but is sleeping.'

⁴⁰ They laughed at him. So he sent them all outside. Then he took the girl's father and mother and the three disciples into the room where the girl was lying.

⁴¹ He took her hand and said, `Talitha cumi!' That means, `Little girl, I tell you, get up!'

⁴² The girl got up right away and walked around. She was twelve years old. The people were very much surprised.

⁴³ Jesus said, `Do not tell anyone about this. Give the girl something to eat.'