New Testament in a Year
10 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian Band,
2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his house, who gave many alms to the people and prayed to God always.
3 He saw in a vision clearly, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him, “Cornelius!”
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, “What is it, lord?” And he said unto him, “Thy prayers and thine alms have risen up as a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.
6 He lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside; he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.”
7 And when the angel who spoke unto Cornelius had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from those who waited on him continually.
8 And when he had related all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour.
10 And he became very hungry and would have eaten; but while they were making ready he fell into a trance,
11 and saw heaven opened and a certain vessel descending unto him as though it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth,
12 wherein were all kinds of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”
15 And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.”
16 This was done thrice, and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
17 Now while Peter wondered to himself what this vision which he had seen could mean, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house and stood before the gate,
18 and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, was lodged there.
19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, “Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them.”
21 Then Peter went down to the men who were sent unto him from Cornelius and said, “Behold, I am he whom ye seek. What is the cause for which ye have come?”
22 And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man and one who feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house and to hear words from thee.”
23 Then Peter called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.