Acts 10

Thomson^{(i) 1} Now there was at Caesarea a certain man named Cornelius, a centurion of that called the Italian cohort. ² He was pious, and feared God with all his household, and did many acts of benevolence to the people, and prayed to God continually. ³ About the ninth hour of the day, he saw plainly in a vision, an angel of God coming in to him and saying to him, Cornelius! ⁴ Upon which he having fixed his eyes on him, and being terrified, said, Lord! what is it? Then the angel said to him, Thy prayers and thine acts of benevolence have ascended for a memorial before God. ⁵ Now therefore send men to Joppa and call for Simon who is surnamed Peter. ⁶ He lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea side. He will tell thee what thou must do. ⁷ So when the angel who spoke to him was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of them who waited on him continually, ⁸ and having related to them the whole affair, he sent them to Joppa. ⁹ And on the next day while they were on their journey and approaching towards the city, Peter went up on the house top to pray, about the sixth hour. ¹⁰ Now he had become hungry and wished to take some refreshment; and while it was preparing he fell into a trance, ¹¹ and saw the heaven opened, and a kind of vessel coming down to him, like a great sheet tied by the four corners, and let down to the earth, ¹² in which were all sorts of four footed beasts of the earth, namely, the wild beasts and the reptiles, and the birds of the air. ¹³ And there came a voice to him, Rise Peter; Kill And Eat. ¹⁴ Whereupon Peter said, By no means, Lord. For I have never eaten any thing common or unclean. ¹⁵ And a voice said to him a second time, What God hath cleansed call not thou that common. ¹⁶ And this was done thrice, and then the vessel was again taken up into heaven. ¹⁷ And while Peter was in great doubt, what this vision which he had seen could mean, behold the men who were sent by Cornelius, having inquired out Simon's house, stood at the gate, ¹⁸ and calling, asked, Doth Simon who is surnamed Peter, lodge here? ¹⁹ And while Peter was pondering on the vision, the spirit said to him, Behold there are three men inquiring for thee. ²⁰ Arise therefore, get thee down and go with them, without any cavilling, for I have sent them. ²¹ So Peter went down to the men who were sent to him from Cornelius, and said, Behold I am he for whom you are inquiring. What is the cause of your coming? ²² They said, Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man, and one who feareth God, and is approved by the testimony of the whole Jewish nation, hath been divinely warned by a holy angel to send for thee to his house and receive instruction from thee. ²³ Peter therefore, having invited them in, entertained them hospitably, and on the morrow he set out with them. And some of the brethren who were of Joppa accompanied him. ²⁴ And on the day following they arrived at Caesarea, Now Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his kinsmen and intimate friends. ²⁵ And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and prostrating himself at his feet, made obeisance. ²⁶ But Peter raised him up, saying, Rise up: I am but a man. ²⁷ Then conversing with him he went in, and finding many assembled ²⁸ he said to them, You know unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew, to associate with or go to one of another nation: but God hath shewn me, that I am not to call any man common or unclean. ²⁹ For this cause, when I was sent for, I came without any hesitation. I ask therefore on what account you have sent for me? ³⁰ Thereupon Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting till this hour, and at the ninth hour praying in my house. And lo! a man stood before me in splendid attire, ³¹ and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine acts of benevolence are remembered before God; ³² send therefore to Joppa for Simon who is surnamed Peter. He lodgeth at the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea side. He will come and speak to thee. ³³ Therefore I sent to thee immediately and thou hast done well in coming. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God, to hear all that God hath given thee in charge. ³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons; ³⁵ but in every nation he who feareth him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to him. ³⁶ According to the word which he sent to the children of Israel, when he published the glad tidings of peace by Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all. ³⁷ You know the affair which is spread through all Judea, taking its rise from Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed respecting Jesus; him from Nazareth ³⁸ how God anointed him with a holy spirit and power. Him who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with him, ³⁹ and we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; Him, whom they slew, suspending him on a cross ⁴⁰ even him God raised up the third day, and granted him to become manifest, ⁴¹ not to all the people, but to witnesses who were preappointed by God; to us who have eaten, and drunk with him after he arose from the dead. ⁴² And he commanded us to proclaim to the people and testify that he is the one determinately pointed out by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ To him all the prophets bear witness, that every one who believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins by his name. ⁴⁴ While Peter was yet speaking these words the holy spirit fell on all them who heard this word. ⁴⁵ Whereupon all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the holy spirit was poured out upon the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in divers languages and magnifying God. ⁴⁷ Then Peter addressed them saying, Can any one on any account forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the holy spirit in the same manner as even we did? ⁴⁸ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they intreated him to stay some days.