1Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2He was a devout man who feared God, as did everyone in his home. He gave many gifts to the poor among the people and always prayed to God. 3One day about three in the afternoon he had a vision and clearly saw an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4He stared at the angel in terror and asked, “What is it, Lord?”He answered him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial before God. 5Send men now to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. 6He is a guest of Simon, a leatherworker, whose house is by the sea.” 7When the angel who had spoken to him had gone, Cornelius summoned two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of those who served him regularly. 8He explained everything to them and sent them to Joppa. 9Around noon the next day, while they were on their way and coming close to the town, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became very hungry and wanted to eat, and while the food was being prepared, he fell into a trance 11and saw heaven open and something like a large linen sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the ground. 12In it were all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds of the air. 13Then a voice told him,“Get up, Peter! Kill something and eat it.” 14But Peter said, “Absolutely not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean!” 15Again a voice came to him a second time,“You must stop calling unclean what God has made clean.” 16This happened three times. Then the sheet was quickly taken into heaven. 17While Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men sent by Cornelius asked for Simon's house and went to the gate. 18They called out and asked if Simon who was called Peter was staying there. 19Peter was still thinking about the vision when the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 20Get up, go downstairs, and don't hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” 21So Peter went to the men and said, “I'm the man you're looking for. Why are you here?” 22The men replied, “Cornelius, a centurion and an upright and God-fearing man who is respected by the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his home to hear what you have to say.” 23So Peter invited them in, and they were his guests. The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along with him. 24The next day they arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called his relatives and close friends together. 25When Peter was about to go in, Cornelius met him, bowed down at his feet, and began to worship him. 26But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up! I, too, am only a man.” 27As Peter talked with him, he went in and found that many people had gathered. 28He said to them, “You understand how wrong it is for a Jew to associate or visit with a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should stop calling anyone common or unclean, 29and that is why I didn't hesitate when I was sent for. Now may I ask why you sent for me?” 30Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, three o'clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my home. All at once a man in radiant clothes stood in front of me 31and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God. 32So send messengers to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, to come to you. He is a guest in the home of Simon, a leatherworker, by the sea.’ 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. All of us are here now in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has ordered you to say.” 34Then Peter opened his mouth and said, “Now I understand that God shows no partiality. 35Indeed, the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him in any nation. 36He has sent his word to the descendants of Israel and brought them the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. This man is the Lord of everyone. 37You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached. 38God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. 39We are witnesses of everything he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They hung him on a tree and killed him, 40but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear— 41not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by God to be witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He also ordered us to preach to the people and to testify solemnly that this is the one ordained by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. 43To him all the prophets testify that everyone who believes in him receives the forgiveness of sins through his name.” 44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all the people who were listening to his message. 45Then the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.Then Peter said, 47“No one can stop us from using water to baptize these people who have received the Holy Spirit in the same way that we did, can he?” 48So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for several days.