⁹ On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, ^(A)Peter went up on ^(B)the ^[a]housetop about ^[b](C)the sixth hour to pray. ¹⁰ But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he ^(D)fell into a trance; ¹¹ and he *saw ^(E)the sky opened up, and an ^[c]object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, ¹² and on it were all kinds of four-footed animals and ^[d]crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. ¹³ A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, ^[e]kill and eat!” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, ^(F)Lord, for ^(G)I have never eaten anything ^[f]unholy and unclean.” ¹⁵ Again a voice came to him a second time, “^(H)What God has cleansed, no longer ^[g]consider unholy.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the ^[h]object was taken up into the sky.

¹⁷ Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in ^[i]mind as to what ^(I)the vision which he had seen might ^[j]mean, behold, ^(J)the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate; ¹⁸ and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. ¹⁹ While Peter was reflecting on ^(K)the vision, ^(L)the Spirit said to him, “Behold, ^[k]three men are looking for you. ²⁰ But get up, go downstairs and ^(M)accompany them ^[l]without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” ²¹ Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” ²² They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and ^(N)God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, ^(O)was divinely directed by a ^(P)holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear ^[m](Q)a message from you.” ²³ So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

Peter in Caesarea

Now on the next day he got ready and went away with them, and ^(R)some of ^(S)the brothers from ^(T)Joppa accompanied him. ²⁴ On the following day he entered ^(U)Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and ^[n](V)worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter helped him up, saying, “^(W)Stand up; I, too, am just a man.” ²⁷ As he talked with him, he entered and *found ^(X)many people assembled. ²⁸ And he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is ^(Y)forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a ^[o]foreigner; and yet ^(Z)God has shown me that I am not to call any person ^[p]unholy or unclean. ²⁹ That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask, for what reason did you send for me?”

³⁰ Cornelius said, “^(AA)Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during ^(AB)the ^[q]ninth hour; and behold, ^(AC)a man stood before me in shining clothing, ³¹ and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your charitable gifts have been remembered before God. ³² Therefore send some men to ^(AD)Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’

⁵ “^(A)I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw ^(B)a vision, an ^[a]object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came to where I was, ⁶ and I stared at it and was thinking about it, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild animals, the ^[b]crawling creatures, and the birds of the sky. ⁷ I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; ^[c]kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing ^[d]unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘^(C)What God has cleansed, no longer ^[e]consider unholy.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. ¹¹ And behold, at that moment three men who had been sent to me from ^(D)Caesarea came up to the house where we were staying. ^12 (E)And the Spirit told me to go with them ^(F)without ^[f]misgivings. ^(G)These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he reported to us how he had seen the angel ^[g]standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send some men to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; ¹⁴ and he will speak ^(H)words to you by which you will be saved, you and ^(I)all your household.’