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10:3
One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
10:4
Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.
10:5
Now send men to Joppa to call for a man named Simon who is called Peter.
10:6
He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
10:7
When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his attendants.
10:8
He explained what had happened and sent them to Joppa.
10:9
The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
10:10
He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
10:11
He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
10:12
It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.
10:13
Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
10:14
“No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
10:15
The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
10:16
This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven.
10:17
While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
10:18
They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there.
10:19
As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
10:20
So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.”
10:21
So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”
10:22
“Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.”
10:23
So Peter invited them in as his guests. And the next day he got ready and went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.