1At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort,

2a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.

3About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, "Cornelius."

4And he stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.

5And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.

6He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea."

7When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him,

8and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.

10And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance

11and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.

12In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.

13And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."

14But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."

15And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common."

16This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.