New Living Translation

New King James Version

Cornelius Calls for Peter

In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officera named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.

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Cornelius Sends a Delegation

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian [a]Regiment,

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He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.

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a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave [b]alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

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One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.

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About [c]the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

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Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.
And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!

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And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”
So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

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Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.

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Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

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He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.”

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He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He[d] will tell you what you must do.”

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As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.

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And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.

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He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.

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So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

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Peter Visits Cornelius

The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon,

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Peter’s Vision

The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about [e]the sixth hour.

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and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.

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Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance

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He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.

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and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.

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In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.

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In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.

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Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”

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And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

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“No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.b”

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But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

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But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”

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And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has [f]cleansed you must not call common.”

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The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.

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This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

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Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing outside the gate,

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Summoned to Caesarea

Now while Peter [g]wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate.

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they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there.

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And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.

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Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you.

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While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you.

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Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”

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Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”

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So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”

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Then Peter went down to the men [h]who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”

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They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.”

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And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.”

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So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

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Then he invited them in and lodged them.
On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

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They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

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Peter Meets Cornelius

And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

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As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him.

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As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

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But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!”

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But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.”

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So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.

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And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.

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Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.

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Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

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So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”

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Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”

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Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me.

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So Cornelius said, [i]“Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

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He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God!

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and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your [j]alms are remembered in the sight of God.

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Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.’

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Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. [k]When he comes, he will speak to you.’

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So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”

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So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”

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The Gentiles Hear the Good News

Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.

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Preaching to Cornelius’ Household

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.

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In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.

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But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.

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This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel — that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

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The word which God sent to the [l]children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ — He is Lord of all —

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You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism.

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that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

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And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

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how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

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“And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross,c

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And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom [m]they killed by hanging on a tree.

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but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear,

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Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,

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not to the general public,d but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

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not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

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And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all — the living and the dead.

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And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

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He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

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To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission[n] of sins.”

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The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.

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The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

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The Jewish believerse who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.

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And [o]those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

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For they heard them speaking in other tonguesf and praising God.
Then Peter asked,

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For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then Peter answered,

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“Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

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“Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

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So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

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And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

Acts 10

Acts 10