23. Peter invited the men in and persuaded them to spend the night there.The next day he got ready and went with them; and some of the believers from Joppa went along with him.
24. The following day he arrived in Caesarea, where Cornelius was waiting for him, together with relatives and close friends that he had invited.
25. As Peter was about to go in, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and bowed down before him.
26. But Peter made him rise. “Stand up,” he said; “I myself am only a man.”
27. Peter kept on talking to Cornelius as he went into the house, where he found many people gathered.
28. He said to them, “You yourselves know very well that a Jew is not allowed by his religion to visit or associate with Gentiles. But God has shown me that I must not consider any person ritually unclean or defiled.