4. He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, “What is it, Lord?”He said to him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before God.
5. Now send men to Joppa, and get Simon, who is also called Peter.
6. He is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the seaside.
7. When the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually.
8. Having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9. Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon.
10. He became hungry and desired to eat, but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance.
11. He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth,
12. in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky.
13. A voice came to him, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat!”
14. But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”
15. A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.”
16. This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven.
17. Now while Peter was very perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made enquiry for Simon’s house, stood before the gate,
18. and called and asked whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was lodging there.