1. And there was a certain man in Caesarea, by name Cornelius, a centurion from a band called Italian,
2. pious, and fearing God with all his house, doing also many kind acts to the people, and beseeching God always,
3. he saw in a vision manifestly, as it were the ninth hour of the day, a messenger of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, `Cornelius;'
4. and he having looked earnestly on him, and becoming afraid, said, `What is it, Lord?' And he said to him, `Thy prayers and thy kind acts came up for a memorial before God,
5. and now send men to Joppa, and send for a certain one Simon, who is surnamed Peter,
6. this one doth lodge with a certain Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea; this one shall speak to thee what it behoveth thee to do.'
7. And when the messenger who is speaking to Cornelius went away, having called two of his domestics, and a pious soldier of those waiting on him continually,
8. and having declared to them all things, he sent them to Joppa.
9. And on the morrow, as these are proceeding on the way, and are drawing nigh to the city, Peter went up upon the house-top to pray, about the sixth hour,
10. and he became very hungry, and wished to eat; and they making ready, there fell upon him a trance,
11. and he doth behold the heaven opened, and descending unto him a certain vessel, as a great sheet, bound at the four corners, and let down upon the earth,
12. in which were all the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the heaven,
13. and there came a voice unto him: `Having risen, Peter, slay and eat.'
14. And Peter said, `Not so, Lord; because at no time did I eat anything common or unclean;'
15. and [there is] a voice again a second time unto him: `What God did cleanse, thou, declare not thou common;'
16. and this was done thrice, and again was the vessel received up to the heaven.
17. And as Peter was perplexed in himself what the vision that he saw might be, then, lo, the men who have been sent from Cornelius, having made inquiry for the house of Simon, stood at the gate,