Acts 10
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.
[There was] a man [who lived] in Caesarea [city] whose name was Cornelius. He was an officer who commanded 100 men in a large group of [Roman] soldiers from Italy.
2 He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
He always tried to do what would please God; he and his entire household [MTY] [were non-Jews who] habitually worshipped God. He sometimes gave money to help poor [Jewish] people, and he prayed to God regularly.
3 One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
[One day] at about three o’clock in the afternoon [Cornelius saw] a vision. He clearly saw an angel whom God [had sent]. The angel came into [his room] and said to him, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.
Cornelius stared at the angel and became terrified. Then he asked [fearfully], “Sir, what do you [(sg)] want?” The angel answered him, “You [(sg)] have pleased God because you have been praying [regularly to him] and you often give money to [help] poor people. [Those things have been] like a sacrifice [to God].
5 Now send men to Joppa to call for a man named Simon who is called Peter.
So, now command some men to go to Joppa and [tell them to] bring back a man named Simon whose other name is Peter.
6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
He is staying with a man, [also] named Simon, who makes leather. His house is near the ocean.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his attendants.
When the angel who spoke to Cornelius had gone, Cornelius summoned two of his household servants and a soldier who served him, one who also worshipped God.
8 He explained what had happened and sent them to Joppa.
He explained to them everything [that the angel had said. Then] he told them to go to Joppa [to ask Peter to come to Caesarea].
9 The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
About noon the next day those [three men] were traveling [along the road] and were coming near [Joppa. As they were approaching Joppa], Peter went up on the [flat] housetop to pray.
10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
He became hungry and wanted something to eat. While someone was preparing the food, [Peter] saw [this] vision:
11 He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
(He saw heaven open/He saw an opening in the sky) and something like a large sheet was being lowered [to the ground]. [It was tied at] its four corners [with ropes].
12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.
Inside the sheet were all kinds of creatures. [These included animals and birds that the Mosaic laws forbade Jews to eat]. Some had four feet, others scurried across the ground, and others were wild birds.
13 Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
Then [he heard] God [SYN] say to him, “Peter, stand up, kill [and cook some of these] and eat [their meat]!”
14 “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
But Peter replied, “Lord, surely you [(sg)] do not [really want me to do that]! I have never eaten any [meat] that [our Jewish law says] is unacceptable to God or [something that we(exc)] must not eat!”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
[Then Peter heard] [MTY] God talk to him a second time. He said, “[I am] God, [so] if I have made something acceptable [to eat], do not say that it is not acceptable [to eat]!”
16 This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven.
[This happened] three [times, so Peter knew that he had to think carefully about what it might mean]. Immediately [after God had said that the third time], ([the] sheet [with the animals and birds] was the pulled back into heaven/[someone] pulled the sheet [with the animals and birds] up into the sky again).
17 While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
While Peter was trying to understand what that vision meant, the men who had been sent by Cornelius {whom Cornelius had sent} [arrived in Joppa. They asked people how to get to] Simon’s house. [So they found his house] and were standing outside the gate.
18 They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there.
They called and were asking if a man named Simon, whose other name was Peter, was staying there.
19 As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
While Peter was still trying to understand [what] the vision [meant], [God’s] Spirit said to him, “Three men [are here who] want to see you.
20 So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.”
So get up and go downstairs and go with them! Do not think that you [(sg)] should not go with them [because of their being non-Jews], because I have sent them [here]!”
21 So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”
So Peter went down to the men and said to them, “[Greetings!] I am [the man] you are looking for. Why have you come?”
22 “Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.”
One of them replied, “Cornelius, who is a [Roman] army officer, [sent us here]. He is a righteous man who worships God, and all of the Jewish people [HYP] [who know about him] say that he is a very good man. An angel (who was sent from God/whom God sent) said to him, ‘Tell some men to [go to Joppa to see Simon Peter and] bring him here, so that you [(sg)] can hear what he has to say.’”
23 So Peter invited them in as his guests. And the next day he got ready and went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.
So Peter [said that he would go with them, and then he] invited them into [the house] and told them that they could stay [there that night]. Acts 10:23b-26 The next day Peter got ready and went with the men. Several of the believers from Joppa went with him.
24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea, where Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
The day after that, they arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends [to come to his house, so they were there, too].
25 As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet to worship him.
When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and bowed low in front of him to worship him.
26 But Peter helped him up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
But Peter [grasped Cornelius by the hand and] lifted him to his feet. He said, “Stand up! [Do not revere/worship me] I myself am only human, [like you]!”
27 As Peter talked with him, he went inside and found many people gathered together.
While he was talking to Cornelius, Peter [and the others] entered [a large room inside the house]. Peter saw that many people had gathered together [there].
28 He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
Then Peter said to them, “You all know that any [of us] Jews think we are disobeying [our Jewish] laws if we [(exc)] associate with a non-Jewish person or [if we even] visit him. However, God has shown me [in a vision] that I should not say about anyone that God will not accept him.
29 So when I was invited, I came without objection. I ask, then, why have you sent for me?”
So when you sent [some men] to ask me to come [here], I came [right away. I] did not say that I could not go [with non-Jewish people. So, please tell me], why have you asked me to come [here]?”
30 Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me
Cornelius replied, “About this time four days ago I was praying [to God] in my house, [as I regularly do] at three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man whose clothes [shone] brightly stood in front of me,
31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God.
and said, ‘Cornelius, when you [(sg)] have prayed, you have been heard by God {God has heard [when] you [(sg)] have prayed [to him]}. He has also noticed that you have [often] given money to [help] poor people, [and he is pleased with that].
32 Therefore send to Joppa for Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
So now, send [messengers to go] to Joppa, [in order] to ask Simon whose other name is Peter to come [here]. He is staying near the ocean in a house that belongs to [another] man named Simon, who makes leather. [When Simon Peter comes, he will tell you a message from God].’
33 So I sent for you immediately, and you were kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has instructed you to tell us.”
So I immediately sent [some men who asked] you [(sg) to come here], and I [certainly] thank you for coming. Now we [(exc)] all are gathered [here, knowing that] God is with us, in order to hear all the things that the Lord [God] has commanded you [to say. So please speak to us].”
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
So Peter began to speak [MTY] to them. He said, “[Now] I understand that it is true that God does not favor only certain groups [of people].
35 but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
Instead, from every group of people he accepts [everyone who] honors him and who does what pleases him.
36 He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
[You know] the message that God sent to [us] Israelis. [He] proclaimed [to us the good news that he] would cause [people] to have peace [with him] because of what Jesus Christ [has done]. This [Jesus is Lord not only over us Israelis. He] is [also the] Lord [who rules] over all [people].
37 You yourselves know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee with the baptism that John proclaimed:
You know what [he] did throughout the land of Judea, beginning in Galilee. He began [to do those things] after John had been proclaiming [to people that they should turn away from their sinful behavior before] he baptized them.
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.
You know that God gave [MTY] his Holy Spirit to Jesus, [the Man] from Nazareth [town], and gave him the power [to do miracles. You also know] how Jesus went to many places, always doing good deeds and healing [people. Specifically], he was continually healing all the people whom the devil was causing to suffer. [Jesus was able to do those things] because God was always helping him.”
39 We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,
“We [apostles] tell people about all the things that [we saw Jesus] do in Jerusalem and in the [rest of] Israel. [The leaders in Jerusalem] had him killed by being nailed to a cross.
40 God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be seen—
However, God caused him to become alive again on the third day [after he had died]. God [also] enabled [some of us(exc)] to see him [so that we would know that he was alive again].
41 not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
God [did] not [let] all the [Jewish] people see him. Instead, he had chosen us [apostles] beforehand to see [Jesus after he became alive again], and to tell others [about him]. We [apostles are the people] who ate meals with him (after he had become alive [again]/after he had risen from the dead).
42 And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
God commanded us to preach to the people and tell them that Jesus is the one whom he has appointed to judge [everyone some day. He will judge all] those who will [still] be living and all those who will have died [by that time].
43 All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”
All of the prophets [who wrote about the Messiah long ago] told [people] about him. [They wrote] that if people believe in the Messiah [MTY], God would forgive [them for] their sins, because of what [the Messiah would do] for them.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his message.
While Peter was still speaking those words, suddenly the Holy Spirit (came down on/began to control) all [those non-Jewish people] who were listening to the message.
45 All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
The Jewish believers who had come with Peter [from Joppa] were amazed that [God] had generously given the Holy Spirit to the non-Jewish people, too.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God. Then Peter said,
[The Jewish believers knew that God had done that] because they were hearing those people speaking languages [MTY] [that they had not learned] and telling how great God is.
47 “Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”
Then Peter said [to the other Jewish believers who were there], “[God] has given them the Holy Spirit just like [he gave him] to us [Jewish believers], so (surely all of you would agree that [we(exc)] should baptize these people!/would any of you forbid that these people should be baptized?) [RHQ]”
48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
Then Peter told those [non-Jewish] people that they should be baptized [to show that they had believed] [MTY] in the [Lord] Jesus Christ. [So they baptized all of them. After they were baptized], they requested that Peter stay [with them] several days. [So Peter and the other Jewish believers did that].
