1 At Caesare'a there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort,2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God.3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius."4 And he stared at him in terror, and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.5 And now send men to Joppa, and bring one Simon who is called Peter;6 he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside."7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those that waited on him,8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.9 The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.10 And he became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance11 and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth.12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.13 And there came a voice to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."14 But Peter said, "No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."15 And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common."16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.20 Rise and go down, and accompany them without hesitation; for I have sent them."21 And Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?"22 And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to hear what you have to say."23 So he called them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went off with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.24 And on the following day they entered Caesare'a. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his kinsmen and close friends.25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man."27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered;28 and he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."30 And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel,31 saying, `Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.'33 So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality,35 but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.36 You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),37 the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.39 And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;40 but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest;41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.43 To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."44 While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.45 And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,47 "Can any one forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
1 ανηρ δε τις ην εν καισαρεια ονοματι κορνηλιος εκατονταρχης εκ σπειρης της καλουμενης ιταλικης2 ευσεβης και φοβουμενος τον θεον συν παντι τω οικω αυτου ποιων τε ελεημοσυνας πολλας τω λαω και δεομενος του θεου διαπαντος3 ειδεν εν οραματι φανερως ωσει ωραν εννατην της ημερας αγγελον του θεου εισελθοντα προς αυτον και ειποντα αυτω κορνηλιε4 ο δε ατενισας αυτω και εμφοβος γενομενος ειπεν τι εστιν κυριε ειπεν δε αυτω αι προσευχαι σου και αι ελεημοσυναι σου ανεβησαν εις μνημοσυνον ενωπιον του θεου5 και νυν πεμψον εις ιοππην ανδρας και μεταπεμψαι σιμωνα ος επικαλειται πετρος6 ουτος ξενιζεται παρα τινι σιμωνι βυρσει ω εστιν οικια παρα θαλασσαν ουτος λαλησει σοι τι σε δει ποιειν7 ως δε απηλθεν ο αγγελος ο λαλων τω κορνηλιω φωνησας δυο των οικετων αυτου και στρατιωτην ευσεβη των προσκαρτερουντων αυτω8 και εξηγησαμενος αυτοις απαντα απεστειλεν αυτους εις την ιοππην9 τη δε επαυριον οδοιπορουντων εκεινων και τη πολει εγγιζοντων ανεβη πετρος επι το δωμα προσευξασθαι περι ωραν εκτην10 εγενετο δε προσπεινος και ηθελεν γευσασθαι παρασκευαζοντων δε εκεινων επεπεσεν επ αυτον εκστασις11 και θεωρει τον ουρανον ανεωγμενον και καταβαινον επ αυτον σκευος τι ως οθονην μεγαλην τεσσαρσιν αρχαις δεδεμενον και καθιεμενον επι της γης12 εν ω υπηρχεν παντα τα τετραποδα της γης και τα θηρια και τα ερπετα και τα πετεινα του ουρανου13 και εγενετο φωνη προς αυτον αναστας πετρε θυσον και φαγε14 ο δε πετρος ειπεν μηδαμως κυριε οτι ουδεποτε εφαγον παν κοινον η ακαθαρτον15 και φωνη παλιν εκ δευτερου προς αυτον α ο θεος εκαθαρισεν συ μη κοινου16 τουτο δε εγενετο επι τρις και παλιν ανεληφθη το σκευος εις τον ουρανον17 ως δε εν εαυτω διηπορει ο πετρος τι αν ειη το οραμα ο ειδεν και ιδου οι ανδρες οι απεσταλμενοι απο του κορνηλιου διερωτησαντες την οικιαν σιμωνος επεστησαν επι τον πυλωνα18 και φωνησαντες επυνθανοντο ει σιμων ο επικαλουμενος πετρος ενθαδε ξενιζεται19 του δε πετρου ενθυμουμενου περι του οραματος ειπεν αυτω το πνευμα ιδου ανδρες τρεις ζητουσιν σε20 αλλα αναστας καταβηθι και πορευου συν αυτοις μηδεν διακρινομενος διοτι εγω απεσταλκα αυτους21 καταβας δε πετρος προς τους ανδρας τους απεσταλμενους απο του κορνηλιου προς αυτον ειπεν ιδου εγω ειμι ον ζητειτε τις η αιτια δι ην παρεστε22 οι δε ειπον κορνηλιος εκατονταρχης ανηρ δικαιος και φοβουμενος τον θεον μαρτυρουμενος τε υπο ολου του εθνους των ιουδαιων εχρηματισθη υπο αγγελου αγιου μεταπεμψασθαι σε εις τον οικον αυτου και ακουσαι ρηματα παρα σου23 εισκαλεσαμενος ουν αυτους εξενισεν τη δε επαυριον ο πετρος εξηλθεν συν αυτοις και τινες των αδελφων των απο της ιοππης συνηλθον αυτω24 και τη επαυριον εισηλθον εις την καισαρειαν ο δε κορνηλιος ην προσδοκων αυτους συγκαλεσαμενος τους συγγενεις αυτου και τους αναγκαιους φιλους25 ως δε εγενετο εισελθειν τον πετρον συναντησας αυτω ο κορνηλιος πεσων επι τους ποδας προσεκυνησεν26 ο δε πετρος αυτον ηγειρεν λεγων αναστηθι καγω αυτος ανθρωπος ειμι27 και συνομιλων αυτω εισηλθεν και ευρισκει συνεληλυθοτας πολλους28 εφη τε προς αυτους υμεις επιστασθε ως αθεμιτον εστιν ανδρι ιουδαιω κολλασθαι η προσερχεσθαι αλλοφυλω και εμοι ο θεος εδειξεν μηδενα κοινον η ακαθαρτον λεγειν ανθρωπον29 διο και αναντιρρητως ηλθον μεταπεμφθεις πυνθανομαι ουν τινι λογω μετεπεμψασθε με30 και ο κορνηλιος εφη απο τεταρτης ημερας μεχρι ταυτης της ωρας ημην νηστευων και την εννατην ωραν προσευχομενος εν τω οικω μου και ιδου ανηρ εστη ενωπιον μου εν εσθητι λαμπρα31 και φησιν κορνηλιε εισηκουσθη σου η προσευχη και αι ελεημοσυναι σου εμνησθησαν ενωπιον του θεου32 πεμψον ουν εις ιοππην και μετακαλεσαι σιμωνα ος επικαλειται πετρος ουτος ξενιζεται εν οικια σιμωνος βυρσεως παρα θαλασσαν ος παραγενομενος λαλησει σοι33 εξαυτης ουν επεμψα προς σε συ τε καλως εποιησας παραγενομενος νυν ουν παντες ημεις ενωπιον του θεου παρεσμεν ακουσαι παντα τα προστεταγμενα σοι υπο του θεου34 ανοιξας δε πετρος το στομα ειπεν επ αληθειας καταλαμβανομαι οτι ουκ εστιν προσωποληπτης ο θεος35 αλλ εν παντι εθνει ο φοβουμενος αυτον και εργαζομενος δικαιοσυνην δεκτος αυτω εστιν36 τον λογον ον απεστειλεν τοις υιοις ισραηλ ευαγγελιζομενος ειρηνην δια ιησου χριστου ουτος εστιν παντων κυριος37 υμεις οιδατε το γενομενον ρημα καθ ολης της ιουδαιας αρξαμενον απο της γαλιλαιας μετα το βαπτισμα ο εκηρυξεν ιωαννης38 ιησουν τον απο {VAR1: ναζαρετ } {VAR2: ναζαρεθ } ως εχρισεν αυτον ο θεος πνευματι αγιω και δυναμει ος διηλθεν ευεργετων και ιωμενος παντας τους καταδυναστευομενους υπο του διαβολου οτι ο θεος ην μετ αυτου39 και ημεις εσμεν μαρτυρες παντων ων εποιησεν εν τε τη χωρα των ιουδαιων και εν ιερουσαλημ ον ανειλον κρεμασαντες επι ξυλου40 τουτον ο θεος ηγειρεν τη τριτη ημερα και εδωκεν αυτον εμφανη γενεσθαι41 ου παντι τω λαω αλλα μαρτυσιν τοις προκεχειροτονημενοις υπο του θεου ημιν οιτινες συνεφαγομεν και συνεπιομεν αυτω μετα το αναστηναι αυτον εκ νεκρων42 και παρηγγειλεν ημιν κηρυξαι τω λαω και διαμαρτυρασθαι οτι αυτος εστιν ο ωρισμενος υπο του θεου κριτης ζωντων και νεκρων43 τουτω παντες οι προφηται μαρτυρουσιν αφεσιν αμαρτιων λαβειν δια του ονοματος αυτου παντα τον πιστευοντα εις αυτον44 ετι λαλουντος του πετρου τα ρηματα ταυτα επεπεσεν το πνευμα το αγιον επι παντας τους ακουοντας τον λογον45 και εξεστησαν οι εκ περιτομης πιστοι οσοι συνηλθον τω πετρω οτι και επι τα εθνη η δωρεα του αγιου πνευματος εκκεχυται46 ηκουον γαρ αυτων λαλουντων γλωσσαις και μεγαλυνοντων τον θεον τοτε απεκριθη ο πετρος47 μητι το υδωρ κωλυσαι δυναται τις του μη βαπτισθηναι τουτους οιτινες το πνευμα το αγιον ελαβον καθως και ημεις48 προσεταξεν τε αυτους βαπτισθηναι εν τω ονοματι του κυριου τοτε ηρωτησαν αυτον επιμειναι ημερας τινας