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Peter went down to the men, and said, “Behold, I am he whom you seek. Why have you come?”

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They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by all the nation of the Jews, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say.”

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So he called them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter arose and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

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On the next day they entered into Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and his near friends.

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When it happened that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him.

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But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up! I myself am also a man.”

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As he talked with him, he went in and found many gathered together.

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He said to them, “You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I shouldn’t call any man unholy or unclean.

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Therefore also I came without complaint when I was sent for. I ask therefore, why did you send for me?”

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Cornelius said, “Four days ago, I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour, I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

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and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your gifts to the needy are remembered in the sight of God.

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Send therefore to Joppa, and summon Simon, who is surnamed Peter. He lodges in the house of Simon a tanner, by the seaside. When he comes, he will speak to you.’

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Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God.”

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Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism;

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but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.

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The word which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all–

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you yourselves know what happened, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

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even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

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We are witnesses of everything he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they also killed, hanging him on a tree.

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God raised him up the third day, and gave him to be revealed,

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not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

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He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead.

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All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins.”

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While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.

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They of the circumcision who believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the Gentiles.

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For they heard them speaking in other languages and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,

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“Can any man forbid the water, that these who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we should not be baptized?”

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He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay some days.

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Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

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When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

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saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!”

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But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,

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“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me.

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When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.

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I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter, kill and eat!’

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But I said, ‘Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.’

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But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven, ‘What God has cleansed, don’t you call unclean.’

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This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

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Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

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The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house.

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He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, ‘Send to Joppa, and get Simon, whose surname is Peter,

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who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.’

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As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.

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I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.’

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If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?”

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When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”

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They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.

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But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.

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The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

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The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch,

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who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord.

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For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.

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Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.

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When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. It happened, that for a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

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Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

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One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius.

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As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;

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which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

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Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly.

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He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

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When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread.

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When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

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Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.

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The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

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And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, “Stand up quickly!” His chains fell off from his hands.

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The angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” He did so. He said to him, “Put on your cloak, and follow me.”

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And he went out and followed him. He didn’t know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.

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When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

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When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”

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Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

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When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

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When she recognized Peter’s voice, she didn’t open the gate for joy, but ran in, and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

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They said to her, “You are crazy!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.”

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But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.

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But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Tell these things to James, and to the brothers.” Then he departed, and went to another place.

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Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

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When Herod had sought for him, and didn’t find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

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Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king’s personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.

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On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.

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The people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”

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Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

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But the word of God grew and multiplied.

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Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John whose surname was Mark.

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Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

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As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

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Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

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So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

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When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They had also John as their attendant.

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When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus,

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who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

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But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.

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But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,

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and said, “Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

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Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

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Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

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Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

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But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.

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After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.”

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Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.

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The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it.