4. Looking intently at him, he became afraid and said, “What is it, lord? ”The angel told him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have come up as a memorial offering before God.
5. Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter.
6. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7. When the angel who spoke to him had gone, he called two of his household slaves and a devout soldier, who was one of those who attended him.
8. After explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9. The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the housetop about noon.
10. Then he became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he went into a visionary state.
11. He saw heaven opened and an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth.
12. In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky.
13. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat! ”
14. “No, Lord! ” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything common and ritually unclean! ”
15. Again, a second time, a voice said to him, “What God has made clean, you must not call common.”
16. This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into heaven.
17. While Peter was deeply perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon’s house, stood at the gate.
18. They called out, asking if Simon, who was also named Peter, was lodging there.
19. While Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit told him, “Three men are here looking for you.
20. Get up, go downstairs, and accompany them with no doubts at all, because I have sent them.”