Cornelius Sends for Peter

1There was a certayne man in Cesarea, called Cornelius, a captayne of the bande called the Italian bande, 2A deuoute man, & one yt feared God, with all his housholde, which gaue much almes to the people, and prayed God alway. 3The same sawe by a vision euidently, about the ninth houre of the daye, an Angel of God commyng in to hym, and saying vnto hym, Cornelius. 4And when he loked on hym, he was afrayde, and sayde: What is it Lorde? And he sayde vnto hym: Thy prayers and thyne almes, are come vp into remembraunce before God. 5And nowe sende men to Ioppa, & call for one Simo, whose sirname is Peter. 6He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea syde: He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. 7And when the Angell whiche spake vnto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household seruauntes, and a deuout souldier of them that wayted on hym, 8And tolde them all the matter, & sent them to Ioppa.

Peter’s Vision
(Leviticus 11:1–47; Deuteronomy 14:1–21)

9On the morowe as they went on their iourney, and drewe nye vnto the citie, Peter went vp vnto the highest part of the house to pray, about the sixth houre. 10And whe he waxed hungry, he would haue eaten: But whyle they made redie, he fell into a traunce. 11And saw heauen opened, and a certaine vessell come downe vnto him, as it had ben a great sheete, knyt at the foure corners, & was let downe to the earth. 12Wherin were all maner of fourefooted beastes of the earth, & wilde beastes, and wormes, and foules of the ayre. 13And there came a voyce to hym: ryse Peter, kyll and eate. 14But Peter sayde, Not so Lorde: For I haue neuer eaten any thyng that is common or vncleane. 15And the voyce spake vnto hym againe the seconde tyme: What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 16This was done thryse, and the vessell was receaued vp agayne into heauen.

Peter Called to Caesarea

17Nowe whyle Peter doubted in hym selfe, what this vision whiche he hadde seene meant: beholde, the men whiche were sent from Cornelius, had made inquiraunce for Simons house, & stoode before the doore, 18And called, and asked whether Simo which was sirnamed Peter, were lodged there. 19Whyle Peter thought on the vision, the spirite said vnto hym: beholde, three men seke thee. 20Arise therfore, and get the downe, and go with them, & doubt not, for I haue sent them. 21Then Peter went downe to the men which were set vnto him fro Cornelius, & said: Behold, I am he who ye seeke, what is the cause wherfore ye are come? 22And they sayde: Cornelius the capitayne, a iust man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the people of the Iewes, was warned by an holy Angel to sende for thee into his house, and to heare wordes of thee. 23Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morowe, Peter went away with them, and certaine brethren from Ioppa accompanied hym.

Peter Visits Cornelius

24And the thirde day after, entred they into Cesarea: And Cornelius wayted for them, and hadde called together his kinsemen and speciall friendes. 25And it came to passe, as Peter came in, Cornelius met hym, & fell downe at his feete, and worshipped hym. 26But Peter toke him vp, saying: stande vp, I my selfe also am a man. 27And as he talked with him, he came in, & found many that were come together. 28And he said vnto the: Ye knowe how that it is an vnlawful thyng for a man that is a Iew, to companie or come vnto one of another natio: But God hath shewed me, that I shoulde not call any man common or vncleane. 29Therefore came I vnto you without delay, assoone as I was sent for: I aske therfore, for what intent ye haue sent for me?

30And Cornelius sayde: This day nowe foure dayes, about this houre, I sate fasting, and at the ninth houre, I prayed in my house: And beholde, a man stoode before me in bryght clothyng, 31And sayde: Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thyne almes deedes are had in remembraunce in the syght of God. 32Sende therfore to Ioppa, and call for Simon, whose sirname is Peter: He is lodged in the house of one Simo, a tanner, by the sea syde, who when he commeth, shall speake vnto thee. 33Then sent I for thee immediatly, and thou hast well done that thou art come. Nowe therfore are we all here present before God, to heare all thynges that are commaunded vnto thee of God.

Good News for the Gentiles

34Then Peter opened his mouth, and said: Of a trueth I perceaue that God hath no regarde of persons: 35But in euery nation, he that feareth hym, and worketh ryghteousnes, is accepted with hym. 36Touchyng the worde which God set vnto the chyldren of Israel, preachyng peace by Iesus Christe (he is Lord ouer all.) 37Ye knowe howe the worde was publisshed through all Iurie, begynnyng in Galilee, after the baptisme whiche Iohn preached: 38Howe God annoynted Iesus of Nazareth, with the holy ghoste, and with power: Who went about doyng good, and healyng all that were oppressed of the deuyll, for God was with hym. 39And we are witnesses of all thynges which he dyd in the land of the Iewes, and at Hierusalem, whom they slewe, and hanged on tree. 40Hym God raysed vp the thirde daye, and shewed hym openly, 41Not to al the people, but vnto vs witnesses, chosen before of God, euen to vs whiche dyd eate and drynke with hym after he arose from the dead. 42And he commaunded vs to preache vnto the people, and to testifie that it is he whiche was ordeyned of God to be the iudge of quicke and dead. 43To hym geue all the prophetes witnesse, that through his name whosoeuer beleueth in hym, shall receaue remission of sinnes.

The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
(Acts 19:1–7)

44Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes, the holy ghost fell on all them whiche hearde the worde. 45And they of the circumcision which beleued, were astonied, as many as came with Peter, because that on the gentiles also was shedde out the gyft of the holy ghost. 46For they hearde them speake with tounges, & magnifie God. Then aunswered Peter: 47Can any man forbid water, that these shoulde not be baptized, which haue receaued the holy ghost aswell as we? 48And he commaunded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tary certaine dayes.