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[1]Andthere was a certain man in Caesarea, whose name was Cornelius, a centurion of the regiment called the Italian.
[2]Andhe was righteous, and feared God, he and all his house; [and] he did much alms among the people, and prayed to God at all times.
[3]Thisman distinctly saw, in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God, who came in to him and said to him: Cornelius!
[4]Andhe looked upon him, and was afraid; and he said: What, my Lord? And the angel said to him: Thy prayers and thy alms have come up in remembrance before God.
[5]Andnow, send men to the city of Joppa, and bring Simon who is called Cephas.
[6]Lo,he lodgeth in the house of Simon the tanner, which is by the side of the sea.
[7]Andwhen the angel that talked with him was gone, he called two of his household, and a soldier who feared God and was obedient to him.
[8]Andhe related to them all that he had seen, and sent them to Joppa.
[9]Andthe next day, as they travelled the road and approached the city, Simon ascended the roof to pray, at the sixth hour.
[10]Andhe became hungry, and desired to eat. And while they were providing for him, he fell into a trance.
[11]Andhe saw the heavens opened, and a certain vessel fastened at the four corners, and it was like a great sheet; and it descended from heaven to the a earth.
[12]Andthere were in it all fourfooted animals, and creeping things of the earth, and fowls of heaven.
[13]Anda voice came to him, which said: Simon, arise, slay and eat.
[14]AndSimon said: Far be it, my Lord: for never have I eaten any thing unclean and polluted.
[15]Andagain the second time, there was a voice to him: What God hath cleansed, make thou not unclean.
[16]Andthis was done three times; and the vessel was taken up to heaven.
[17]Andwhile Simon was wondering with himself, what the vision he had seen could denote, the men who were sent by Cornelius arrived; and they inquired for the house in which Simon lodged, and came and stood at the gate of the court.
[18]Andthere they called out, and asked if Simon who is called Cephas lodged there?
[19]Andwhile Simon was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him: Lo, three men are inquiring for thee.
[20]Arise,go down, and accompany them; and let not thy mind hesitate, for I have sent them.
[21]ThenSimon went down to the men, and said to them: I am he for whom ye inquire: what is the cause for which ye have come?
[22]Theysay to him: A certain man whose name is Cornelius, a centurion fearing God, and of whom all the people of the Jews bear good report, was told in vision, by a holy angel, to send and bring thee to his house, that he might hear discourse from thee.
[23]AndSimon led them in, and entertained them where he lodged. And the following day, he arose, departed, and went with them: and some of the brethren of Joppa also went with them.
[24]Andthe next day, they entered Caesarea. And Cornelius was expecting them: and all the kindred of his family, and also such intimate friends as he had, were assembled with him.
[25]Andas Simon came up, Cornelius met him, and fell down worshipping at his feet.
[26]AndSimon raised him up, and said to him: Arise; I also am a man.
[27]Andas he talked with him, he went in, and found that many had come there.
[28]Andhe said to them: Ye know, that it is not lawful for a Jewish man, to associate with an alien who is not of his race: but God hath showed me, that I should not say of any one, that he is defiled or unclean.
[29]ThereforeI came readily, when ye sent for me. But, I ask you, for what cause did ye send for me?
[30]AndCornelius said to him: It is four days ago, that, lo, I was fasting; and at the ninth hour, while I was praying in my house, a certain man stood before me, clothed in white,
[31]andsaid to me: Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and there remembrance of thy alms before God.
[32]Butsend to the city of Joppa, and bring Simon who is called Cephas: lo, he lodgeth in the house of Simon the tanner, which is by the side of the sea. And he will come and converse with thee.
[33]Andimmediately I sent to thee; and thou hast done well to come: and lo, we are all of us before thee, and desirous to hear whatever is commanded thee from God.
[34]AndSimon opened his mouth, and said: Truly I discover that God is no respecter of persons.
[35]but,among all the nations, he who feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable with him.
[36]For[this is] the word, which he sent to the sons of Israel, announcing to them peace and rest by Jesus Messiah, He is Lord of all;
[37]andye also know the word, which was in all Judaea, which commenced from Galilee, after the baptism that John preached,
[38]concerningJesus, who was of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. And he it was, who went about and healed those that were suffering from evil, because God was with him.
[39]Andwe [are] his witnesses, as to whatever he did in all the region of Judaea and in Jerusalem. This same person the Jews hanged on a tree, and slew him.
[40]Andhim did God raise up, on the third day; and caused him to be seen with naked eyes;
[41]notindeed by all the people, but by us, who were chosen of God to be his witnesses, [and] who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead.
[42]Andhe commanded us to proclaim and testify to the people, that he is appointed of God to be judge of the living and of the dead.
[43]Andof him all the prophets testify, that whoever believeth in his name, will receive remission of sins.
[44]Andwhile Simon was uttering these things, the Holy Spirit overshadowed all them that were hearing the word.
[45]Andthe circumcised brethren who came with him, were amazed and astonished, that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Gentiles also.
[46]Forthey heard them speak with diverse tongues, and magnify God.
[47]AndSimon said: Can any one forbid water, that those should not be baptized, they who have received, lo, the Holy Spirit, as well as we?
[48]Thenhe commanded them to be baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus Messiah. And they requested him to remain with them [some] days.
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