Peter’s Vision

⁹ The^(A) next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the roof^(B) about noon.^{[a] 10} He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened^(C) 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 A voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”

¹⁴ “No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything impure and ritually unclean.”^(D)

¹⁵ Again, a second time, the voice said to him, “What God has made clean, do not call impure.”^{(E) 16} This happened three times, and suddenly the object was taken up into heaven.

Good News for Gentiles

³⁴ Peter began to speak: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism,^{(A) 35} but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.^{(B) 37} You know the events that took place throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached: ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him.^{(C) 39} We ourselves are witnesses of everything he did in both the Judean country and in Jerusalem, and yet they killed him by hanging him on a tree.^{(D) 40} God raised up this man on the third day and caused him to be seen, ⁴¹ not by all the people, but by us whom God appointed as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.^{(E) 42} He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead.^{(F) 43} All the prophets testify^(G) about him that through his name^(H) everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.”^(I)