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¹ BUT in Cesarea was a certain man, a centurion, whose name was Cornelius, of the cohort which was called the Italic.² And he was just, and feared Aloha, he and all his house: he did much alms among the people, and in all time prayed of Aloha.³ This saw an angel of Aloha in a vision manifestly about the ninth hour of the day, who came in to him, and said to him, Cornelius !⁴ And he beheld him, and feared, and said, What, my Lord ? And the angel said to him, Thy prayers and thy alms have ascended for a memorial before Aloha.⁵ And now send men to Joppa the city, and bring Shemun who is called Kipha:⁶ behold, he sojourneth in the house of Shemun the tanner, which is hard by the sea.⁷ And when the angel who had spoken with him had gone, he called two from the sons of his house, and a certain soldier who feared Aloha (and) who was obedient to him;⁸ and he made known to them every thing he had seen, and sent them to Joppa.

⁹ AND the day after while they went on the way, and drew nigh to the city, Shemun ascended to the roof to pray, at the sixth hour.¹⁰ And he hungered, and desired to eat: and while they were preparing for him, there fell upon him an entrancement,¹¹ and he saw the heavens opened, and a certain vessel bound at the four corners, and like to a great sheet, and it was let down from heaven upon the earth:¹² and in it were all animals of four feet, and reptiles of the earth, and fowls of the heaven.¹³ And a voice came to him, which said, Shemun, arise, slay, and eat.¹⁴ And Shemun said, Not so, my Lord: for never have I eaten any thing that is profane and unclean.¹⁵ And again the second time was to him, Those (things) which Aloha cleanseth make not thou profane. [fn] ¹⁶ This was three times done: and the vessel was elevated to heaven.¹⁷ And while Shemun wondered in himself for what (was) the vision he had seen, those men came who had been sent by Cornelius, and inquired for the house where Shemun sojourned, and they came and stood at the gate of the court.¹⁸ And they called there, and inquired, whether Shemun who was called Kipha there sojourned.

¹⁹ And while Shemun thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men seek thee:²⁰ arise, descend and go with them, not being divided in thy mind: for I have sent them.²¹ Then Shemun descended to those men, and said to them, I am he whom you seek: what is the occasion on which you have come?²² They said to him, A certain man whose name is Cornelius, a centurion, who feareth Aloha, and of whom all the people of the Jihudoyee give witness, hath been told in a vision by an holy angel to send and bring thee to his house, and to hear words from thee.²³ And Shemun brought them in, and received them while they tarried; and he arose the day after, and went forth, and proceeded with them; and certain of the brethren of Joppa went with them.²⁴ And the next day they entered Cesarea: but Cornelius was waiting for them, while all the sons of his family, and the friends and beloved ones whom he had, were assembled with him.²⁵ AND when Shemun entered Cornelius met him, and fell and worshipped at his feet.²⁶ And Shemun raised him, and said to him, Arise, I also am a man.²⁷ And while speaking with him he entered, and found many who had come thither.²⁸ And he said to them, You know that it is not lawful for a man a Jihudoya to attach to a foreign man who is not a son of his tribe. But me hath Aloha showed that I should not declare any man unclean or profane.²⁹ Wherefore I the more diligently came when you sent for me. But I ask you, on what account you have sent for me ?³⁰ And Cornelius said to him, Four days are unto this from when, behold, I am fasting; and at nine hours, while praying in my house, a certain man stood before me clothed in white.³¹ And he said to me, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thy alms have made memorial before Aloha.³² But send to Joppa the city, and bring Shemun who is called Kipha; behold, he abideth in the house of Shemun a tanner, which is by the sea;³³ and he will come and speak with thee. And immediately I sent to thee, and thou hast well done to have come. And, behold, we are all before thee, and desire to hear every thing that hath been commanded thee by Aloha.

³⁴ BUT Shemun opened his mouth, and said, In truth I comprehend that Aloha is no respecter of persons:³⁵ but in all nations whoever feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him.³⁶ For (this is) the word which he hath sent to the sons of Israel, and hath announced to them peace and repose through Jeshu Meshiha,-this is the Lord of all.³⁷ And you also know by the word which hath been in all Jihud (which began) from Galila after the baptism which Juhanon preached,³⁸ concerning Jeshu who was of Natsrath, whom Aloha anointed with the Spirit of Holiness and with power: he who went about and healed those who were worn out with evil, because Aloha was with him.³⁹ And we are his witnesses of all which he did in the land of Jihud and of Urishlem. This (one) himself did the Jihudoyee hang upon the tree and kill;⁴⁰ and him did Aloha raise up on the third day, and gave him to be seen openly;⁴¹ yet not to all the people, but to us who by Aloha were chosen to be unto him the witnesses, who ate with him and drank after his resurrection from among the dead.⁴² And he commanded us to preach and to testify to the people that this is he who hath been separated by Aloha (to be) the Judge of the living and of the dead.⁴³ And of him all the prophets testify, that whoever believeth in his name shall receive remission of sins.

⁴⁴ And while Shemun spake these words the Spirit of Holiness overspread all who heard the word.⁴⁵ And the circumcised brethren who had come with him were astonished and amazed, because upon the Gentiles also the gift of the Spirit of Holiness was poured out.⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking with tongues; and they magnified Aloha. And Shemun said,⁴⁷ Can any one forbid waters that they should not be baptized, they who, behold, have received the Spirit of Holiness as well as we ?⁴⁸ Then he commanded them to be baptized in the name of our Lord Jeshu Meshiha. And they prayed of him to remain with them (certain) days.