10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea ¹  named Cornelius, a centurion ²  of what was known as the Italian Cohort. ³  10:2 He ⁴  was a devout, God-fearing man, ⁵  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ⁶  and prayed to God regularly. 10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon ⁷  he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God ⁸  who came in ⁹  and said to him, “Cornelius.” 10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius ¹⁰  replied, ¹¹  “What is it, Lord?” The angel ¹²  said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity ¹³  have gone up as a memorial ¹⁴  before God. 10:5 Now ¹⁵  send men to Joppa ¹⁶  and summon a man named Simon, ¹⁷  who is called Peter. 10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, ¹⁸  whose house is by the sea.” 10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius ¹⁹  called two of his personal servants ²⁰  and a devout soldier from among those who served him, ²¹  10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

10:9 About noon ²²  the next day, while they were on their way and approaching ²³  the city, Peter went up on the roof ²⁴  to pray. 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him. ²⁵  10:11 He ²⁶  saw heaven ²⁷  opened ²⁸  and an object something like a large sheet ²⁹  descending, ³⁰  being let down to earth ³¹  by its four corners. 10:12 In it ³²  were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles ³³  of the earth and wild birds. ³⁴  10:13 Then ³⁵  a voice said ³⁶  to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter ³⁷  and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!” ³⁸  10:15 The voice ³⁹  spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider ⁴⁰  ritually unclean!” ⁴¹  10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. ⁴² 

10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over ⁴³  what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was ⁴⁴  and approached ⁴⁵  the gate. 10:18 They ⁴⁶  called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, ⁴⁷  was staying there as a guest. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about ⁴⁸  the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up, ⁴⁹  go down, and accompany them without hesitation, ⁵⁰  because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down ⁵¹  to the men and said, “Here I am, ⁵²  the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, ⁵³  a righteous ⁵⁴  and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, ⁵⁵  was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message ⁵⁶  from you.” 10:23 So Peter ⁵⁷  invited them in and entertained them as guests.

On the next day he got up and set out ⁵⁸  with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa ⁵⁹  accompanied him. 10:24 The following day ⁶⁰  he entered Caesarea. ⁶¹  Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously ⁶²  for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when ⁶³  Peter came in, Cornelius met ⁶⁴  him, fell ⁶⁵  at his feet, and worshiped ⁶⁶  him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up, ⁶⁷  saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.” ⁶⁸  10:27 Peter ⁶⁹  continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together. ⁷⁰  10:28 He said to them, “You know that ⁷¹  it is unlawful ⁷²  for a Jew ⁷³  to associate with or visit a Gentile, ⁷⁴  yet God has shown me that I should call no person ⁷⁵  defiled or ritually unclean. ⁷⁶  10:29 Therefore when you sent for me, ⁷⁷  I came without any objection. Now may I ask why ⁷⁸  you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius ⁷⁹  replied, ⁸⁰  “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, ⁸¹  I was praying in my house, and suddenly ⁸²  a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity ⁸³  have been remembered before God. ⁸⁴  10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, ⁸⁵  by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. ⁸⁶  So now we are all here in the presence of God ⁸⁷  to listen ⁸⁸  to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” ⁸⁹ 

10:34 Then Peter started speaking: ⁹⁰  “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, ⁹¹  10:35 but in every nation ⁹²  the person who fears him ⁹³  and does what is right ⁹⁴  is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know ⁹⁵  the message ⁹⁶  he sent to the people ⁹⁷  of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace ⁹⁸  through ⁹⁹  Jesus Christ ¹⁰⁰  (he is Lord ¹⁰¹  of all) – 10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ¹⁰²  10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, ¹⁰³  that ¹⁰⁴  God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He ¹⁰⁵  went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, ¹⁰⁶  because God was with him. ¹⁰⁷  10:39 We ¹⁰⁸  are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea ¹⁰⁹  and in Jerusalem. ¹¹⁰  They ¹¹¹  killed him by hanging him on a tree, ¹¹²  10:40 but ¹¹³  God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, ¹¹⁴  10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, ¹¹⁵  who ate and drank ¹¹⁶  with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He ¹¹⁷  commanded us to preach to the people and to warn ¹¹⁸  them ¹¹⁹  that he is the one ¹²⁰  appointed ¹²¹  by God as judge ¹²²  of the living and the dead. 10:43 About him all the prophets testify, ¹²³  that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins ¹²⁴  through his name.”

10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on ¹²⁵  all those who heard the message. ¹²⁶  10:45 The ¹²⁷  circumcised believers ¹²⁸  who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished ¹²⁹  that ¹³⁰  the gift of the Holy Spirit ¹³¹  had been poured out ¹³²  even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising ¹³³  God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ¹³⁴  can he?” ¹³⁵  10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized ¹³⁶  in the name of Jesus Christ. ¹³⁷  Then they asked him to stay for several days.

11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted ¹³⁸  the word of God. ¹³⁹  11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ¹⁴⁰  the circumcised believers ¹⁴¹  took issue with ¹⁴²  him, 11:3 saying, “You went to ¹⁴³  uncircumcised men and shared a meal with ¹⁴⁴  them.” 11:4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, ¹⁴⁵  saying, 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, ¹⁴⁶  an object something like a large sheet descending, ¹⁴⁷  being let down from heaven ¹⁴⁸  by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared ¹⁴⁹  I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, ¹⁵⁰  and wild birds. ¹⁵¹  11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter ¹⁵²  and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean ¹⁵³  has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider ¹⁵⁴  ritually unclean!’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment, ¹⁵⁵  three men sent to me from Caesarea ¹⁵⁶  approached ¹⁵⁷  the house where we were staying. ¹⁵⁸  11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers ¹⁵⁹  also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 11:13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 11:14 who will speak a message ¹⁶⁰  to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on ¹⁶¹  them just as he did ¹⁶²  on us at the beginning. ¹⁶³  11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, ¹⁶⁴  as he used to say, ¹⁶⁵  ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁶⁶  11:17 Therefore if God ¹⁶⁷  gave them the same gift ¹⁶⁸  as he also gave us after believing ¹⁶⁹  in the Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁷⁰  who was I to hinder ¹⁷¹  God?” 11:18 When they heard this, ¹⁷²  they ceased their objections ¹⁷³  and praised ¹⁷⁴  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ¹⁷⁵  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ¹⁷⁶ 

11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen ¹⁷⁷  went as far as ¹⁷⁸  Phoenicia, ¹⁷⁹  Cyprus, ¹⁸⁰  and Antioch, ¹⁸¹  speaking the message ¹⁸²  to no one but Jews. 11:20 But there were some men from Cyprus ¹⁸³  and Cyrene ¹⁸⁴  among them who came ¹⁸⁵  to Antioch ¹⁸⁶  and began to speak to the Greeks ¹⁸⁷  too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 11:21 The ¹⁸⁸  hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed ¹⁸⁹  turned ¹⁹⁰  to the Lord. 11:22 A report ¹⁹¹  about them came to the attention ¹⁹²  of the church in Jerusalem, ¹⁹³  and they sent Barnabas ¹⁹⁴  to Antioch. ¹⁹⁵  11:23 When ¹⁹⁶  he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true ¹⁹⁷  to the Lord with devoted hearts, ¹⁹⁸  11:24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people ¹⁹⁹  were brought to the Lord. 11:25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. ²⁰⁰  So ²⁰¹  for a whole year Barnabas and Saul ²⁰²  met with the church and taught a significant number of people. ²⁰³  Now it was in Antioch ²⁰⁴  that the disciples were first called Christians. ²⁰⁵ 

11:27 At that time ²⁰⁶  some ²⁰⁷  prophets ²⁰⁸  came down ²⁰⁹  from Jerusalem ²¹⁰  to Antioch. ²¹¹  11:28 One of them, named Agabus, got up ²¹²  and predicted ²¹³  by the Spirit that a severe ²¹⁴  famine ²¹⁵  was about to come over the whole inhabited world. ²¹⁶  (This ²¹⁷  took place during the reign of Claudius.) ²¹⁸  11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ²¹⁹  decided ²²⁰  to send relief ²²¹  to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so, ²²²  sending their financial aid ²²³  to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield ¹  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ² 

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, ³  what will you give me since ⁴  I continue to be ⁵  childless, and my heir ⁶  is ⁷  Eliezer of Damascus?” ⁸  15:3 Abram added, ⁹  “Since ¹⁰  you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” ¹¹ 

15:4 But look, ¹²  the word of the Lord came to him: “This man ¹³  will not be your heir, ¹⁴  but instead ¹⁵  a son ¹⁶  who comes from your own body will be ¹⁷  your heir.” ¹⁸  15:5 The Lord ¹⁹  took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

15:6 Abram believed ²⁰  the Lord, and the Lord ²¹  considered his response of faith ²²  as proof of genuine loyalty. ²³ 

15:7 The Lord said ²⁴  to him, “I am the Lord ²⁵  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ²⁶  to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But ²⁷  Abram ²⁸  said, “O sovereign Lord, ²⁹  by what ³⁰  can I know that I am to possess it?”

15:9 The Lord ³¹  said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 15:10 So Abram ³²  took all these for him and then cut them in two ³³  and placed each half opposite the other, ³⁴  but he did not cut the birds in half. 15:11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, ³⁵  and great terror overwhelmed him. ³⁶  15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ³⁷  that your descendants will be strangers ³⁸  in a foreign country. ³⁹  They will be enslaved and oppressed ⁴⁰  for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. ⁴¹  Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, ⁴²  you will go to your ancestors ⁴³  in peace and be buried at a good old age. ⁴⁴  15:16 In the fourth generation ⁴⁵  your descendants ⁴⁶  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ⁴⁷ 

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch ⁴⁸  passed between the animal parts. ⁴⁹  15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant ⁵⁰  with Abram: “To your descendants I give ⁵¹  this land, from the river of Egypt ⁵²  to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land ⁵³  of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” ⁵⁴ 

28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! ¹  28:2 Leave immediately ²  for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God ³  bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! ⁴  Then you will become ⁵  a large nation. ⁶  28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham ⁷  so that you may possess the land ⁸  God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” ⁹  28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. ¹⁰  As he blessed him, ¹¹  Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” ¹²  28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized ¹³  that the Canaanite women ¹⁴  were displeasing to ¹⁵  his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married ¹⁶  Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.

28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place ¹⁷  where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. ¹⁸  He took one of the stones ¹⁹  and placed it near his head. ²⁰  Then he fell asleep ²¹  in that place 28:12 and had a dream. ²²  He saw ²³  a stairway ²⁴  erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. ²⁵  I will give you and your descendants the ground ²⁶  you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ²⁷  and you will spread out ²⁸  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ²⁹  using your name and that of your descendants. ³⁰  28:15 I am with you! ³¹  I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”

28:16 Then Jacob woke up ³²  and thought, ³³  “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

28:18 Early ³⁴  in the morning Jacob ³⁵  took the stone he had placed near his head ³⁶  and set it up as a sacred stone. ³⁷  Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, ³⁸  although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food ³⁹  to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, ⁴⁰  then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone ⁴¹  that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely ⁴²  give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” ⁴³