1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the company called the Italian, 2 a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, who gave many alms to the people and prayed to God always. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms {lit. thine acts of mercy} are come up for a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter; 6 he lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side; he shall tell thee what it behooves thee to do. 7 And when the angel who spoke unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those that waited on him continually; 8 and when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.