¹Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God .[#11:1 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”]

²When Peter had come up to Jerusalem , those who were of the circumcision contended with him ,

³saying , “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them !”

⁴But Peter began , and explained to them in order , saying ,

⁵“I was in the city of Joppa praying , and in a trance I saw a vision : a certain container descending , like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me .

⁶When I had looked intently at it , I considered , and saw the four-footed animals of the earth , wild animals , creeping things , and birds of the sky .

⁷I also heard a voice saying to me , ‘Rise, Peter , kill and eat !’

⁸But I said , ‘Not so , Lord , for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth .’

⁹But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven , ‘ What God has cleansed , don’ t you call unclean .’

¹⁰This was done three times , and all were drawn up again into heaven .

¹¹Behold , immediately three men stood before the house where I was , having been sent from Caesarea to me .

¹²The Spirit told me to go with them without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me , and we entered into the man ’s house .

¹³He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying to him , ‘Send to Joppa and get Simon , who is called Peter ,

¹⁴who will speak to you words by which you will be saved , you and all your house .’

¹⁵As I began to speak , the Holy Spirit fell on them , even as on us at the beginning.

¹⁶I remembered the word of the Lord , how he said , ‘ John indeed baptised in water , but you will be baptised in the Holy Spirit .’

¹⁷If then God gave to them the same gift as us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ , who was I , that I could withstand God ?”

¹⁸When they heard these things , they held their peace and glorified God , saying , “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life !”

¹⁹They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia , Cyprus , and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only .

²⁰But there were some of them , men of Cyprus and Cyrene , who , when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus .[#11:20 A Hellenist is someone who keeps Greek customs and culture.]

²¹The hand of the Lord was with them , and a great number believed and turned to the Lord .

²²The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem . They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch,

²³who , when he had come , and had seen the grace of God , was glad . He exhorted them all , that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord .

²⁴For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith , and many people were added to the Lord .

²⁵Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul .

²⁶When he had found him , he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly , and taught many people . The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

²⁷Now in these days , prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

²⁸One of them named Agabus stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world , which also happened in the days of Claudius .

²⁹As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea ;

³⁰which they also did , sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul .