PM: The Lessons for 3rd Sunday After Epiphany

2   Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

3   So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.

4   And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

5   So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

6   For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

7   And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:

8   But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

9   Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

10   And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

2   And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

3   Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

4   Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?

5   So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

6   And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

7   But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.

8   And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

9   And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

10   Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:

11   And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

2   A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

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 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 lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

7   And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;

8   And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

9   On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

10   And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

11   And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

12   Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13   And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14   But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15   And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

16   This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

17   Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,

18   And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.

19   While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

20   Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

21   Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

22   And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.

23   Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

24   And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and he had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

25   And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.

26   But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

27   And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.

28   And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

29   Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?

30   And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

31   And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

32   Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.

33   Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

34   Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

35   But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

44   While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

45   And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

46   For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

47   Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

48   And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.