And while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the House of Elohim, a very large assembly – men and women and children – gathered unto him from Yisra’ĕ
‘If evil does come upon us, such as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or scarcity of food, we shall stand before this House and in Your presence – for Your Name is in this House – and cry out to You in our distress, and You do hear and save.’
And if you do not listen, my being shall weep in secret for your pride, and my eyes bitterly weep and run down with tears, because the flock of יהוה shall be taken captive.
I acknowledged my sin to You, And my crookedness I did not hide. I have said, “I confess my transgressions to יהוה,” And You forgave the crookedness of my sin. Selah.
And יהוה said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me. I have set this house apart which you have built to put My Name there forever, and My eyes and My heart shall always be there.
And when it came to be that our days there were ended, we left and went on, all of them accompanying us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed.
And Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour. And at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and see, a man stood before me in shining garments,
“Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and your sojourner who is within your gates, so that they hear, and so that they learn to fear יהוה your Elohim and guard to do all the Words of this Torah.
And it came to be, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days. And I was fasting and praying before the Elohim of the heavens,
please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, for the children of Yisra’ĕ