⁴² “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going!^(A)

¹¹ O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!”

At the time, I was cupbearer to the king.^(A)

¹⁰ asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you.

Fasting and Prayer for Protection

²¹ Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the River Ahava, that we might humble ourselves^[a] before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions.^(A)

¹² And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.^{(A) 13} I am standing here by the spring of water, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.^{(B) 14} Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please offer your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”^(C)

²² They answered, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous^[a] and God-fearing man who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish people, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.”^(A)

⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him, ⁸ and after telling them everything he sent them to Joppa.

³ His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands.^(A)