5
For thou hast agreed to give ear, and art willing to prophesy: for thou hast no longer space than only to live.
6
O Lord, if thou suffer not thy servant, that we may pray before thee, and thou give us seed unto our heart, and culture to our understanding, that there may come fruit of it; how shall each man live that is corrupt, who beareth the place of a man?
7
For thou art alone, and we all one workmanship of thine hands, like as thou hast said.
8
For when the body is fashioned now in the mother's womb, and thou givest it members, thy creature is preserved in fire and water, and nine months doth thy workmanship endure thy creature which is created in her.
9
But that which keepeth and is kept shall both be preserved: and when the time cometh, the womb preserved delivereth up the things that grew in it.
10
For thou hast commanded out of the parts of the body, that is to say, out of the breasts, milk to be given, which is the fruit of the breasts,
11
That the thing which is fashioned may be nourished for a time, till thou disposest it to thy mercy.
12
Thou broughtest it up with thy righteousness, and nurturedst it in thy law, and reformedst it with thy judgment.
13
And thou shalt mortify it as thy creature, and quicken it as thy work.
14
If therefore thou shalt destroy him which with so great labour was fashioned, it is an easy thing to be ordained by thy commandment, that the thing which was made might be preserved.
15
Now therefore, Lord, I will speak; touching man in general, thou knowest best; but touching thy people, for whose sake I am sorry;