For thou possessest my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

For this lad did I pray; and the Lord hath granted me my petition which I asked of him;

As thou knowest not which is the way of the wind, as little as what is enclosed in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou canst not know the works of God who maketh all.

Yea, thou art he that took me from the womb: thou hast been my trust when I hung on my mother’s breasts.

Before yet I had formed thee in thy mother’s body I knew thee; and before thou wast yet come forth out of the womb I sanctified thee: a prophet unto the nations did I ordain thee.

Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord; or shall I who cause to bring forth, now prevent it? saith thy God.

Lo, children are an inheritance from the Lord: a reward is the fruit of the body.

¹⁴ I will thank thee therefore, that I am so fearfully and wonderfully made: wonderful are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵ My being was not concealed from thee, when I was made in secret, when I was so to say embroidered in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶ My undeveloped substance did thy eyes see; and in thy book were all of them written down––the days which have been formed, while yet not one of them was here.