stillborn babies

¹³For you have possessed my temperament. You have supported me from the womb of my mother. ¹⁴I will confess to you, for you have been magnified terribly. Your works are miraculous, as my soul knows exceedingly well. ¹⁵My bone, which you have made in secret, has not been hidden from you, and my substance is in accord with the lower parts of the earth. ¹⁶Your eyes saw my imperfection, and all this shall be written in your book. Days will be formed, and no one shall be in them.

³If a man were to produce one hundred children, and to live for many years, and to attain to an age of many days, and if his soul were to make no use of the goods of his resources, and if he were lacking even a burial: concerning such a man, I declare that a miscarried child is better than he. ⁴For he arrives without a purpose and he continues on into darkness, and his name shall be wiped away, into oblivion. ⁵He has not seen the sun, nor recognized the difference between good and evil.

¹⁵But, when it pleased him who, from my mother’s womb, had set me apart, and who has called me by his grace,

¹Pay attention, you islands, and listen closely, you far away peoples. The Lord has called me from the womb; from the womb of my mother, he has been mindful of my name.

⁴⁴For behold, as the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

¹⁰In his hand is the soul of all the living and the spirit of all the flesh of mankind.

¹⁴Yet truly, Jesus said to them: “Allow the little children to come to me, and do not choose to prohibit them. For the kingdom of heaven is among such as these.”

¹⁴Even so, it is not the will before your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should be lost.

²²And he said: “While he was yet alive, I fasted and wept on behalf of the infant. For I said: Who knows if the Lord may perhaps give him to me, and let the infant live? ²³But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Would I be able to bring him back anymore? Instead, I will go to him. Yet truly, he will not return to me.”

¹⁰See to it that you do not despise even one of these little ones. For I say to you, that their Angels in heaven continually look upon the face of my Father, who is in heaven.

¹All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval. ²A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pull up what was planted.

¹³And they brought to him the little children, so that he might touch them. But the disciples admonished those who brought them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw this, he took offense, and he said to them: “Allow the little ones to come to me, and do not prohibit them. For of such as these is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵Amen I say to you, whoever will not accept the kingdom of God like a little child, will not enter into it.” ¹⁶And embracing them, and laying his hands upon them, he blessed them.

²⁷I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted to me my petition, which I asked of him. ²⁸Because of this, I have also lent him to the Lord, for all the days when he shall be lent to the Lord.” And they adored the Lord in that place. And Hannah prayed, and she said:

⁸Your hands have made me and formed me all around, and, in this way, do you suddenly throw me away? ⁹Remember, I ask you, that you have fashioned me like clay, and you will reduce me to dust. ¹⁰Have you not extracted me like milk and curdled me like cheese? ¹¹You have clothed me with skin and flesh. You have put me together with bones and nerves. ¹²You have assigned to me life and mercy, and your visitation has preserved my spirit.

¹All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval. ²A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pull up what was planted. ³A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up. ⁴A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance. ⁵A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. ⁶A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

¹In that hour, the disciples drew near to Jesus, saying, “Whom do you consider to be greater in the kingdom of heaven?” ²And Jesus, calling to himself a little child, placed him in their midst. ³And he said: “Amen I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore, whoever will have humbled himself like this little child, such a one is greater in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵And whoever shall accept one such little child in my name, accepts me. ⁶But whoever will have led astray one of these little ones, who trust in me, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be submerged in the depths of the sea.

²⁵For I know that my Redeemer lives, and on the last day I will rise out of the earth. ²⁶And I will be enveloped again with my skin, and in my flesh I will see my God.