Chapter 9

¹God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things with thy word, ²And by thy wisdom hast appointed man, that he should have dominion over the creature that was made by thee, ³That he should order the world according to equity and justice, and execute justice with an upright heart: ⁴Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne, and cast me not off from among thy children: ⁵For I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid, a weak man, and of short time, and falling short of the understanding of judgment and laws. ⁶For if one be perfect among the children of men, yet if thy wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing regarded. ⁷Thou hast chosen me to be king of thy people, and a judge of thy sons and daughters. ⁸And hast commanded me to build a temple on thy holy mount, and an altar in the city of thy dwelling place, a resemblance of thy holy tabernacle, which thou hast prepared from the beginning: ⁹And thy wisdom with thee, which knoweth thy works, which then also was present when thou madest the world, and knew what was agreeable to thy eyes, and what was right in thy commandments. ¹⁰Send her out of thy holy heaven, and from the throne of thy majesty, that she may be with me, and may labour with me, that I may know what is acceptable with thee: ¹¹For she knoweth and understandeth all things, and shall lead me soberly in my works, and shall preserve me by her power. ¹²So shall my works be acceptable, and I shall govern thy people justly, and shall be worthy of the throne of my father. ¹³For who among men is he that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of God is? ¹⁴For the thoughts of mortal men are fearful, and our counsels uncertain. ¹⁵For the corruptible body is a load upon the soul, and the earthly habitation presseth down the mind that museth upon many things. ¹⁶And hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth: and with labour do we find the things that are before us. But the things that are in heaven, who shall search out? ¹⁷And who shall know thy thought, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above: ¹⁸And so the ways of them that are upon earth may be corrected, and men may learn the things that please thee? ¹⁹For by wisdom they were healed, whosoever have pleased thee, O Lord, from the beginning.