Genesis 14.14-20
(Vespers)
14And Abram having heard that Lot his nephew had been taken captive, numbered his own home-born servants three hundred and eighteen, and pursued after them to Dan.
15And he came upon them by night, he and his servants, and he struck them and pursued them as far as Choba, which is on the left of Damascus.
16And he recovered all the cavalry of Sodom, and he recovered Lot his nephew, and all his possessions, and the women and the people.
17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter of Chodollogomor, and the kings with him, to the valley of Saby; this was the plain of the kings.
18And Melchisedec king of Salem brought forth loaves and wine, and he was the priest of the most high God.
19And he blessed Abram, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, who made heaven and earth,
20and blessed be the most high God who delivered your enemies into your power. And Abram gave him the tithe of all.
Deuteronomy 1.8-11, 15-17
(Vespers)
8Behold, God has delivered the land before you; go in and inherit the land, which I swore to your fathers, Abraam, and Isaac, and Jacob, to give it to them and to their seed after them.
9And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I shall not be able by myself to bear you.
10The Lord your God has multiplied you, and, behold, youpl are today as the stars of heaven for multitude.
11The Lord God of your fathers add to you a thousand-fold more than you are, and bless you as he has spoken to you.
15So I took of you wise and understanding and prudent men, and I set them to rule over you as rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens, and officers to your judges.
16And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear causes between your brethren, and judge rightly between a man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
17You shall not have respect to persons in judgment, you shall judge small and great equally; you shall not shrink from before the person of a man, for the judgment is God's; and whatever matter shall be too hard for you, youpl shall bring it to me, and I will hear it.
Deuteronomy 10.14-21
(Vespers)
14Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth and all things that are in it.
15Only the Lord chose your fathers to love them, and he chose out their seed after them, even you, beyond all nations, as at this day.
16Therefore youpl shall circumcise the hardness of your heart, and youpl shall not harden your neck.
17For the Lord your God, he is God of gods, and the Lord of lords, the great, and strong, and terrible God, who does not accept persons, nor will he by any means accept a bribe:
18executing judgment for the stranger and orphan and widow, and he loves the stranger to give him food and raiment.
19And youpl shall love the stranger; for youpl were strangers in the land of Egypt.
20You shall fear the Lord your God, and serve him, and shall cleave to him, and shall swear by his name.
21He is your boast, and he is your God, who has wrought in the midst of you these great and glorious things, which your eyes have seen.
John 20.1-10
(7th Matins Gospel)
1Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
2Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”
3Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb.
4They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.
5Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he didn’t enter in.
6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying,
7and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.
8So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed.
9For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
10So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
2 Corinthians 9.6-11
(Epistle)
6Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.
9As it is written, “He has scattered abroad. He has given to the poor. His righteousness remains forever.”
10Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11you being enriched in everything for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.
Titus 3.8-15
(Epistle, Fathers)
8This saying is faithful, and concerning these things I desire that you insist confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men;
9but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
10Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning,
11knowing that such a one is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.
12When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis, for I have determined to winter there.
13Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey speedily, that nothing may be lacking for them.
14Let our people also learn to maintain good works to meet necessary needs, that they may not be unfruitful.
15All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Luke 8.5-15
(Gospel)
5“The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.
6Some seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
7Some fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
8Some fell into the good ground and grew and produced one hundred times as much fruit.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
9Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”
10He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
11“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12Those along the road are those who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.
13Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.
14What fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life; and they bring no fruit to maturity.
15Those in the good ground, these are those who with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with perseverance.
Luke 8.5-15
(Gospel, Fathers)
5“The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.
6Some seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
7Some fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
8Some fell into the good ground and grew and produced one hundred times as much fruit.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
9Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”
10He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
11“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12Those along the road are those who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.
13Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.
14What fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life; and they bring no fruit to maturity.
15Those in the good ground, these are those who with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with perseverance.
Matthew 27.33-54
(Gospel, Longinus the Centurion)
33When they came to a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say, “The place of a skull,”
34they gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink.
35When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,
36and they sat and watched him there.
37They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
38Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left.
39Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads
40and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
41Likewise the chief priests also mocking with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said,
42“He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.
43He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
44The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.
45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
46About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
47Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”
48Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him a drink.
49The rest said, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
50Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.
51Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.
54Now the centurion and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were done, were terrified, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”