Genesis 28.10-17
(Vespers, Annunciation)
10And Jacob went forth from the well of the oath, and departed into Charrhan.
11And came to a certain place and slept there, for the sun had gone down; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it at his head, and lay down to sleep in that place,
12and dreamed, and behold a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it.
13And the Lord stood upon it, and said, I am the God of your father Abraam, and the God of Isaac; fear not, the land on which you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.
14And your seed shall be as the sand of the earth; and it shall spread abroad to the sea, and the south, and the north, and to the east; and in you and in your seed shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed.
15And behold I am with you to preserve you continually in all the way wherein you shall go; and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not desert you, until I have done all that I have said to you.
16And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said, The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.
17And he was afraid, and said, How fearful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
Ezekiel 43.27-44.4
(Vespers, Annunciation)
27And it shall come to pass from the eighth day and onward, that the priests shall offer your whole burnt offerings on the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you, says the Lord.
1Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that looks eastward; and it was shut.
2And the Lord said to me, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and it shall be shut.
3For the prince, he shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord; he shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go forth by the way of the same.
4And he brought me in by the way of the gate that looks northward, in front of the house: and I looked, and, behold, the house was full of the glory of the Lord: and I fell upon my face.
Proverbs 9.1-11
(Vespers, Annunciation)
1Wisdom has built a house for herself, and set up seven pillars.
2She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine in a bowl, and prepared her table.
3She has sent forth her servants, calling with a loud proclamation to the feast, saying,
4Whoso is foolish, let him turn aside to me: and to them that lack understanding she says,
5Come, eat of my bread, and drink wine which I have mingled for you.
6Leave folly, that youpl may reign for ever; and seek wisdom, and improve understanding by knowledge.
7He that reproves evil men shall get dishonor to himself; and he that rebukes an ungodly man shall disgrace himself.
8Rebuke not evil men, lest they should hate you: rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
9Give an opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser: instruct a just man, and he will receive more instruction.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the counsel of saints is understanding: for to know the law is the character of a sound mind.
11For in this way you shall live long, and years of your life shall be added to you.
Luke 1.39-49, 56
(Matins Gospel, Annunciation)
39Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,
40and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
45Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”
46Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.
47My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
48for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
49For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.
56Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.
Isaiah 8.13-9.7
(6th Hour)
13Sanctify youpl the Lord himself; and he shall be your fear.
14And if you shall trust in him, he shall be to you for a sanctuary; and youpl shall not come against him as against a stumbling-stone, neither as against the falling of a rock: but the houses of Jacob are in a snare, and the dwellers in Jerusalem in a pit.
15Therefore many among them shall be weak, and fall, and be crushed; and they shall draw near, and men shall be taken securely.
16Then shall those who seal themselves that they may not learn the law be made manifest.
17And one shall say, I will wait for God, who has turned away his face from the house of Jacob, and I will trust in him.
18Behold I and the children which God has given me: and they shall be for signs and wonders in the house of Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells in mount Sion.
19And if they should say to you, Seek those who have in them a divining spirit, and them that speak out of the earth, them that speak vain words, who speak out of their belly: shall not a nation diligently seek to their God? why do they seek to the dead concerning the living?
20For he has given the law for a help, that they should not speak according to this word, concerning which there are no gifts to give for it.
21And famine shall come sorely upon you, and it shall come to pass, that when youpl shall be hungry, youpl shall be grieved, and youpl shall speak ill of the prince and your fathers' ordinances: and they shall look up to heaven above,
22and they shall look on the earth below, and behold severe distress, and darkness, affliction, and anguish, and darkness so that one can’t see; and he that is in anguish shall not be distressed only for a time.
1Drink this first. Act quickly, O land of Zabulon, land of Nephthalim, and the rest inhabiting the sea-coast, and the land beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.
2O people walking in darkness, behold a great light: youpl that dwell in the region and shadow of death, a light shall shine upon you.
3The multitude of the people which you have brought down in your joy, they shall even rejoice before you as they that rejoice in harvest, and as they that divide the spoil.
4Because the yoke that was laid upon them has been taken away, and the rod that was on their neck: for he has broken the rod of the exactors, as in the day of Madiam.
5For they shall compensate for every garment that has been acquired by deceit, and all raiment with restitution; and they shall be willing, even if they were burnt with fire.
6For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder: and his name is called the Messenger of great counsel: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him.
7His government shall be great, and of his peace there is no end: it shall be upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to support it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The seal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.
Genesis 6.9-22
(Vespers)
9And these are the generations of Noe. Noe was a just man; being perfect in his generation, Noe was well-pleasing to God.
10And Noe begot three sons, Sem, Cham, Japheth.
11But the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with iniquity.
12And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupted; because all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.
13And the Lord God said to Noe, A period of all men is come before me; because the earth has been filled with iniquity by them, and, behold, I destroy them and the earth.
14Make therefore for yourself an ark of square timber; you shall make the ark in compartments, and you shall pitch it within and without with pitch.
15And thus shall you make the ark; three hundred cubits the length of the ark, and fifty cubits the breadth, and thirty cubits the height of it.
16You shall narrow the ark in making it, and in a cubit above you shall finish it, and the door of the ark you shall make on the side; with lower, second, and third stories you shall make it.
17And behold I bring a flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven, and whatever things are upon the earth shall die.
18And I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall enter into the ark, and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
19And of all cattle and of all reptiles and of all wild beasts, even of all flesh, you shall bring by pairs of all, into the ark, that you may feed them with yourself: male and female they shall be.
20Of all winged birds after their kind, and of all cattle after their kind, and of all reptiles creeping upon the earth after their kind, pairs of all shall come in to you, male and female to be fed with you.
21And you shall take to yourself of all kinds of food which youpl eat, and you shall gather them to yourself, and it shall be for you and them to eat.
22And Noe did all things whatever the Lord God commanded him, so did he.
Proverbs 8.1-21
(Vespers)
1You shall proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to you.
2For she is on lofty eminences, and stands in the midst of the ways.
3For she sits by the gates of princes, and sings in the entrances, saying,
4You, O men, I exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men.
5O youpl simple, understand subtlety, and youpl that are untaught, imbibe knowledge.
6Listen to me; for I will speak solemn truths; and will produce right sayings from my lips.
7For my throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before me.
8All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse.
9They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find knowledge.
10Receive instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than tried gold.
11For wisdom is better than precious stones; and no valuable substance is of equal worth with it.
12I wisdom have lived with counsel and knowledge, and I have called upon understanding.
13The fear of the Lord hates unrighteousness, and insolence, and pride, and the ways of wicked men; and I hate the perverse ways of bad men.
14Counsel and safety are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine.
15By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16By me nobles become great, and monarchs by me rule over the earth.
17I love those that love me; and they that seek me shall find me.
18Wealth and glory belong to me; yes, abundant possessions and righteousness.
19It is better to have my fruit than to have gold and precious stones; and my produce is better than choice silver.
20I walk in ways of righteousness, and am conversant with the paths of judgment;
21that I may divide substance to them that love me, and may fill their treasures with good things. If I declare to you the things that daily happen, I will remember also to recount the things of old.
Exodus 3.1-8
(Vespers, Annunciation)
1And Moses was feeding the flock of Jothor his father-in-law, the priest of Madiam; and he brought the sheep near to the wilderness, and came to the mount of Choreb.
2And an angel of the Lord appeared to him in flaming fire out of the bush, and he sees that the bush burns with fire, —but the bush was not consumed.
3And Moses said, I will go near and see this great sight, why the bush is not consumed.
4And when the Lord saw that he drew near to see, the Lord called him out of the bush, saying, Moses, Moses; and he said, What is it?
5And he said, Draw not near hither: loose your sandals from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground.
6And he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraam, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and Moses turned away his face, for he was afraid to gaze at God.
7And the Lord said to Moses, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and I have heard their cry caused by their taskmasters; for I know their affliction.
8And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land, and to bring them into a good and wide land, into a land flowing with milk and honey, into the place of the Chananites, and the Chettites, and Amorites, and Pherezites, and Gergesites, and Evites, and Jebusites.
Proverbs 8.22-30
(Vespers, Annunciation)
22The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works.
23He established me before time was in the beginning, before he made the earth:
24even before he made the depths; before the fountains of water came forth:
25before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, he begets me.
26The Lord made countries and uninhabited tracks, and the highest inhabited parts of the world.
27When he prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he prepared his throne upon the winds:
28and when he strengthened the clouds above; and when he secured the fountains of the earth:
29decree. and when he strengthened the foundations of the earth:
30I was by him, suiting myself to him, I was that wherein he took delight; and daily I rejoiced in his presence continually.
Hebrews 2.11-18
(Epistle, Annunciation)
11For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
12saying, “I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the congregation I will sing your praise.”
13Again, “I will put my trust in him.” Again, “Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me.”
14Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16For most certainly, he doesn’t give help to angels, but he gives help to the offspring of Abraham.
17Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.
18For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
Luke 1.24-38
(Gospel, Annunciation)
24After these days Elizabeth his wife conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying,
25“Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men.”
26Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
29But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
30The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him ‘Jesus.’
32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.”
34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”
35The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.
36Behold, Elizabeth your relative also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”
38Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.