11For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, who has formed the things that are to come, Enquire of me concerning my sons, and concerning the works of my hands command me.
12I have made the earth, and man upon it: I with my hand have established the heaven; I have given commandment to all the stars.
13I have raised him up to be a king with righteousness, and all his ways are right: he shall build my city, and shall turn the captivity of my people, not for ransoms, nor for rewards, says the Lord of hosts.
14Thus says the Lord of hosts, Egypt has laboured for you; and the merchandise of the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over to you, and shall be your servants; and they shall follow after you bound in fetters, and shall pass over to you, and shall do obeisance to you, and make supplication to you: because God is in you; and there is no God beside you, O Lord.
15For you are God, yet we knew it not, the God of Israel, the Saviour.
16All that are opposed to him shall be ashamed and confounded, and shall walk in shame: you⌃ isles, keep a feast to me.
17Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation: they shall not be ashamed nor confounded for evermore.
Genesis 22.1-18 (Vespers)
1And it came to pass after these things that God tempted Abraam, and said to him, Abraam, Abraam; and he said, Behold! I am here.
2And he said, Take your son, the beloved one, whom you have loved—Isaac, and go into the high land, and offer him there for a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.
3And Abraam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass, and he took with him two servants, and Isaac his son, and having split wood for a whole burnt offering, he arose and departed, and came to the place of which God spoke to him,
4on the third day; and Abraam having lifted up his eyes, saw the place afar off.
5And Abraam said to his servants, Sit you⌃ here with the ass, and I and the lad will proceed thus far, and having worshipped we will return to you.
6And Abraam took the wood of the whole burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took into his hands both the fire and the knife, and the two went together.
7And Isaac said to Abraam his father, Father. And he said, What is it, son? And he said, Behold the fire and the wood, where is the sheep for a whole burnt offering?
8And Abraam said, God will provide himself a sheep for a whole burnt offering, my son. And both having gone together,
9came to the place which God spoke of to him; and there Abraam built the altar, and laid the wood on it, and having bound the feet of Isaac his son together, he laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10And Abraam stretched forth his hand to take the knife to kill his son.
11And an angel of the Lord called him out of heaven, and said, Abraam, Abraam. And he said, Behold, I am here.
12And he said, Lay not your hand upon the child, neither do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, and for my sake you have not spared your beloved son.
13And Abraam lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold! a ram caught by his horns in a plant of Sabec; and Abraam went and took the ram, and offered him up for a whole burnt offering in the place of Isaac his son.
14And Abraam called the name of that place, The Lord has seen; that they might say today, In the mount the Lord was seen.
15And an angel of the Lord called Abraam the second time out of heaven, saying, I have sworn by myself, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and on my account have not spared your beloved son,
16surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is by the shore of the sea, and your seed shall inherit the cities of their enemies.
17And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have listened to my voice.
18And Abraam returned to his servants, and they arose and went together to the well of the oath; and Abraam lived at the well of the oath.
Proverbs 17.17-18.5 (Vespers)
17Have you a friend for every time, and let brethren be useful in distress; for on this account are they born.
18A foolish man applauds and rejoices over himself, as he also that becomes surety would make himself responsible for his own friends.
19A lover of sin rejoices in strifes;
20and the hard-hearted man comes not in for good. A man of a changeful tongue will fall into mischiefs;
21and the heart of a fool is grief to its possessor. A father rejoices not over an uninstructed son; but a wise son gladdens his mother.
22A glad heart promotes health; but the bones of a sorrowful man dry up.
23The ways of a man who unjustly receives gifts in his bosom do not prosper; and an ungodly man perverts the ways of righteousness.
24The countenance of a wise man is sensible; but the eyes of a fool go to the ends of the earth.
25A foolish son is a cause of anger to his father, and grief to her that bore him.
26It is not right to punish a righteous man, nor is it holy to plot against righteous princes.
27He that forbears to utter a hard word is discreet, and a patient man is wise.
28Wisdom shall be imputed to a fool who asks after wisdom: and he who holds his peace shall seem to be sensible.
1A man who wishes to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be liable to reproach.
2A senseless man feels no need of wisdom, for he is rather led by folly.
3When an ungodly man comes into a depth of evils, he despises them; but dishonor and reproach come upon him.
4A word in the heart of a man is a deep water, and a river and fountain of life spring forth.
5It is not good to accept the person of the ungodly, nor is it holy to pervert justice in judgment.
Isaiah 43.9-14
(Vespers, St George)
9All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them: who will declare these things? or who will declare to you things from the beginning? let them bring forth their witnesses, and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the truth.
10Be you⌃ my witnesses, and I too am a witness, says the Lord God, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you⌃ may know, and believe, and understand that I am he: before me there was no other God, and after me there shall be none.
11I am God; and beside me there is no Saviour.
12I have declared, and have saved; I have reproached, and there was no strange god among you: you⌃ are my witnesses, and I am the Lord God,
13even from the beginning; and there is none that can deliver out of my hands: I will work, and who shall turn it back?
14Thus says the Lord God that redeems you, the Holy One of Israel; for your sakes I will send to Babylon, and I will stir up all that flee, and the Chaldeans shall be bound in ships.
Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9
(Vespers, St George)
1But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.
2In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,
3And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.
4For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.
5And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.
6As gold in the furnace has he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.
7And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.
8They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.
9They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he has care for his elect.
Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15
(Vespers, St George)
7But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest.
8For honorable age is not that which stands in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.
9But wisdom is the gray hair to men, and an unspotted life is old age.
10He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated.
11Yes speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit decieve his soul.
12For the bewitching of naughtiness does obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence does undermine the simple mind.
13He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:
14For his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked.
15This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he has respect to his chosen.
Commemorations
St Theodore the Sykeote
He was born in Sykeon in Galatia in Asia Minor. (The Great Horologion says that he was born out of wedlock; the Prologue that his mother, Maria, was a rich widow; in either case, he was reared by his mother alone). At the age of ten, Theodore took up a life of strict asceticism, devoting himself to prayer, fasting and vigils. His mother planned for him to enter the military; but St George appeared to her in a dream, telling her that Theodore was to serve the King of Heaven rather than any earthly king. After this, Saint George appeared to Theodore many times, sometimes instructing him, sometimes saving him from danger. After a trip to the Holy Land, Theodore became a monk in Galatia — we should say “officially became a monk,” since he had been living as a monk from the age of ten. Once he had taken monastic vows, Theodore redoubled his ascetical labors, which exceeded those of any other monk of his time: for his asceticism, he was sometimes called the “Iron-eater.” Around 584 was ordained Bishop of Anastasiopolis in Galatia, much against his will. He served his flock faithfully for ten years, then begged to be relieved of his episcopal duties so that he might return to his beloved monastic life. Even during his lifetime, he was famed for his miracles and his authority to cast out demons. He departed this life in peace in 613.
Holy Martyr Leonidas (202)
He was the father of Origen, the great early Christian writer. For his constant faith in Christ, he was first deprived of all his property, then condemned to death. Origen wrote to his father in prison: “Father, do not worry about us, and do not flee from martyrdom on our account.”