Luke 7.17-30
(Matins Gospel, Forerunner)
17This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.
18The disciples of John told him about all these things.
19John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?”
20When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’”
21In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight.
22Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
23Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”
24When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
25But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed and live delicately are in kings’ courts.
26But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.
27This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
28“For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.”
29When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism.
30But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.
Isaiah 14.24-32
(6th Hour)
24Thus says the Lord of hosts, As I have said, so it shall be: and as I have purposed, so the matter shall remain:
25even to destroy the Assyrians upon my land, and upon my mountains: and they shall be for trampling; and their yoke shall be taken away from them, and their glory shall be taken away from their shoulders.
26This is the purpose which the Lord has purposed upon the whole earth: and this the hand that is uplifted against all the nations.
27For what the Holy God has purposed, who shall frustrate? and who shall turn back his uplifted hand?
28In the year in which king Achaz died this word came.
29Rejoice not, all you⌃ Philistines, because the yoke of him that struck you is broken: for out of the seed of the serpent shall come forth the young asps, and their young shall come forth flying serpents,
30And the poor shall be fed by him, and poor men shall rest in peace: but he shall destroy your seed with hunger, and shall destroy your remnant.
31Howl, you⌃ gates of cities; let the cities be troubled and cry, even all the Philistines: for smoke is coming from the north, and there is no possibility of living.
32And what shall the kings of the nations answer? That the Lord has founded Sion, and by him the poor of the people shall be saved.
Genesis 8.21-9.7
(Vespers)
21And the Lord God smelled a smell of sweetness, and the Lord God having considered, said, I will not any more curse the earth, because of the works of men, because the imagination of man is intently bent upon evil things from his youth, I will not therefore any more strike all living flesh as I have done.
22All the days of the earth, seed and harvest, cold and heat, summer and spring, shall not cease by day or night.
1And God blessed Noe and his sons, and said to them, Increase and multiply, and fill the earth and have dominion over it.
2And the dread and the fear of you shall be upon all the wild beasts of the earth, on all the birds of the sky, and on all things moving upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea, I have placed them under your power.
3And every reptile which is living shall be to you for meat, I have given all things to you as the green herbs.
4But flesh with blood of life you⌃ shall not eat.
5For your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of all wild beasts, and I will require the life of man at the hand of his brother man.
6He that sheds man's blood, instead of that blood shall his own be shed, for in the image of God I made man.
7But do you⌃ increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and have dominion over it.
Proverbs 11.19-12.6
(Vespers)
19A righteous son is born for life: but the persecution of the ungodly ends in death.
20Perverse ways are an abomination to the Lord: but all they that are blameless in their ways are acceptable to him.
21He that unjustly strikes hands shall not be unpunished: but he that sows righteousness he shall receive a faithful reward.
22As an ornament in a swine's snout, so is beauty to an ill-minded woman.
23All the desire of the righteous is good: but the hope of the ungodly shall perish.
24There are some who scatter their own, and make it more: and there are some also who gather, yet have less.
25Every sincere soul is blessed: but a passionate man is not graceful.
26May he that hoards corn leave it to the nation: but blessing be on the head of him that gives it.
27He that devises good counsels seeks good favor: but as for him that seeks after evil, evil shall overtake him.
28He that trusts in wealth shall fall; but he that helps righteous men shall rise.
29He that deals not graciously with his own house shall inherit the wind; and the fool shall be servant to the wise man.
30Out of the fruit of righteousness grows a tree of life; but the souls of transgressors are cut off before their time.
31If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1He that loves instruction loves sense, but he that hates reproofs is a fool.
2He that has found favor with the Lord is made better; but a transgressor shall be passed over in silence.
3A man shall not prosper by wickedness; but the roots of the righteous shall not be taken up.
4A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; but as a worm in wood, so a bad woman destroys her husband.
5The thoughts of the righteous are true judgments; but ungodly men devise deceits.
6The words of ungodly men are crafty; but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
Composite 8 - Isaiah 40, 41, 45, 48, 54
(Vespers, Forerunner)
1Thus says the Lord: Comfort, comfort my people, says God. Priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem. Comfort her, because her humiliation has been completed; for her has sin has been abolished, because she has received from the Lord’s hand double for her sins. A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill made low; what is crooked will become straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Go up onto a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem. Lift it up, do not be afraid. I the Lord God, I, the God of Israel, will hearken and will not forsake them; but I will open rivers from the mountains and springs in the middle of plains. I will turn the wilderness into water meadows and the thirsty earth with water courses. Let the heavens rejoice from on high and let the clouds rain justice. Let the earth sprout and blossom with mercy and justice. Announce a voice of gladness to the end of the earth and let this be heard: Say that the Lord has delivered his servant Jacob. And if they thirst through deserts, he will bring water for them from a rock. Rejoice you barren who have never given birth, break out and shout, you who have never known birth pangs, for the children of the deserted are more than those of her who has a husband.
Composite 9 - Malachi 3, 4
(Vespers, Forerunner)
1Thus says the Lord Almighty: See, I am sending my Angel, my messenger, before your face, who will prepare your way before you. And the Lord whom you seek will come to his temple. And who will endure the day of his entrance? And who will withstand at his appearing? Because he will enter like fire in a smelting furnace and like the lye of launderers. And he will come to you in judgement; and he will be a swift witness against the wicked and against adulteresses and against those swear falsely in his name and those who do not fear him, says the Lord Almighty. Because I am the Lord your God, and I have not changed and you, children of Jacob, have perverted the laws and not kept them. Therefore turn back to me and I will turn back to you, says the Lord Almighty. And all the nations will call you blessed and you will know that I am the Lord who discern between just and lawless on the day on which I make a peculiar possession of those who love me. Know then and remember the law of Moses my servant, as I gave him commandment on Horeb, to all Israel ordinances and judgements. And see, I will send you Elias the Thesbite, before the great and manifest day of the Lord comes; he will turn again the heart of father to son and of a man to his neighbour, lest when I come I smite the earth grievously, says the Lord Almighty, God the Holy One of Israel.
Composite 3 - Wisdom of Solomon 4, 5
(Vespers, Forerunner)
1A just man if he comes to his end will be at rest. A just man who dies will condemn the ungodly who are alive; for they will see the end of a just man and will not understand what they counselled concerning him. For the Lord will break the ungodly, render them voiceless and cast them headlong, and he will shake them from the foundations and they will be utterly worsted in sorrow, and their memory shall perish. They shall come with fear at the accounting of their sins, and their iniquities will convict them to their face. Then the just will stand with much boldness in the face of those who afflicted him and made his toils of no account. When they see this they will be troubled with great fear and will be amazed at the wonder of his salvation. For they will say as they repent and with anguish they will groan and say: Is this he whom we fools once made a laughing stock and a byword of reproach? We reckoned his life folly and his end dishonour. How has he been numbered among the children of God and his lot with the Saints? Therefore we have erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousness has not shone on us and the sun has not dawned on us. We have been filled with paths of lawlessness and destruction and journeyed through trackless paths, but have not known the way of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 4.6-15
(Epistle, Forerunner)
6seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.
8We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;
9pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;
10always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
11For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.
12So then death works in us, but life in you.
13But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and therefore we also speak,
14knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also through Jesus, and will present us with you.
15For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
Matthew 11.2-15
(Gospel, Forerunner)
2Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
3and said to him, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?”
4Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
6Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”
7As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
9But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.
10For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
11Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
12From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.
15He who has ears to hear, let him hear.