33Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of the Assyrians, He shall not enter into this city, nor cast a weapon against it, nor bring a shield against it, nor make a rampart round it.
34But by the way by which he came, by it shall he return, and shall not enter into this city: thus says the Lord.
35I will protect this city to save it for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
36And the angel of the Lord went forth, and killed out of the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand: and they arose in the morning and found all these bodies dead.
37And Sennacherim king of the Assyrians turned and departed, and lived in Nineve.
38And while he was worshipping Nasarach his country's god in the house, Adramelech and Sarasar his sons struck him with swords; and they escaped into Armenia: and Asordan his son reigned in his stead.
1And it came to pass at that time, that Ezekias was sick even to death. And Esaias the prophet the son of Amos came to him, and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Give orders concerning your house: for you shall die, and not live.
2And Ezekias turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying,
3Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you in truth, with a true heart, and have done that which was pleasing in your sight. And Ezekias wept bitterly.
4And the word of the Lord came to Esaias, saying, Go, and say to Ezekias,
5Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, and seen your tears: behold, I will add to your time fifteen years.
6And I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians: and I will defend this city.
Genesis 13.12-18 (Vespers)
12And Lot lived in a city of the neighbouring people, and pitched his tent in Sodom.
13But the men of Sodom were evil, and exceedingly sinful before God.
14And God said to Abram after Lot was separated from him, Look up with your eyes, and behold from the place where you now are northward and southward, and eastward and seaward;
15for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your seed for ever.
16And I will make your seed like the dust of the earth; if any one is able to number the dust of the earth, then shall your seed be numbered.
17Arise and traverse the land, both in the length of it and in the breadth; for to you will I give it, and to your seed for ever.
18And Abram having removed his tent, came and lived by the oak of Mambre, which was in Chebrom, and he there built an altar to the Lord.
Proverbs 14.27-15.4 (Vespers)
27The commandment of the Lord is a fountain of life; and it causes men to turn aside from the snare of death.
28In a populous nation is the glory of a king: but in the failure of people is the ruin of a prince.
29A man slow to wrath abounds in wisdom: but a man of impatient spirit is very foolish.
30A meek-spirited man is a healer of the heart: but a sensitive heart is a corruption of the bones.
31He that oppresses the needy provokes his Maker: but he that honors him has pity upon the poor.
32The ungodly shall be driven away in his wickedness: but he who is secure in his own holiness is just.
33There is wisdom in the good heart of a man: but in the heart of fools it is not discerned.
34Righteousness exalts a nation: but sins diminish tribes.
35An understanding servant is acceptable to a king; and by his good behavior he removes disgrace.
1Anger slays even wise men; yet a submissive answer turns away wrath: but a grievous word stirs up anger.
2The tongue of the wise knows what is good: but the mouth of the foolish tells out evil things.
3The eyes of the Lord behold both the evil and the good in every place.
4The wholesome tongue is a tree of life, and he that keeps it shall be filled with understanding.
Isaiah 43.9-14
(Vespers, Martyrs)
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, Martyrs)
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 5.15-6.3
(Vespers, Martyrs)
15But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High.
16Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord's hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them.
17He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armor, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies.
18He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet.
19He shall take holiness for an invincible shield.
20His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise.
21Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark.
22And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them.
23Yes, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty.
1Hear therefore, O you⌃ kings, and understand; learn, you⌃ that be judges of the ends of the earth.
2Give ear, you⌃ that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations.
3For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.
Commemorations
St Theophylactus, Bishop of Nicomedia
“Theophylact was from the east; his native city is unknown. In Constantinople he became a close friend of Tarasius, who afterwards became Patriarch of Constantinople (see Feb. 25). Theophylact was made Bishop of Nicomedia. After the death of Saint Tarasius, his successor Nicephorus (see June 2) called together a number of Bishops to help him in fighting the iconoclasm of Emperor Leo the Armenian, who reigned from 813 to 820. Among them was Euthymius, Bishop of Sardis (celebrated Dec. 26), who had attended the holy Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 — he was exiled three times for the sake of the holy icons, and for defying the Emperor Theophilus’ command to renounce the veneration of the icons, was scourged from head to foot until his whole body was one great wound, from which he died eight days later, about the year 830; Joseph of Thessalonica (see July 14); Michael of Synnada (see May 23); Emilian, Bishop of Cyzicus (see Aug. 8); and Saint Theophylact, who boldly rebuked Leo to his face, telling him that because he despised the long-suffering of God, utter destruction was about to overtake him, and there would be none to deliver him. For this, Theophylact was exiled to the fortress of Strobilus in Karia of Asia Minor, where after 30 years of imprisonment and hardship, he gave up his holy soul about the year 845. Leo the Armenian, according to the Saint’s prophecy, was slain in church on the eve of our Lord’s Nativity, in 820.” (Great Horologion)
Hieromartyr Theodoretus (362)
The priest Theodoretus was custodian of a great cathedral in Antioch, built by the Emperor Constantine and known in its time as ‘the golden church’ for the beauty and luxury of its appointments. When Julian the Apostate came to the throne, he denied Christ and launched a persecution of Christians. The Emperor’s uncle, also named Julian, came to Antioch to prosecute the persecution there. After plundering the church he brought Theodoretus to trial and demanded that he deny Christ. Instead, the faithful priest confessed Christ fervently and rebuked the Emperor for having denied the faith and returned to idol-worship ‘as a dog returns to its vomit.’ In spite, the judge urinated in the golden church, for which Theodoretus prophesied that he would die a terrible death. Theodoretus was beheaded, and Julian his judge was seized with terrible abdominal pain from the moment he defiled the church until he died in torment.
Note: Theodoretus is commemorated on March 3 in the Greek Calendar.