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.
Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9
(Vespers, St Tikhon)
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, St Tikhon)
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.
Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15
(Vespers, St Tikhon)
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 Eutychius, patriarch of Constantinople (582)
He was born to devout and noble parents in Phrygia. Though his father was a prominent officer, he entered monastic life when young, and became abbot of a monastery in Amasea at the age of thirty. In 553 he was sent to the Fifth Ecumenical Council as the representative of the Metropolitan of Amasea. At the Council, he was one of those who argued, successfully, that heretics could be anathematized after their deaths. The most prominent case in point was Origen, the brilliant Christian philosopher who had written that all will eventually be saved. Eutychius’ position thus earned him the enmity of the Origenists, who still made up an influential group in the Church. Saint Eutychius became a trusted confidante of the Emperor Justinian, and when Menas, Patriarch of Constantinople, reposed, Eutychius was chosen to replace him. Eutychius ruled in peace for twelve years, but was then cast into controversy when he boldly opposed one of the most hard-to-pronounce heresies in the history of the Church: Aphthartodocetism, the belief that Christ, before his resurrection, possessed an incorruptible body, not subject to hunger, thirst or pain (though the scriptures plainly speak of Christ being weary, hungry, thirsty, weeping). The Emperor Justinian for a time fell into this variant of the Monophysite heresy, and exiled Eutychius to his monastery for twelve years. During these years Eutychius showed himself to be a wonder-worker, healing many of their diseases through his prayers. Justinian repented shortly before his death, and his successor, Justin II, called Eutychius back to the Patriarchal throne, where he served the Church in peace until his repose at the age of seventy.