Orthodox Daily Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 8:13-9:7

6th Hour

13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.

14 He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken.”

16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

17 And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope in Him.

18 Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion.

19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?

20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward.

22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5 For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, and garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His Name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Old Testament: Genesis 6:9-22

Vespers, 1st reading

9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

10 And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

14 “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.

15 “And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.

16 “You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.

17 “And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.

18 “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark – you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

19 “And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.

20 “Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.

21 “And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.”

22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

Old Testament: Proverbs 8:1-21

Vespers, 2nd reading

1 Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?

2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet.

3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors:

4 “To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.

5 O you simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools, be of an understanding heart.

6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things;

7 for my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them.

9 They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.

10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;

11 for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion.

13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.

14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.

15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.

16 By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.

17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.

18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness.

19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver.

20 I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice,

21 that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.

Old Testament: Isaiah 43:9-14

Vespers, 3rd reading

9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear and say, “It is truth.”

10 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me.

11 I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior.

12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; therefore you are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.

13 Indeed before the day was, I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?”

14 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon, and bring them all down as fugitives – the Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.

Old Testament: Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9

Vespers, 4th reading

1 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.

2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be affliction,

3 and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.

4 For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.

5 Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;

6 like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.

7 In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble.

8 They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever.

9 Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.

Old Testament: Wisdom of Solomon 5:15-6:3

Vespers, 5th reading

15 But the righteous live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them.

16 Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm he will shield them.

17 The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies;

18 he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet;

19 he will take holiness as a invincible shield,

20 and sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against the madmen.

21 Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim, and will leap to the target as from a well-drawn bow of clouds,

22 and hailstones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult; the water of the sea will rage against them, and rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them;

23 a mighty wind will rise against them, and like a tempest it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil-doing will overturn the thrones of rulers.

1 Listen therefore, O kings, and understand; learn, O judges of the ends of the earth.

2 Give ear, you that rule over multitudes, and boast of many nations.

3 For your dominion was given you from the Lord, and your sovereignty from the Most High, who will search out your works and inquire into your plans.

Epistle: Hebrews 12:1-10

Epistle, Martyrs

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

6 for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Gospel: Luke 21:12-19

Matins Gospel

12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.

13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.

14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer;

15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.

16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.

17 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.

18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost.

19 By your patience possess your souls.

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16

Gospel, Martyrs

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went.

5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’

7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

8 So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’

9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.

11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,

12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’

13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’

16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.’”

Commemorated on this day

The Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste: Cyrion (or Quirio), Candidus, Domnus, Hesychius, Heraclus, Smaragdus, Eunocius (or Eunicus), Valens, Vivianus, Claudius, Prescus, Theodulus, Euthychius, John, Xantheas, Helianus, Sisinius, Angius, Aetius, Flavius, Acacius, Ecditius, Lysimachus, Alexander, Elias, Gorgonius, Theophilus, Dometian, Gaius, Leontius, Athanasius, Cyril, Sacerdon, Nicholas, Valerius, Philoctimon, Severian, Chudion, Aglaius, and Meliton (ca. 320). Martyr Urpasianus, of Nicomedia (ca. 295). St. Cæsarius, brother of St. Gregory the Theologian (ca. 369). Righteous Tarasius. The “ALBAZIN” Icon of the Mother of God (“THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH”—1666). Venerable Vitalius of Castronovo (10th c.).