Orthodox Daily Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 40:18-31

6th Hour

18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?

19 The workman molds an image, the goldsmith overspreads it with gold, and the silversmith casts silver chains.

20 Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks for himself a skillful workman to prepare a carved image that will not totter.

21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.

24 Scarcely shall they be planted, scarcely shall they be sown, scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, when He will also blow on them, and they will wither, and the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

25 “To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high, and see Who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God”?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall,

31 but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Old Testament: Genesis 15:1-15

Vespers, 1st reading

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”

5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

7 Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”

8 And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”

9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.

11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.

13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.

14 “And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.

15 “Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.

Old Testament: Proverbs 15:7-19

Vespers, 2nd reading

7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but the heart of the fool does not do so.

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him who follows righteousness.

10 Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, and he who hates correction will die.

11 Hell and Destruction are before the Lord; so how much more the hearts of the sons of men.

12 A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise.

13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.

17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.

18 A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.

19 The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway.

Old Testament: Genesis 28:10-17

Vespers, 3rd reading, Theotokos

10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.

11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.

12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.

14 “Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

15 “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

Old Testament: Ezekiel 43:27-44:4

Vespers, 4th reading, Theotokos

27 ‘When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,’ says the Lord God.”

1 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut.

2 And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.

3 “As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.”

4 Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; and I fell on my face.

Old Testament: Proverbs 9:1-11

Vespers, 5th reading, Theotokos

1 Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars;

2 she has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table.

3 She has sent out her maidens, she cries out from the highest places of the city,

4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.

6 Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.

7 He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.

8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;

9 give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”

Commemorated on this day

Forefeast of the Annunciation . Ven. Zachariah the Recluse. St. Artemius (Artemon), Bishop of Seleucia (1st-2nd c.). Ven. Zachariah, Ascetic, of the Kiev Caves (Far Caves—13th-14th c.). Martyrs Stephen and Peter of Kazan’ (1552).