Orthodox Daily Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 41:4-14

6th Hour

4 Who has performed and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? ‘I, the Lord, am the first; and with the last I am He.’”

5 The coastlands saw it and feared, the ends of the earth were afraid; they drew near and came.

6 Everyone helped his neighbor, and said to his brother, “Be of good courage!”

7 So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith; he who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil, Saying, “It is ready for the soldering”; then he fastened it with pegs, that it might not totter.

8 “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend.

9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away:

10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

11 “Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish.

12 You shall seek them and not find them – those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing.

13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

14 “Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Old Testament: Genesis 17:1-9

Vespers, 1st reading

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.

2 “And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:

4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

5 “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 “I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

7 “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.

8 “Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

9 And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

Old Testament: Proverbs 15:20-16:9

Vespers, 2nd reading

20 A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother.

21 Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, but a man of understanding walks uprightly.

22 Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.

23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!

24 The way of life winds upward for the wise, that he may turn away from hell below.

25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow.

26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant.

27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.

28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good report makes the bones healthy.

31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise.

32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.

1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits.

3 Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.

4 The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.

6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8 Better is a little with righteousness, than vast revenues without justice.

9 A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Old Testament: Exodus 3:1-8

Vespers, 3rd reading, Theotokos

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

7 And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

8 “So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites

Old Testament: Proverbs 8:22-30

Vespers, 4th reading, Theotokos

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.

23 I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth;

26 while as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world.

27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

29 when He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him,

Epistle: Hebrews 2:11-18

Epistle, Theotokos

11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

13 And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.

17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Gospel: Luke 1:39-49, 56

Matins Gospel, Theotokos

39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,

40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.

56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

Gospel: Luke 1:24-38

Gospel, Theotokos

24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying,

25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Commemorated on this day

The Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady, Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary .