Orthodox Daily Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 42:5-16

6th Hour

5 Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it:

6 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles,

7 to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

8 I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.

9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

10 Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them!

11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

12 Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands.

13 The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.

14 “I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once.

15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will make the rivers coastlands, and I will dry up the pools.

16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.

Old Testament: Genesis 18:20-33

Vespers, 1st reading

20 And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,

21 “I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.

23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 “Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?

25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:

28 “Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”

29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”

30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

Old Testament: Proverbs 16:17-17:17

Vespers, 2nd reading

17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who keeps his way preserves his soul.

18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

21 The wise in heart will be called prudent, and sweetness of the lips increases learning.

22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.

23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.

24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

26 The person who labors, labors for himself, for his hungry mouth drives him on.

27 An ungodly man digs up evil, and it is on his lips like a burning fire.

28 A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends.

29 A violent man entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good.

30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things; he purses his lips and brings about evil.

31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness.

32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.

2 A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, and will share an inheritance among the brothers.

3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.

4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips; a liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue.

5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

6 Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.

7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, much less lying lips to a prince.

8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; wherever he turns, he prospers.

9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.

10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool.

11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly.

13 Whoever rewards evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.

14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, since he has no heart for it?

17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

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 1:24-38

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

Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. Leavetaking of the Annunciation . Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel . Hieromartyr Irenæus, Bishop of Sirmium (304). Martyrs Bathusius and Bercus—Presbyters, Arpilus—Monk, Abibus, Agnus, Reasus, Igathrax, Iscoeus (Iskous), Silas, Signicus, Sonirilus, Suimbalus, Thermus, Phillus (Philgas)—laymen, and the women: Anna, Alla, Larissa, Monco (Manca), Uirko (Virko), Animais (Animaida), Gaatha and Duklida, in the Crimea (375). St. Malchus of Chalcis, Syria (4th c.). Ven. Basil the New, Anchorite, near Constantinople (10th c.). Martyr Montanus, Presbyter, of Singidunum, and his wife, Maxima (235).