Orthodox Daily Readings

Old Testament: Composite 2 - Proverbs 10, 3, 8

Vespers, 1st reading

1 The memory of the righteous is with praise and the blessing of the Lord is upon his head. Blessed is the man who has found wisdom and the mortal who has understanding. For it is better to purchase her than treasuries of gold and silver. She is more precious than precious stones and all that is precious is unworthy of her. For length of days and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are riches and glory. Out of her mouth proceeds righteousness and she bears law and mercy upon her tongue.

2 Hear me, O child, for I will speak noble things. Blessed is the man who keeps my ways, for my ways are the ways of life, and in them is prepared favor from the Lord. Therefore, I pray thee, and utter my voice to the sons of men: For I, wisdom, have dwelt with counsel and knowledge and I have called upon understanding. Counsel and safety are mine, understanding and strength are mine. I love those who love me and those seeking me shall find grace.

3 Understand craftiness, O you who are simple, and imbibe knowledge, you who are untaught. Hear me again, for I will speak noble things: I will open my mouth and from my lips shall come what is right. For my throat shall meditate truth; false lips are an abomination before me. All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing in them that is twisted or perverse. They are all straight to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge.

4 I shall instruct you in truth, so that your hope will be in the Lord and you shall be filled with the Spirit.

Old Testament: Proverbs 10:31-11:12

Vespers, 2nd reading

31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut out.

32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.

2 When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.

7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, and the hope of the unjust perishes.

8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.

9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.

11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace.

Old Testament: Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9

Vespers, 3rd 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.

Epistle: Galatians 5:22-6:2

Epistle, Saint

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Epistle: Ephesians 4:17-25

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Christ,

21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

Gospel: Matthew 11:27-30

Matins Gospel

27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Gospel: Luke 6:17-23

Gospel, Saint

17 And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,

18 as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.

19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

22 Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

Gospel: Luke 4:22-30

22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’”

24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;

26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.

30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

Commemorated on this day

Repose of Ven. Sergius (Sérgii) theWonderworker, Abbot of Rádonezh (1392). Ven. Euphrosyne of Alexandria (5th c.). Ven. Euphrosynē of Suzdal’ (1250). Translation of the Relics of St. Herman, Archbishop of Kazan’ (1595). Martyr Paphnutius and 546 companions in Egypt (3rd c.). Commemoration of the Earthquake of 447 (447).