Lenten Lectionary: The Fourth Week

Monday in the Fourth Week - At the Sixth Hour

Reader: The Troparion of the Prophecy, 7^th Tone:

Choir: O Lord, rebuke not in Thine anger the people that have sinned, nor chasten us in Thy wrath, O Thou Who art good; for all the earth doth glorify Thee, and we pray: spare us, O Holy One.

Glory…. Both Now… And the choir repeats the Troparion

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 61, in the 6^th Tone: In God is my salvation and my glory.

Stichos: Shall not my soul be subjected to God? For from Him is my salvation.

Is 14:24-32

Reader: 24. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, As I have said, so it shall be: and as I have purposed, so [the matter] shall remain: 25. [even] to destroy the Assyrians upon my land, and upon my mountains: and they shall be for trampling; and their yoke shall be taken away from their shoulders. 26. This is the purpose which the Lord has purposed upon the whole earth: and this the hand that is uplifted against all the nations. 27. For what the Holy God has purposed, who shall frustrate? and who shall turn back his uplifted hand? 28. In the year in which king Achaz died this word came. 29. Rejoice not, all ye Philistines, because the yoke of him that smote you is broken: for out of the seed of the serpent shall come forth the young asps, and their young shall come forth flying serpents, 30. And the poor shall be fed by him, and poor men shall rest in peace: but he shall destroy thy seed with hunger, and shall destroy thy remnant. 31. Howl, ye gates of cities; let the cities be troubled and cry, [even] all the Philistines: for smoke is coming from the north, and there is no [possibility] of living. 32. And what shall the kings of the nations answer? That the Lord has founded Sion, and by him the poor of the people shall be saved.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 62, in the 4^th Tone: So shall I bless Thee in my life.

Stichos: O God, my God, unto Thee I rise early at dawn, my soul hath thirsted for Thee.

Monday in the Fourth Week - At Vespers

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 63, in the 6^th Tone: Hearken O God, unto my prayer, when I make supplication unto Thee.

Stichos: Rescue my soul from fear of the enemy.

Gen 8:21 - 9:7

Reader: 21. And the Lord God smelled a smell of sweetness, and the Lord God having considered, said, I will not any more curse the earth, because of the works of men, because the imagination of man is intently bent upon evil things from his youth, I will not therefore any more smite all living flesh as I have done. 22. All the days of the earth, seed and harvest, cold and heat, summer and spring, shall not cease by day or night. 1. And God blessed Noe and his sons, and said to them, Increase and multiply, and fill the earth and have dominion over it. 2. And the dread and the fear of you shall be upon all the wild beasts of the earth, on all the birds of the sky, and on all things moving upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea, I have placed them under your power. 3. And every reptile which is living shall be to you for meat, I have given all things to you as the green herbs. 4. But flesh with blood of life ye shall not eat. 5. For your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of all wild beasts, and I will require the life of man at the hand of his brother man. 6. He that sheds man's blood instead of that blood shall his own be shed, for in the image of God I made man. 7. But do ye increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and have dominion over it.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 64, in the 6^th Tone: Hearken unto us, O God our Savior.

Stichos: To Thee is due praise, O God, in Sion

Prov 11:19 - 12:6

Reader: 19. A righteous son is born for life: but the persecution of the ungodly ends in death. 20. Perverse ways are an abomination to the Lord: but all they that are blameless in their ways are acceptable to him. 21. He that unjustly strikes hands shall not be unpunished: but he that sows righteousness shall receive a faithful reward. 22. As an ornament in a swine's snout, so is beauty to an ill-minded woman. 23. All the desire of the righteous is good: but the hope of the ungodly shall perish. 24. There are some who scatter their own, and make it more: and there are some also who gather, yet have less. 25. Every sincere soul is blessed: but a passionate man is not graceful. 26. May he that hoards corn leave it to the nation: but blessing be on the head of him that gives it. 27. He that devises good counsels seeks good favor: but as for him that seeks after evil, evil shall overtake him. 28. He that trusts in wealth shall fall; but he that helps righteous men shall rise. 29. He that deals not graciously with his own house shall inherit the wind; and the fool shall be servant to the wise man. 30. Out of the fruit of righteousness grows a tree of life; but the souls of transgressors are cut off before their time. 31. If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1. He that loves instruction loves sense, but he that hates reproofs is a fool. 2. He that has found favor with the Lord is made better; but a transgressor shall be passed over in silence. 3. A man shall not prosper by wickedness; but the roots of the righteous shall not be taken up. 4. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; but as a worm in wood, so a bad woman destroys her husband. 5. The thoughts of the righteous are true judgments; but ungodly men devise deceits. 6. The words of ungodly men are crafty; but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

Tuesday in the Fourth Week - At the Sixth Hour

Reader: The Troparion of the Prophecy, 6th Tone:

Choir: Before Thy Cross we bow down, O Master, and Thy Holy resurrection we glorify.

Choir: Glory…. Both Now… And the choir repeats the Troparion

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 65, in the 6^th Tone: Blessed is God Who hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.

Is. 25:1-9

Reader: 1. O Lord God, I will glorify thee, I will sing to thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things, [even] an ancient [and] faithful counsel. So be it. 2. For thou hast made cities a heap, [even] cities [made] strong that their foundations should not fall: the city of ungodly men shall not be built for ever. 3. Therefore shall the poor people bless thee, and cities of injured men shall bless thee. 4. For thou hast been a helper to every lowly city, and a shelter to them that were disheartened by reason of poverty: thou shalt deliver them from wicked men: [thou hast been] a shelter of them that thirst, and a refreshing air to injured men. 5. We [were] as faint-hearted men thirsting in Sion, by reason of ungodly men to whom thou didst deliver us. 6. And the Lord of hosts shall make [a feast] for all the nations: on this mount they shall drink gladness, they shall drink wine: 7. they shall anoint themselves with ointment in this mountain. Impart thou all these things to the nations; for this is [God's] counsel upon all the nations. 8. Death has prevailed and swallowed [men] up; but again the Lord God has taken away every tear from every face. He has taken away the reproach of [his] people from all the earth: for the mouth off the Lord has spoken it. 9. And in that day they shall say, behold our God in whom we have trusted, and he shall save us: this [is] the Lord; we have waited for him, and we have exulted, and will rejoice in our salvation.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 66, in the Sixth Tone: Let God, our God bless us; let God bless us.

Stichos: God be gracious unto us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us and have mercy on us.

Tuesday in the Fourth Week - At Vespers

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 67, in the Sixth Tone: sing unto the Lord, chant unto His name.

Stichos: Prepare ye the way for Him that rideth upon the setting of the sun.

Gen 9:8-17

Reader: 8. And God spoke to Noe and to his sons with him, saying, 9. And behold I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you, 10. and with every living creature with you of birds and of beasts, and with all the wild beasts of the earth, as many as are with you, of all that come out of the ark. 11. And I will establish my covenant with you and all flesh shall not any more die by the water of the flood, and there shall no more be a flood of water to destroy all the earth 12. And the Lord God said to Noe, This is the sign of the covenant which I set between me and you, and between every living creature which is with you for perpetual generations. 13. I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of covenant between me and the earth. 14. And it shall be when I gather clouds upon the earth, that my bow shall be seen in the cloud. 15. And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and between every living soul in all flesh, and there shall no longer be water for a deluge, so as to blot out all flesh. 16. And my bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look to remember the everlasting covenant between me and the earth, and between every living soul in all flesh which is upon the earth. 17. And God said to Noe, This is the sign of the covenant, which I have made between me and all flesh, which is upon the earth.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 68, in the 6^th Tone: May Thy salvation, O God, be quick to help me.

Stichos: Let beggars behold it and be glad.

Prov 12:8-22

Reader: 8. The mouth of an understanding man is praised by a man; but he that is dull of heart is had in derision. 9. Better is a man in dishonor serving himself, than one honoring himself and wanting bread. 10. A righteous man has pity for the lives of his cattle; but the bowels of the ungodly are unmerciful. 11. He that tills his own land shall be satisfied with bread; but they that pursue vanities are void of understanding. He that enjoys himself in banquets of wine, shall leave dishonor in his own strong holds. 12. The desires of the ungodly are evil; but the roots of the godly are firmly set. 13. For the sin of his lips a sinner falls into snares; but a righteous man escapes from them. He whose looks are gentle shall be pitied, but he that contends in the gates will afflict souls. 14. The soul of a man shall be filled with good from the fruits of his mouth; and the recompense of his lips shall be given to him. 15. The ways of fools are right in their own eyes; but a wise man hearkens to counsels. 16. A fool declares his wrath the same day; but a prudent man hides his own disgrace. 17. A righteous man declares the open truth; but an unjust witness is deceitful. 18. Some wound as they speak, like swords; but the tongues of the wise heal. 19. True lips establish testimony; but a hasty witness has an unjust tongue. 20. There is deceit in the heart of him that imagines evil; but they that love peace shall rejoice. 21. No injustice will please a just man; but the ungodly will be filled with mischief. 22. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord; but he that deals faithfully is accepted with him.

Wednesday in the Fourth Week - At the Sixth Hour

Reader: The Troparion of the Prophecy, 6th Tone:

Choir: Before Thy cross we bow down, O Master, and Thy holy resurrection we glorify.

Choir: Glory… Both Now… And the choir repeats the Troparion

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 69, in the 6^th Tone: Let them be glad and rejoice in Thee all that seek after thee, O God.

Stichos: Let them be turned back and brought to shame that desire evils against Thee.

Is 26:21 - 27:9

Reader: 21. For, behold, the Lord is bringing wrath from [his] holy place upon the dwellers on the earth: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall not cover her slain. 1. In that day God shall bring [his] holy and great and strong upon the dragon, even the serpent that flees, upon the dragon, the crooked serpent: he shall destroy the dragon. 2. In that day [there shall be] a fair vineyard, [and a] desire to commence [a song] concerning it. 3. I am a strong city, a city in a siege: in vain shall I water it; for it shall be taken by night, and by day the wall shall fall. 4. There is no woman that has not taken hold of it; who will set me to watch stubble in the field? because of this enemy I have set her aside; therefore on this account the Lord has done all that he appointed. 5. I am burnt up; they that dwell in her shall cry, Let us make peace with him, let us make peace, 6. they that are coming are the children of Jacob. Israel shall bud and blossom, and the world shall be filled with his fruit. 7. Shall he himself be thus smitten, even as he smote? and as he slew, shall he be thus slain? 8. Fighting and reproaching he will dismiss them; didst thou not meditate with a harsh spirit, to slay them with a wrathful spirit? 9. Therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob ye taken away; and this is his blessing, when I shall have taken away his sin; when they shall have broken to pieces all the stones of the altars as fine dust, and their trees shall not remain, and their idols shall be cut off, as a thicket afar off.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 70, in the 6^th Tone: In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me not be put to shame in the age to come.

Stichos: In thy righteousness deliver me.

Wednesday in the Fourth Week - At Vespers

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 71, in the 4^th Tone: Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel.

Stichos: O God, give Thy judgment to the king, and Thy righteousness to the son of the king.

Gen 9:18 - 10:1

Reader: 18. Now the sons of Noe which came out of the ark, were Sem, Cham, Japheth. And Cham was father of Chanaan. 19. These three are the sons of Noe, of these were men scattered over all the earth. 20. And Noe began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard. 21. And he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and was naked in his house. 22. And Cham the father of Chanaan saw the nakedness of his father, and he went out and told his two brothers without. 23. And Sem and Japheth having taken a garment, put it on both their backs and went backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their face was backward and they saw not the nakedness of their father. 24. And Noe recovered from the wine, and knew all that his younger son had done to him. 25. And he said, Cursed be the servant Chanaan, a slave shall he be to his brethren. 26. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Sem, and Chanaan shall be his bond-servant. 27. May God make room for Japheth, and let him dwell in the habitations of Sem, and let Chanaan be his servant. 28. And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29. And all the days of Noe were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died. 1. Now these are the generations of the sons of Noe, Sem, Cham, Japheth; and sons were born to them after the flood.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 72, in the 4^th Tone: But it is good for me to cleave unto God.

Stichos: How good is God to Israel, to them that are upright of heart.

Prov 12:23 - 13:9

Reader: 23. An understanding man is a throne of wisdom; but the heart of fools shall meet with curses. 24. The hand of chosen men shall easily obtain rule; but the deceitful shall be for a prey. 25. A terrible word troubles the heart of a righteous man; but a good message rejoices him. 26. A just arbitrator shall be his own friend; but mischief shall pursue sinners; and the way of ungodly men shall lead them astray. 27. A deceitful man shall catch no game; but a blameless man is a precious possession. 28. In the ways of righteousness is life; but the ways of those that remember injuries lead to death. 1. A wise son is obedient to his father: but a disobedient son will be destroyed. 2. A good man shall eat of the fruits of righteousness: but the lives of transgressors shall perish before their time. 3. He that keeps his own mouth keeps his own life: but he that is hasty with his lips shall bring terror upon himself. 4. Every slothful man desires, but the hands of the active are diligent. 5. A righteous man hates an unjust word: but an ungodly man is ashamed, and will have no confidence. 7. There are some who, having nothing, enrich themselves: and there are some who bring themselves down in the midst of much wealth. 8. A man's own wealth is the ransom of his life: but the poor endures not threatening. 9. The righteous always have light: but the light of the ungodly is quenched. Crafty souls go astray in sins: but just men pity, and are merciful.

Thursday in the Fourth Week - At the Sixth Hour

Reader: The Troparion of the Prophecy, 6th Tone:

Choir: Before thy cross we bow down, O Master, and Thy Holy resurrection we glorify.

Choir: Glory…. Both Now… And the choir repeats the Troparion

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 73, in the 4^th Tone: But God is our king before the ages, He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.

Stichos: O God, why hast Thou cast us off unto the end?

Is 28:14-22

Reader: 14. Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, ye afflicted men, and ye princes of this people that is in Jerusalem. 15. ye have said, We have made a covenant with Hades, and agreements with death; if the rushing storm should pass, it shall not come upon us: we have made falsehood our hope, and by falsehood shall we be protected: 16. Therefore thus saith the Lord, [even] the Lord. Behold, I lay for the foundations of Sion a costly stone, a choice, a corner-stone, a precious [stone], for its foundations; and he that believes [on him] shall by no means be ashamed. 17. And I will cause judgment [to be] for hope, and my compassion shall be for [just] measures, and ye that trust vainly in falsehood [shall fall]: for the storm shall by no means pass by you, 18. except it also take away your covenant of death, and your trust in Hades shall by no means stand: if the rushing storm should come upon you, ye shall be beaten down by it. 19. Whenever it shall pass by, it shall take you; morning by morning it shall pass by in the day, and in the night there shall be an evil hope.  Learn to hear, 20. ye that are distressed; we cannot fight, but we are ourselves too weak for you to be gathered. 21. Lord shall rise up as a mountain of ungodly [men], and shall be in the valley of Gabaon; he shall perform his works with wrath, [even] a work of bitterness, and his wrath shall deal strangely, and his destruction shall be strange. 22. Therefore do not ye rejoice, neither let your bands be made strong; for I have heard of works finished and cut short by the Lord of hosts, which he will execute upon all the earth.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 74, in the 4^th Tone: But as for me, I will rejoice for ever; I will chant unto the God of Jacob.

Stichos: We will confess Thee, O God, we will confess Thee.

Thursday in the Fourth Week - At Vespers

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 75, in the 8^th Tone: Make your vows and pay them to the Lord our God.

Stichos: In Judea is God known, His name is great in Israel.

Gen 10:32 - 11:9

Reader: 32. These are the tribes of the sons of Noe, according to their generations, according to their nations: of them were the islands of the Gentiles scattered over the earth after the flood. 1. And all the earth was one lip, and there was one language to all. 2. And it came to pass as they moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Senaar, and they dwelt there. 3. And a man said to his neighbor, Come, let us make bricks and bake them with fire. And the brick was to them for stone, and their mortar was bitumen. 4. And they said, Come, let us build to ourselves a city and tower, whose top shall be to heaven, and let us make to ourselves a name, before we are scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth. 5. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men built. 6. And the Lord said, Behold, There is one race, and one lip of all, and they have begun to do this and now nothing shall fail from them of all that they may have undertaken to do. 7. Come, and having gone down let us there confound their tongue, that they may not understand each the voice of his neighbor. 8. And the Lord scattered them thence over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city and the tower. 9. On this account its name was called Confusion, because there the Lord confounded the languages of all the earth, and thence the Lord scattered them upon the face of all the earth.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 76, in the 8^th Tone: With my voice unto the Lord have I cried, and He was attentive unto me.

Stichos: In the day of mine affliction I sought out God.

Prov 13:19 - 14:6

Reader: 19. The desires of the godly gladden the soul, but the works of the ungodly are far from knowledge. 20. If thou walkest with wise men thou shalt be wise: but he that walks with fools shall be known. 21. Evil shall pursue sinners; but good shall overtake the righteous. 22. A good man shall inherit children's children; and the wealth of ungodly men is laid up for the just. 23. The righteous shall spend many years in wealth: but the unrighteous shall perish suddenly. 24. He that spares the rod hates his son: but he that loves, carefully chastens him. 25. A just man eats and satisfies his soul: but the souls of the ungodly are in want. 1. Wise women build houses: but a foolish one digs hers down with her hands. 2. He that walks uprightly fears the Lord; but he that is perverse in his ways shall be dishonored. 3. Out of the mouth of fools comes a rod of pride; but the lips of the wise preserve them. 4. Where no oxen are, the cribs are clean; but where there is abundant produce, the strength of the ox is apparent. 5. A faithful witness does not lie; but an unjust witness kindles falsehoods. 6. Thou shalt seek wisdom with bad men, and shalt not find it; but discretion is easily available with the prudent.

Friday in the Fourth Week - At the Sixth Hour

Reader: The Troparion of the Prophecy, 6th Tone:

Choir: Before thy cross we bow down, O Master, and Thy Holy resurrection we glorify.

Choir: Glory… Both Now… And the choir repeats the Troparion

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 77, in the 6^th Tone: But He is compassionate and will be gracious unto their sins.

Stichos: Give heed, O my people, to my law.

Is 29:13-23

Reader: 13. And the Lord has said, this people draw nigh to me with their mouth, and they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me: but in vain do they worship me, teaching the commandments and doctrines of men. 14. Therefore behold I will proceed to remove this people, and I will remove them: and I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will hide the understanding of the prudent. 15. Woe to them that deepen their counsel, and not by the Lord. Woe to them that take secret counsel, and whose works darkness, and they say, Who has seen us? 16. Shall ye not be counted as clay of the potter? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Thou didst not form me? or the work to the maker, Thou hast not made me wisely? 17. [Is it] not yet a little while, and Libanus shall be changed as the mountains of Chermel, and Chermel shall be reckoned as a forest? 18. And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and they that are in darkness, and they that are in mist: the eyes of the blind shall see, 19. and the poor shall rejoice with joy because of the Lord, and they that had no hope among men shall be filled with joy. 20. The lawless man has come to nought, and the proud man has perished, and they that transgress mischievously have been utterly destroyed: 21. and they that cause men to sin by a word: and men shall make all that reprove in the gates an offense, because they have unjustly turned aside the righteous. 22. Therefore this saith the Lord concerning the house of Jacob, whom he set apart from Abraam, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall he now change countenance. 23. But when their children shall have seen my works, they shall sanctify my name for my sake, and they shall fear the God of Israel.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 78, in the 5^th Tone: Help us, O God our Saviour.

Stichos: O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance.

Friday in the Fourth Week - At Vespers

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 79, in the 4^th Tone: O Shepherd of Israel, attend, Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep.

Stichos: Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, manifest Thyself.

Gen 12:1-7

Reader: 1. And the Lord said to Abram, Go forth out of thy land and out of thy kindred, and out of the house of thy father, and come into the land which shall show thee. 2. And I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed. 3. And I will bless those that bless thee, and curse those that curse thee, and in thee shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed. 4. And Abram went as the Lord spoke to him, and Lot departed with him, and Abram was seventy five years old, when he went out of Charrhan. 5. And Abram took Sara his wife, and Lot the son of his brother, and all their possessions, as many as they had got, and every soul which they had got in Charrhan, and they went forth to go into the land of Chanaan. 6. And Abram traversed the land lengthwise as far as the place Sychem, to the high oak, and the Chananites then inhabited the land. 7. And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, I will give this land to thy seed. And Abram built an altar there to the Lord who appeared to him.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 80, in the 4^th Tone: Rejoice in God our helper.

Stichos: Take up a psalm, and bring the timbrel.

Prov 14:15-26

Reader: 15. The simple believes every word: but the prudent man betakes himself to after-thought. 16. A wise man fears, and departs from evil; but the fool trusts in himself, and joins himself with the transgressor. 17. A passionate man acts inconsiderately; but a sensible man bears up under many things. 18. Fools shall have mischief for their portion; but the prudent shall take fast hold of understanding. 19. Evil men shall fall before the good; and the ungodly shall attend at the gates of the righteous. 20. Friends will hate poor friends; but the friends of the rich are many. 21. He that dishonors the needy sins: but he that has pity on the poor is most blessed. 22. They that go astray devise evils: but the good devise mercy and truth. The framers of evil do not understand mercy and truth: but compassion and faithfulness are with the framers of good. 23. With every one who is careful there is abundance: but the pleasure-taking and indolent shall be in want. 24. A prudent man is the crown of the wise: but the occupation of fools is evil. 25. A faithful witness shall deliver a soul from evil: but a deceitful man kindles falsehoods. 26. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and he leaves his children a support.