Monday in the Second Week - At the Sixth Hour 

Reader: The Troparion of the Prophecy, in the 5th Tone: 

Choir: O Thou that alone fashioned our hearts, remember that we are dust; condemn us not to the nethermost parts of the earth, O Sinless One.

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

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 21, in the 6th Tone: Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him. 

Stichos: O God my God, attend to me, why hast Thou forsaken me?

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Is 4:2 - 5:7

Reader: 2. And in that day God shall shine gloriously in counsel on the earth, to exalt and glorify the remnant of Israel. 3. And it shall be, that the remnant left in Sion, and the remnant left in Jerusalem, even all that are appointed to life in Jerusalem, shall be called holy. 4. For the Lord shall wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Sion, and shall purge out the blood from the midst of them, with the spirit of judgment, and the spirit of burning. 5. And he shall come, and it shall be with regard to every place of mount Sion, yea, all the region round about it shall a cloud overshadow by day, and there shall be as it were the smoke and light of fire burning by night: and upon all the glory shall be a defense. 6. And it shall be for a shadow from the heat, and as a shelter and a hiding place from inclemency of weather and from rain. 1. Now I will sing to my beloved a song of my beloved concerning my vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a high hill in a fertile place. 2. And I made a hedge round it, and dug a trench, and planted a choice vine, and built a tower in the midst of it and dug a place for the wine vat in it: and I waited for it to bring forth grapes, and it brought forth thorns. 3. And now, ye dwellers in Jerusalem, and every man of Juda, judge between me and my vineyard. 4. What shall I do any more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? Whereas I expected it to bring forth grapes, but it has brought forth thorns. 5. And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be for a spoil; and I will pull down its walls, and it shall be left to be trodden down. 6. And I will forsake my vineyard; and it shall not be pruned, nor dug, and thorns shall come up upon it as on barren land; and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it. 7. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Juda his beloved plant: I expected it to bring forth judgment, and it brought forth iniquity; and not righteousness, but a cry. 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 22, in the 6th Tone: Thy rod and Thy staff, they have comforted me.

Stichos: The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not want.

Monday in the Second Week - At Vespers 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 23, in the 1st Tone: The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in war.

Stichos: The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Genesis.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Gen 3:21 - 4:7 

Reader: 21. And Adam called the name of his wife Life, because she was the mother of all living. 22. And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, and clothed them. 23. And God said, Behold, Adam is become as one of us, to know good and evil and now lest at any time he stretch forth his hand, and take of the tree of life and eat, and so he shall live for ever -- 24. So the Lord God sent him forth out of the garden of Delight to cultivate the ground out of which he was taken. 25. And he cast out Adam and caused him to dwell over against the garden of Delight, and stationed the cherubs and the fiery sword that turns about to keep the way of the tree of life. 1. And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain and said I have gained a man through God. 2. And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3. And it was so after some time that Cain brought of the fruits of the earth a sacrifice to the Lord. 4. And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his sheep and of his fatlings and God looked upon Abel and his gifts, 5. but Cain and his sacrifices he regarded not, and Cain was exceedingly sorrowful and his countenance fell. 6. And the Lord God said to Cain, Why art thou become very sorrowful and why is thy countenance fallen? 7. Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him. 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 24, in the 6th Tone: Look upon me, and have mercy on me.

Stichos: Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Proverbs.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Prov 3:34 - 4:26 

Reader: 34. The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble. 35. The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted their own dishonor. 1. Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2. For I give you a good gift; forsake ye not my law. 3. For I also was a son obedient to my father, and loved in the sight of my mother: 4. who spoke and instructed me, saying, Let our speech be fixed in thine heart, keep our commandments, forget them not: 5. and do not neglect the speech of my mouth. 6. And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to thee: love it, and it shall keep thee. 7. Secure it, and it shall exalt thee: honor it, that it may embrace thee; 8. that it may give unto thy head a crown of graces, and may cover thee with a crown of delight. 9. Hear, my son, and receive my words; and the years of thy life shall be increased, that the resources of thy life may be many. 10. For I teach thee the ways of wisdom; and I cause thee to go in right paths. 11. For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed. 12. Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, -- but keep it for thyself for thy life. 13. Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors. 14. In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not thither; but turn from them, and pass away. 15. For they cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not. 16. For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression. 17. But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come. 18. But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble. 19. My son, attend to my speech; and apply thine ear to my words: 20. that thy fountains may not fail thee; keep them in thine heart. 21. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 22. Keep thine heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life. 23. Remove from thee a forward mouth, and put far away from thee unjust lips. 24. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids assent to just things. 25. Make straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways aright. 26. Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from an evil way: [for God knows the ways on the right hand, but those on the left are crooked:] and he will make thy ways straight, and will guide thy steps in peace. 

Tuesday in the Second Week - At the Sixth Hour 

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

Choir: We cannot hymn Thee as is meet, but we ask as we pray: destroy us not with our iniquities, O Lord Who art ready to do good things.

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

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 25, in the 6th Tone: O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth.

Stichos: Judge me, O Lord, for in mine innocence have I walked.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Is. 5:7-16 

Reader: 7. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Juda [his] beloved plant: I expected [it] to bring forth judgment, and it brought forth iniquity; and not righteousness, but a cry. 8. Woe to [them] that join house to house, and add field to field, that they may take away something of their neighbor's. Will ye dwell alone upon the land? 9. For these things have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts: for though many houses should be built, many and fair houses shall ye desolate, and there shall ye no inhabitants in them. 10. For where ten yoke of oxen plough [the land] shall yield one jar-full, and he that sows six homers shall produce three measures. 11. Woe [to them] that rise up in the morning and follow strong drink; who wait [at it till] evening: for the wine shall inflame them. 12. For they drink wine with harp, and psaltery, and drums, and pipes: but they regard not the works of the Lord, consider not the works of his hands. 13. Therefore my people have been taken captive, because they know not the Lord: and there has been a multitude of dead [bodies], because of hunger and of thirst for water. 14. Therefore hell has enlarged its desire and opened its mouth without ceasing: and her glorious and great, and her rich and her pestilent men shall go down [into it]. 15. And the mean man shall be brought low, and the great man shall be disgraced, and the lofty eyes shall be brought low. 16. But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and the holy God shall be glorified in righteousness.

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 26, in the 3rd Tone: The Lord is my light and my savior; whom then shall I fear?

Stichos: The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?

Tuesday in the Second Week - At Vespers 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 27, in the 6th Tone: Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance.

Stichos: Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry; O my God, be not silent unto me.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Genesis.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Gen 4:8-15 

Reader: 8. And Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go out into the plain; and it came to pass that when they were in the plain Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. 9. And the Lord God said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? and he said, I know not, am I my brother's keeper? 10. And the Lord said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood cries to me out of the ground. 11. And now thou art cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. 12. When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning and trembling on the earth. 13. And Cain said to the Lord God, My crime is too great for me to be forgiven. 14. If thou castest me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy presence, and I shall be groaning and trembling upon the earth, then it will be that any one that finds me shall slay me. 15. And the Lord God said to him, Not so, any one that slays Cain shall suffer seven-fold vengeance; and the Lord God set a mark upon Cain that no one that found him might slay him. 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 28, in the 7th Tone: The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Stichos: Bring unto the Lord, ye sons of God, bring unto the Lord the sons of rams.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Proverbs.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Prov 5:1-15 

Reader: 1. My son, attend to my wisdom, and apply thine ear to my words; 2. that thou mayest keep good understanding, and the discretion of my lips gives thee a charge. Give no heed to a worthless woman; 3. for honey drops from the lips of a harlot, who for a season pleases thy palate: 4. but afterwards thou wilt find her more bitter than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword. 5. For the feet of folly lead those who deal with her down to the grave with death; and her steps are not established. 6. For she goes not upon the paths of life; but her ways are slippery, and not easily known. 7. Now then, my son, hear me, and make not my words of none effect. 8. Remove thy way far from her; draw not near to the doors of her house: 9. lest thou give away thy life to others, and thy substance to the merciless: 10. lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labors come into the houses of strangers; 11. and thou repent at last, when the flesh of thy body is consumed, 12. and thou shalt say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart avoided reproofs! 13. I heard not the voice of him that instructed me, and taught me, neither did I apply mine ear. 14. I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. 15. Drink waters out of thine own vessels, and out of thine own springing wells. 

Wednesday in the Second Week - At the Sixth Hour 

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

Choir: O Thou Most High Who dwellest in the heavens, Creator of every breath, save us, O God: for we have hoped in Thee, O our Savior.

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

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 29, in the 5th Tone: Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and unto My God will I make supplication.

Stichos: I will exalt Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Is 5:16-25 

Reader: 5. But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and the holy God shall be glorified in righteousness. 17. 18. Woe [to them] that draw sins to them as with a long rope, and iniquities as with a thong of the heifer's yoke: 19. who say, Let him speedily hasten what he will do, that we may see [it]: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know [it]. 20. Woe [to them] that call evil good, and good evil; who make darkness light, and light darkness; who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter. 21. Woe [to them] that are wise in their own conceit, and knowing in their own sight. 22. Woe to the strong [ones] of you that drink wine, and the mighty [ones] that mingle strong drink: 23. who justify the ungodly for rewards, and take away the righteousness of the righteous. 24. Therefore as stubble shall be burnt by a coal of fire, and shall be consumed by a violent flame, their root shall be as chaff, and their flower shall go up as dust: for they rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and insulted the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25. Therefore the Lord of hosts was greatly angered against his people, and he reached forth his hand upon them, and smote them: and the mountains were troubled, and their carcasses were as dung in the midst of the way: yet for all this his anger has not been turned away, but his hand is yet raised. 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 30, in the 6th 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, and rescue me.

Wednesday in the Second Week - At Vespers 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 31, in the 6th Tone: Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous.

Stichos: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Genesis.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Gen 4:16-26 

Reader: 16. So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem. 17. And Cain knew his wife, and having conceived she bore Enoch; and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18. And to Enoch was born Gaidad; and Gaidad begot Maleleel; and Maleleel begot Mathusala; and Mathusala begot Lamech. 19. And Lamech took to himself two wives; the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the second Sella. 20. And Ada bore Jobel; he was the father of those that dwell in tents, feeding cattle. 21. And the name of his brother was Jubal; he it was who invented the psaltery and harp. 22. And Sella also bore Thobel; he was a smith, a manufacturer both of brass and iron: and the sister of Thobel was Noma. 23. And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, consider my words, because I have slain a man to my sorrow and a youth to my grief. 24. Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain's behalf, on Lamech's it shall be seventy times seven. 25. And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Seth, saying, For God has raised up to me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 26. And Seth had a son, and he called his name Enos: he hoped to call on the name of the Lord God. 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 32, in the 1st Tone: Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee.

Stichos: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright.

Deacon: Command:
Priest: Wisdom! Aright! The Light of Christ…
(Prostration by all as Priest exclaims, holding the candle and censer in between the Royal doors, facing the people)

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Proverbs.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Prov 5:15 - 6:3 

15. Drink waters out of thine own vessels, and out of thine own springing wells. 16. Let not waters out of thy fountain be spilt by thee, but let thy waters go into thy streets. 17. Let them be only thine own, and let no stranger partake with thee. 18. Let thy fountain of water be truly thine own; and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19. Let thy loving hart and thy graceful colt company with thee, and let her be considered thine own, and be with thee at all times; for ravished with her love thou shalt be greatly increased. 20. Be not intimate with a strange woman, neither fold thyself in the arms of a woman not thine own. 21. For the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and he looks on all his paths. 22. Iniquities ensnare a man, and every one is bound in the chains of his own sins. 23. Such a man dies with the uninstructed; and he is cast forth from the abundance of his own substance, and has perished through folly. 1. My son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy. 2. For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth. 3. My son, do what I command thee, and deliver thyself; for on thy friend's account thou art come into the power of evil men: faint not, but stir up even thy friend for whom thou art become surety. 

Thursday in the Second Week - At the Sixth Hour 

Reader: The Troparion of the Prophecy, 1st Tone: 

Choir: Raise up us the fallen, make us to return, for we have turned away from Thee, O God, Lover of mankind, Who upholdeth the ends of the earth.

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

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 33, in the 6th Tone: I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my tribulations.

Stichos: I will bless the Lord at all times.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Is 6:1-12 

Reader: And it came to pass in the year in which king Ozias died, [that] I saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne, and the house was full of his glory. 2. And seraphs stood round about him: each one had six wings: and with two they covered [their] face, and with two they covered [their] feet, and with two they flew. 3. And one cried to the other, and they said, Holy, holy, holy [is the] Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4. And the lintel shook at the voice they uttered, and the house was filled with smoke. 5. And I said, Woe is me, for I am pricked to the heart; for being a man, and having unclean lips, and I have seen with mine eyes the King, the Lord of hosts. 6. And there was sent to me one of the seraphs, and he had in his hand, a coal, which he had taken off the altar with the tongs: 7. and he touched my mouth, and said, Behold, this has touched thy lips, and will take away thine iniquities, and will purge off thy sins. 8. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And I said, behold, I am [here], send me. And he said, Go, and say to this people. 9. Ye shall hear indeed, but ye shall not understand; and ye shall see indeed, but ye shall not perceive. 10. For the heart of this people has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 11. And I said, How long O Lord? And he said, Until cities be deserted by reason of their not being inhabited, and the houses by reason of there being no men, and the land shall be left desolate. 12. And after this God shall remove the men far off, and they that are left upon the land shall be multiplied. 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 34, in the 6th Tone: Arise, O Lord, and be attentive unto my judgment.

Stichos: Judge them, O Lord, that do me injustice.

Thursday in the Second Week - At Vespers 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 35, in the 4th Tone: O Lord, Thy mercy is in heaven, and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

Stichos: Thy righteousness is as the mountains of God, Thy judgments are a great abyss.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Genesis.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Gen 5:1-24 

Reader: 1. This is the genealogy of men in the day in which God made Adam; in the image of God he made him: 2. male and female he made them, and blessed them; and he called his name Adam, in the day in which he made them. 3. And Adam lived two hundred and thirty years, and begot a son after his own form and after his own image, and he called his name Seth. 4. And the days of Adam, which he lived after his begetting Seth, were seven hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters. 5. And all the days of Adam which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. 6. Now Seth lived two hundred and five years, and begot Enos. 7. And Seth lived after his begetting Enos, seven hundred and seven years, and he begot sons and daughters. 8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. 9. And Enos lived an hundred and ninety years, and begot Cainan. 10. And Enos lived after his begetting Cainan, seven hundred and fifteen and he begot sons and daughters. 11. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died. 12. And Cainan lived an hundred and seventy years, and he begot Maleleel. 13. And Cainan lived after his begetting Maleleel, seven hundred and forty years, and he begot son and daughters. 14. And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. 15. And Maleleel lived an hundred and sixty and five years, and he begot Jared. 16. And Maleleel lived after his begetting Jared, seven hundred and thirty years, and he begot sons and daughters. 17. And all the days of Maleleel were eight hundred and ninety and five years, and he died. 18. And Jared lived an hundred and two years, and begot Enoch: 19. and Jared lived after his begetting Enoch, eight hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters. 20. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty and two years, and he died. 21. And Enoch lived an hundred and sixty and five years, and begat Mathusala. 22. And Enoch was well-pleasing to God after his begetting Mathusala, two hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters. 23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty and five years. 24. And Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and was not found, because God translated him. 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 36, in the 6th Tone: Wait on the Lord, and keep His way.

Stichos: Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, nor envy them that work iniquity.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Proverbs.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Prov 6:3-20 

Reader: 3. My son, do what I command thee, and deliver thyself; for on thy friend's account thou art come into the power of evil men: faint not, but stir up even thy friend for whom thou art become surety. 4. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids; 5. that thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare. 6. Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he. 7. For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master, 8. he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labors kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honoring wisdom. 9. How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep? 10. Thou sleepest a little, and thou restest a little, and thou slumberest a short time, and thou foldest thine arms over thy breast a little. 11. Then poverty comes upon thee as an evil traveler, and want as a swift courier: but if thou be diligent, thine harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier. 12. A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good. 13. And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers. 14. His perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city. 15. Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin. 16. For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul. 17. The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just; 18. and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, -- are hateful to God. 19. An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren. 20. My son, keep the laws of thy father, and reject not the ordinances of thy mother: 

Friday in the Second Week - At the Sixth Hour 

Reader: The Troparion of the Prophecy, 1st Tone: 

Choir: By night and by day we fall down before Thee, O Lord, imploring Thee to grant unto our souls remission of sins, that in peace we may worship and glorify Thee, O Lover of mankind.

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

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 37, in the 4th Tone:  O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger, nor chasten me in Thy wrath.

Stichos: For Thine arrows are fastened in me.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Is 7:1-14 

Reader: And it came to pass in the days of Achaz [the son] of Joatham, the son of Ozias, king of Juda, there came in Rasin king of Aram, and Phakee son of Romelias, king of Israel, against Jerusalem to war against it, but they could not take it. 2. And a message was brought to the house of David, saying, Aram has conspired with Ephraim. And his soul was amazed, and the soul of his people, as in a wood a tree is moved by the wind. 3. And the Lord said to Esaias, Go forth to meet Achaz, thou, and thy son Jasub who is left, to the pool of the upper way of the fuller's field. 4. And thou shalt say to him, Take care to be quiet, and fear not, neither let thy soul be disheartened because of these two smoking firebrands: for when my fierce anger is over, I will heal again. 5. And [as for] the son of Aram, and the son of Romelias, forasmuch as they have devised an evil counsel [saying], 6. We will go up against Judea, and having conferred with them we will make the son of Tabeel king of it; 7. thus saith the Lord of hosts, This counsel shall not abide, nor come to pass. 8. But the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus, Rasim; and yet within sixty and five years the kingdom of Ephraim shall cease from [being] a people. 9. And the head of Ephraim is Somoron, and the head of Somoron the son of Romelias: but if ye believe not, neither will ye at all understand. 10. And the Lord again spoke to Achaz, saying, 11. Ask for thyself a sign of the Lord thy God, in the depth or in the height. 12. And Achaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. 13. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; is it a little thing for you to contend against the Lord? 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel. 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 38, in the 6th Tone: Hearken unto my prayer, O Lord, and unto my supplication give ear.

Stichos: I said: I will take heed to my ways lest I sin with my tongue.

 

Friday in the Second Week - At Vespers 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 39, in the 4th Tone: Let Thy mercy and Thy truth continually help me.

Stichos: With patience I waited patiently for the Lord, and He was attentive unto me.

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Genesis.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Gen 5:32-6:8 

Reader: 1. And Noe was five hundred years old, and he begot three sons, Sem, Cham, and Japheth. 2. And it came to pass when men began to be numerous upon the earth, and daughters were born to them, 3. that the sons of God having seen the daughters of men that they were beautiful, took to themselves wives of all whom they chose. 4. And the Lord God said, My Spirit shall certainly not remain among these men for ever, because they are flesh, but their days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 5. Now the giants were upon the earth in those days; and after that when the sons of God were wont to go in to the daughters of men, they bore children to them, those were the giants of old, the men of renown. 6. And the Lord God having seen that the wicked actions of men were multiplied upon the earth, and that every one in his heart was intently brooding over evil continually, 7. then God laid it to heart that he had made man upon the earth, and he pondered it deeply. 8. And God said, I will blot out man whom I have made from the face of the earth, even man with cattle, and reptiles with flying creatures of the sky, for I am grieved that I have made them. 

Reader: The Prokeimenon, Psalm 40, in the 6th Tone: I said: O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul

Stichos: Blessed is the man that hath understanding for the poor man and the pauper.

Deacon: Command:
Priest: Wisdom! Aright! The Light of Christ…(Prostration by all)

Deacon: Wisdom! 
	Reader: The reading is from Proverbs.	Deacon:  Let us attend!	

Prov 6:20 - 7:5, 7:24-8:1 

Reader: 20. My son, keep the laws of thy father, and reject not the ordinances of thy mother: 21. but bind them upon thy soul continually, and hang them as a chain about thy neck. 22. Whensoever thou walkest, lead this along and let it be with thee; and when thou sleepest let it keep thee; that it may talk with thee when thou wakest. 23. For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction: 24. to keep thee continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue. 25. Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou caught by thine eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids. 26. For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men. 27. Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments? 28. or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet? 29. So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her. 30. It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul: 31. but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods. 32. But the adulterer through want of sense procures destruction to his soul. 33. He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off. 34. For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35. He will not forego his enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts. 1. My son, keep my words, and hide with thee my commandments. 2. My son, honor the Lord, and thou shalt be strong; and fear none but him; keep my commandments, and thou shalt live; and keep my words as the pupils of thine eyes. 3. And bind them on thy fingers, and write them on the table of thine heart. 4. Say that wisdom is thy sister, and gain prudence as an acquaintance for thyself; 5. that she may keep thee from the strange and wicked woman, if she should assail thee with flattering words. 24. Now then, my son, hearken to me, and attend to the words of my mouth. 25. Let not thine heart turn aside to her ways: 26. for she has wounded and cast down many, and those whom she has slain are innumerable. 27. Her house is the way of hell, leading down to the chambers of death. 1. Thou shalt proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to thee. 

Saturday in the Second Week - At Liturgy 

Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.
Commemoration of the Dead.
.
Hebrews 3:12-16

     12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

Commemoration of the Dead:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

     13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Mark 1:35-44

     35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. 38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. 39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils. 40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. 42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. 43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; 44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Commemoration of the Dead:
John 5:24-30

     24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Sunday in the Second Week - At Liturgy 

Liturgy of St Basil.
Commemoration of St Gregory Palamas.

Hebrews 1:10-2:3

     10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? 1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

St. Gregory Palamas.
Hebrews 7:26-8:2

     26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. 1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Mark 2:1-12

     1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

St. Gregory Palamas
John 10:9-16

     9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.