Daily Scripture

Vespers

Proverbs 10.7-7; Proverbs 10.6-6; Proverbs 3.13-16; Proverbs 8.32-32; Proverbs 8.34-35; Proverbs 8.4-4; Proverbs 8.12-12; Proverbs 8.14-14; Proverbs 8.17-17; Proverbs 8.5-9

Read in context

Verse selection is approximate — the original composite is a stitched paraphrase.

7The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

6Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

14For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

16Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

32Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.

34Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

35For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.

4Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.

12I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.

14Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

17I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

5O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

6Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

7For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

9They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

Vespers

Proverbs 10.2-2; Proverbs 10.28-28; Proverbs 10.31-32; Wisdom of Solomon 6.12-16; Wisdom of Solomon 7.30-30; Wisdom of Solomon 8.2-4; Wisdom of Solomon 8.7-8; Wisdom of Solomon 8.13-13; Wisdom of Solomon 9.1-5; Wisdom of Solomon 9.10-10; Wisdom of Solomon 9.14-14

Read in context

Verse selection is approximate — the original composite is a stitched paraphrase.

2Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

28The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

31The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.

32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

12Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth away: yea, she is easily seen of them that love her, and found of such as seek her.

13She preventeth them that desire her, in making herself first known unto them.

14Whoso seeketh her early shall have no great travail: for he shall find her sitting at his doors.

15To think therefore upon her is perfection of wisdom: and whoso watcheth for her shall quickly be without care.

16For she goeth about seeking such as are worthy of her, sheweth herself favourably unto them in the ways, and meeteth them in every thought.

30For after this cometh night: but vice shall not prevail against wisdom.

2I loved her, and sought her out from my youth, I desired to make her my spouse, and I was a lover of her beauty.

3In that she is conversant with God, she magnifieth her nobility: yea, the Lord of all things himself loved her.

4For she is privy to the mysteries of the knowledge of God, and a lover of his works.

7And if a man love righteousness her labours are virtues: for she teacheth temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude: which are such things, as men can have nothing more profitable in their life.

8If a man desire much experience, she knoweth things of old, and conjectureth aright what is to come: she knoweth the subtilties of speeches, and can expound dark sentences: she foreseeth signs and wonders, and the events of seasons and times.

13Moreover by the means of her I shall obtain immortality, and leave behind me an everlasting memorial to them that come after me.

1O God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things with thy word,

2And ordained man through thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the creatures which thou hast made,

3And order the world according to equity and righteousness, and execute judgment with an upright heart:

4Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne; and reject me not from among thy children:

5For I thy servant and son of thine handmaid am a feeble person, and of a short time, and too young for the understanding of judgment and laws.

10O send her out of thy holy heavens, and from the throne of thy glory, that being present she may labour with me, that I may know what is pleasing unto thee.

14For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our devices are but uncertain.

Vespers

Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15

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7But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest.

8For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.

9But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age.

10He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated.

11Yea speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul.

12For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind.

13He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:

14For his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked.

15This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen.

Matins Gospel

John 10.9-16

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9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10The 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.

11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

12But 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.

13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16And 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.

Epistle

1 John 3.21-4.6

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3:21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

3:22And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

3:23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

3:24And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

4:1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

4:2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

4:3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4:4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

4:5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

4:6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Epistle — St Theodosius

Hebrews 13.17-21

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17Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

18Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

19But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

21Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel

Mark 14.43-15.1

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14:43And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

14:44And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.

14:45And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.

14:46And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

14:47And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

14:48And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?

14:49I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.

14:50And they all forsook him, and fled.

14:51And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:

14:52And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

14:53And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.

14:54And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

14:55And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.

14:56For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.

14:57And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,

14:58We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

14:59But neither so did their witness agree together.

14:60And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

14:61But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

14:62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

14:63Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?

14:64Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

14:65And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

14:66And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:

14:67And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.

14:68But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

14:69And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.

14:70And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

14:71But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

14:72And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

15:1And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

Gospel — St Theodosius

Luke 6.17-23

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17And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

18And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

19And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

21Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

22Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

23Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009