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 4.1-1; Wisdom of Solomon 6.11-11; Wisdom of Solomon 6.17-18; Wisdom of Solomon 6.21-22; Wisdom of Solomon 7.15-16; Wisdom of Solomon 7.22-23; Wisdom of Solomon 7.26-27; Wisdom of Solomon 7.29-30; Wisdom of Solomon 2.10-22

Read in context

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

1Better it is to have no children, and to have virtue: for the memorial thereof is immortal: because it is known with God, and with men.

11Wherefore set your affection upon my words; desire them, and ye shall be instructed.

17For the very true beginning of her is the desire of discipline; and the care of discipline is love;

18And love is the keeping of her laws; and the giving heed unto her laws is the assurance of incorruption;

21If your delight be then in thrones and sceptres, O ye kings of the people, honour wisdom, that ye may reign for evermore.

22As for wisdom, what she is, and how she came up, I will tell you, and will not hide mysteries from you: but will seek her out from the beginning of her nativity, and bring the knowledge of her into light, and will not pass over the truth.

15God hath granted me to speak as I would, and to conceive as is meet for the things that are given me: because it is he that leadeth unto wisdom, and directeth the wise.

16For in his hand are both we and our words; all wisdom also, and knowledge of workmanship.

22For wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me: for in her is an understanding spirit holy, one only, manifold, subtil, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good quick, which cannot be letted, ready to do good,

23Kind to man, steadfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and going through all understanding, pure, and most subtil, spirits.

26For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness.

27And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets.

29For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it.

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

10Let us oppress the poor righteous man, let us not spare the widow, nor reverence the ancient gray hairs of the aged.

11Let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth.

12Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous; because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings: he upbraideth us with our offending the law, and objecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education.

13He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and he calleth himself the child of the Lord.

14He was made to reprove our thoughts.

15He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his life is not like other men’s, his ways are of another fashion.

16We are esteemed of him as counterfeits: he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness: he pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his father.

17Let us see if his words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him.

18For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies.

19Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience.

20Let us condemn him with a shameful death: for by his own saying he shall be respected.

21Such things they did imagine, and were deceived: for their own wickedness hath blinded them.

22As for the mysteries of God, they knew them not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor discerned a reward for blameless souls.

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

Acts 12.12-17

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12And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

14And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

15And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

16But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

17But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

Epistle — St Alexis

Galatians 1.11-19

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11But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

13For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

14And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,

16To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

17Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

19But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

Gospel

John 8.42-51

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42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

46Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

48Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

49Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

50And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

51Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

Gospel — St Alexis

John 10.1-9

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1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

6This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

7Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

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

Monday, May 20, 2041