Prokeimenon (Psalm 71), tone 4: Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, / One who works wonders.
Verse: O God, grant Your judgment to the king, and Your righteousness to the king’s son.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 71), tone 4: Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, the Only One who works miracles!
Verse: God, grant Thy justice to the king and to the king’s son justice.
Genesis reading. [Gen.9:18–24, 10:1]
When the sons of Noah came out of the ark, Shem, Ham, Japheth: Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, from them they were scattered throughout the whole earth. And Noah the man began to be a laborer of the earth, and planted grapes: And he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and was naked in his house. And Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father, and he went out and told both of his brothers. And Shem and Japheth took the robe, and laid it on both their frames, and went back in sight, and covered the nakedness of their father, and turned back their faces in vain, and the nakedness of their father You don’t see yours. But Noah was sober from wine, and in his mind his youngest son created for him. And he said: cursed be the youth Canaan: he will be a servant to his brothers. And he said: Blessed is the Lord God of Shem: and Canaan will be his servant. May God spread Japheth, and may he dwell in the villages of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. After the flood Noah lived three hundred and fifty years: and all the days of Noah lived nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.
This is the [essence] of the existence of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth: and sons were born to them after the flood.
Reading Genesis [9:18–29; 10:1]
The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. These three are the sons of Noah: from them people spread throughout the whole earth. And Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard, and drank wine, and became drunk, and was naked in his house. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness, and went out and told both his brothers. Shem and Japheth took the robe, put it on their two shoulders, and went, looking back, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their face was turned back, and they did not see the nakedness of their father. When Noah sobered up from the wine, he found out what his youngest son had done to him. And he said: “Cursed be the child Canaan: he will be a slave to his brothers.” And he said: “Blessed is the Lord God of Shem, and the child Canaan will be his servant. May God spread Japheth, and may he dwell in the villages of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave.” And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died. These are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 72), tone 4: It is good for me to cleave to God.
Verse: How good is the God of Israel with a right heart!
Prokeimenon (Psalm 72), tone 4: It is good for me to connect myself with God!
Verse: How kind is the God of Israel to those who are sincere in heart!
Reading parables. [Proverbs 12:23–28, 13:1–9]
The man of understanding is the throne of feeling: the heart of the foolish takes oaths. The hand of the elect will prevail; the flatterers will be in captivity. A terrible word troubles the heart of a righteous man: but the good news makes him glad. Having understood, the righteous will be a friend to himself: but the thoughts of the wicked are inconsolable: evil will befall those who sin; but I will deceive the way of the wicked. The flatterer will not fall short of the trap: but honest acquisition is a pure man. In the paths of righteousness there is life: but the paths of those who remember evil lead to death. A prudent son obeys his father, but a disobedient son leads to destruction. The fruits of righteousness yield good things: but the souls of the wicked perish untimely. He who guards his lips guards his soul: but he who is bold in his lips will terrify himself. Every one is idle in lusts: but the hands of the brave are diligent. The righteous man hates the words of the unrighteous; but the wicked is ashamed and does not have boldness. Truth protects the kindly; the wicked commit sin.
The essence is to be rich in yourself, having nothing: and the essence is to humble yourself in much wealth. The deliverance of a husband's soul is his wealth: but a beggar does not suffer rebuke. There is always light for the righteous; the light of the wicked fades away; flattering souls go astray in sins; but the righteous are shown generosity and mercy.
Reading the book of Proverbs [12:23–28; 13:1–9]
A wise man is the throne of knowledge, but the heart of the foolish will meet with damnation. The hand of the chosen will easily dominate, and the treacherous will be under tribute. A terrible word troubles a person's heart, but good news makes him glad. The righteous man, who gives himself an account of everything, will be his own friend, but the plans of the wicked are cruel, evil will befall those who sin, and the path of the wicked will lead them astray. The treacherous man will not get the spoils, but the most valuable acquisition is the blameless man. On the paths of righteousness there is life, but on the paths of vindictiveness there is death. A prudent son is obedient to his father, but a disobedient son will perish. The good son eats the fruits of righteousness, but the souls of the wicked perish untimely. He who guards his lips guards his soul, but he who speaks boldly will frighten himself. Every idle lover lives by passions, but the hands of the courageous are in work. The righteous hates a false word, but the wicked is disgraced and has no courage. Truth protects the gentle, but sin makes the wicked evil. Some pretend to be rich, having nothing, while others humble themselves with great wealth.
The ransom for a person’s life is his own wealth, and the poor are not even threatened. For the righteous there is always light, but the lamp of the wicked goes out. Cunning souls wander in sins, but the righteous are compassionate and have mercy.