Prokeimenon (Psalm 89), tone 4: Lord, you have been our refuge for generations and generations.
Verse: Before even the mountains were not, and the earth and the universe were created, and from everlasting to everlasting you art.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 89), tone 4: Lord, You have become for us a Refuge in generation and generation!
Verse: Before the mountains arose and the earth and the inhabited world were formed, from eternity to eternity You exist.
Genesis reading. [Gen.15:1-15]
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision at night, saying: Do not be afraid to Abram: I will protect you, your reward will be great. The verb of Abram was: Master of the Lord, what are you doing? And I am gone without children: and the son of Masek of my household, this Damascus is Eliezer. And Abram said: Because you did not give me seed, a member of my household will be my heir. And the voice of the Lord came to him, saying: This will not be your heir, but the one who comes out from you will be your heir. So I brought him out, and said to him: Look at the sky and honor the stars, if you can eradicate them. and he said: Thus shall your seed be. And Abram believed in God, and it was imputed to him as righteousness. He said to him: I [am] God, who knew you from the land of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit. And he said: Master of the Lord, by what means will I understand how I will inherit you? I said to him: take me a young girl of three years old, and a goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a dove.
He took all this and divided it into sexes, and put it in opposition to one another, but did not separate the birds. And the birds flew down upon their bodies, cutting them down: and Abram sat near them. When the sun set, horror attacked Abram, and behold, a great dark fear attacked. And it was said to Abram: Thou knowest, hang thy seed, that thy seed shall perish in a land that is not their own, and they shall enslave me, and embitter me, and humble me for four hundred years. But to the tongue that has worked, I judge: still they will go forth with much possessions. You will go to your father in peace, and be better fed in your old age.
Reading Genesis [15:1b–15]
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision at night, and it said: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I will protect you; your reward will be very great.” And Abram said: “Sovereign, what will You give me? I am going away childless, and there is a son of Masekiah, my wife, this Eliezer from Damascus.” And Abram said: “Since You do not give me offspring, a member of my household will be my heir.” And immediately the voice of the Lord was heard, and it was said to him: “He will not be your heir; but whoever comes from you will be your heir.” And God brought him out and said to him: “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you can count them,” and said to him: “So will your descendants be.” And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. And he said to him: “I am God, who brought you out of the land of the Chaldeans to give you this land as an inheritance.” And he said: “Lord, Lord! How will I know that I will inherit it?” He said to him: “Take for Me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtle dove, and a dove.” And he took it all, and cut them in half, and put the parts one against the other, but did not cut the birds.
And the birds flocked to the bodies that were cut in half, and Abram sat near them. When the sun set, oblivion came over Abram, and a great vague fear fell upon him. And it was said to Abram: “Know firmly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them, and will offend and oppress them for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment upon the people whom they serve; and after that they will come out here with great wealth. And you will go to your fathers in peace and contentment, in a respectable old age.”
Prokeimenon (Psalm 90), tone 4: He who lives in the help of the Most High will dwell in the blood of the heavenly God.
Verse: The Lord says: You are my protector and my refuge, my God, and I trust in Him.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 90), tone 4: He who lives under the protection of the Most High will be under the roof of the God of heaven.
Verse: He will say to the Lord: “You are my Protector and my Refuge, my God, I trust in Him.”
Reading parables. [Prov.15:7-19]
The lips of the wise are bound by feeling, but the hearts of fools are not steadfast. The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the vows of those who walk upright are pleasing to Him. The ways of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but he loves those who persecute righteousness. The punishment of a gentle person is learned from those who pass by: those who hate reproofs die shamefully. Hell, and destruction is evident before the Lord: what about the hearts of men? The unpunished one will not love those who reproach him, but he will not talk to the wise. My heart rejoices, my face blooms, but I am in sorrow, lamenting. The heart rightly seeks feelings: but the lips of the unpunished understand evil. For ever the eyes of the wicked receive evil: but the good remain silent forever. Better is a small particle with the fear of the Lord than treasures of greatness without fear. It is better to introduce potions with love and grace than to introduce calves with enmity. An ardent man makes war, but a long-suffering man subdues the future. a patient man will extinguish judgments: but the wicked will do more.
The path of the idle is covered with thorns, but the courageous is covered with corners.
Reading the book of Proverbs [15:7–19]
The lips of the wise are bound with knowledge, but the hearts of the foolish are unsteady. The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the prayers of the righteous are acceptable to Him. The ways of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but He loves those who seek righteousness. The teaching of the gentle one is learned by those passing by, but those who hate reproof die shamefully. Hell and destruction are open before the Lord, how much more so are the hearts of people? An ill-mannered person does not like those who reproach him, and he will not talk to the wise. When the heart is happy, the face becomes blooming, but when it is sad, it becomes sad. The right heart seeks knowledge, but the lips of the ill-mannered learn evil. At all times the eyes of the evil are fixed on evil, and the good are always calm. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasures without fear. A green treat with love and affection is better than a young calf from a manger with enmity. A hot-tempered person creates strife, but a long-suffering person tames those that arise. The patient quenches strife, but the wicked stirs it up even more. The paths of the lazy are strewn with thorns, but the paths of the courageous are smooth.