Prokeimenon (Psalm 110), tone 4: The beginning of wisdom/the fear of the Lord.
Verse: I will confess to You, O Lord, with all my heart: in the council of the upright and in the assembly of the great works of the Lord.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 110), tone 4: The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.
Verse: I will glorify You, Lord, with all my heart! Great are the works of the Lord in the assembly and host of the righteous!
Genesis reading. [Gen.31:3–16]
The Lord spoke to Jacob: return to the land of your father, and to your family, and I will be with you. Jacob sent and called Leah and Rachel to the field where they bred the flock. And I said to them: I see the face of your father, as if he were not with me, as he was yesterday and the third day: but the God of my father is not with me. And you yourself know that with all my strength I worked for your father. But your father wronged me, and changed my reward of ten lambs: but God forbid him to do evil to me. And when the mother says: Your reward will be motley: and all the sheep will be born motley. And when he says, “White shall be your reward,” and all the sheep shall be born white. And from God all the livestock of your father, and he gave them to me. And when the sheep was conceived in the womb it received: and I saw with my eyes in a dream: and behold, goats and rams ascended upon sheep and goats, whitish and mottled, and ash-shaped variegated. And the Angel of God said in a dream: To Jacob.
And I said that there is, And I said: Behold thy eyes, and see the goats and rams ascending upon the sheep, and the white goats, and the motley, and the ashen-colored motley: you see bo, spruce Laban does it for you. I am God, who appeared to you in the place of God, where you anointed the pillar, and promised you a vow: today arise and come from the earth sow and go to the land of your birth, and I will be with you. And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him: Do we have another share or inheritance in our father’s house? Are we not imputed to him as a stranger? You will sell us and eat our silver. All the wealth and glory that God has from our father will be to us and to our children: now for God has spoken to you, do.
Reading Genesis [31:3–16]
The Lord said to Jacob: “Return to your father’s house and to your family, and I will be with you.” Jacob, having sent, called Leah and Rachel to the field with the flocks and said to them: “I see from the face of your father that he does not treat me the same way as yesterday and the day before yesterday; The God of my father was with me. And you yourself know that I served your father with all my might. Your father deceived me and changed my wages to ten lambs, but the God of my father did not allow him to harm me. If he says this: “Speckled ones will be your wages,” then all sheep will be born speckled, and if he says: “White will be your wages,” then all sheep will be born white. And God took away all your father's livestock and gave them to me. And it came to pass that when the time came for the cattle to mate, I saw with my eyes in a dream: and behold, goats and rams covered the sheep and goats, both whitish, and mottled, and ashen-spotted.
And the angel of God said to me in a dream: “Jacob, Jacob!” I said: “What?” And he said, "See with your eyes how the sheep and goats are covered with goats and rams, both whitish and spotted and ashen-spotted: for I have seen how Laban deals with you. I am the God whom you saw in the place of God, where you poured oil on my monument and made a vow to me. So now arise and leave this land and go to the land of your birth, and I will be with you." And Leah and Rachel answered and said to him: “Do we still have a share and inheritance in our father’s house? Doesn't he already consider us strangers? After all, he sold us and ate our silver. All the wealth and glory that God took from our father will belong to us and our children. So do now what your God has told you.”
Prokeimenon (Psalm 111), tone 4: Gracious, and Generous,/ and Righteous.
Verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he delights greatly in His commandments.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 111), tone 4: He is Merciful, Compassionate, and Righteous.
Verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord: he will strive earnestly for His commandments.
Reading parables. [Proverbs 21:3–21]
Son, to do what is righteous and to speak the truth is pleasing to God more than blood sacrifices. The wise in reproach is bold-hearted: the luminary of the wicked sins. The thoughts of the heedful are in abundance: and everyone who is careless is in want. Make treasures with a lying tongue, vain drives mortals into the snare. All-destruction rushes towards the wicked: they do not want to do what is righteous. God sends the obstinate path to the obstinate: for his deeds are pure and righteous. It is better to live in an uncovered coal than in those caught up in untruth, and in a common church. The soul of the wicked will not receive mercy from a single person. The intemperate will accept vanity; the most cunning will be the one who is gentle: but the wise will accept understanding. The righteous understands the hearts of the wicked, and destroys the wicked among the wicked. He who stops his ears will not listen to the weak, and he will call, and he will not listen to him. Giving secretly turns away anger, but sparing gifts raises strong rage.
It is the joy of the righteous to do justice: the same is unclean among the evildoers. A man who errs from the path of righteousness rests in the host of giants. A poor man loves fun, but he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. But the wicked is the waste of the righteous. It is better to live in a desert land than to live with a quarrelsome, pagan, and angry woman. The treasure rests longingly in the mouth of the wise, but foolish men devour it. The path of righteousness and charity will gain life and glory.
Reading the book of Proverbs [21:3–21]
My son, to act justly and live according to the truth is more pleasing to God than the blood of sacrifices. He who is proud to the point of insolence is hard of heart, and the lamp of the wicked is sins. The thoughts of the diligent are more directed towards acquisition, and everyone who is careless is inclined to waste. He who acquires treasures with a lying tongue pursues vain things and falls into mortal snares. Damage will befall the wicked because they do not want to do righteous deeds. God sends evil ways to the wicked, for His deeds are pure and right. It is better to live in an uncovered corner than in decorated rooms and a whole house, but with lies. The soul of the wicked will desire evil and will not find pity from any of the people. When a self-willed person is punished, the inexperienced becomes wiser, and the understanding and wise gains knowledge. The righteous understands the hearts of the wicked and despises the wicked for their evil deeds. He who stops his ears so as not to hear the poor will also cry out and not be heard. A secret gift destroys anger, and one who spares gifts arouses strong rage. It is joy for the righteous to observe justice, but the honest is unclean for the wicked.
A person who strays from the path of righteousness will find himself in the assembly of giants. The poor man loves joy, the one who loves wine and oil will not become rich. The wicked are trash to the righteous. It is better to live in a desert land than with a grumpy, angry and talkative wife. The desired treasure will remain in the mouth of the wise, but foolish people will swallow it up. The path of justice and charity will gain life and glory.