Prokeimenon (Psalm 31), tone 6: Rejoice in the Lord/ and rejoice in righteousness.
Verse: Blessed are those who have abandoned iniquity, and those who have hidden behind sin.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 31), tone 6: Rejoice in the Lord and rejoice, ye righteous!
Verse: Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered!
Genesis reading. [Gen.4:16–26]
Cain went forth from the presence of God and settled in the land of Naid, straight to Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and conceived Enoch: and he built a city, and named the city in the name of his son, Enoch. And Enoch was born Gaidad, and Gaidad begat Maleleel: and Maleleel begat Methuselah: and Methuselah begat Lamech. And Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the second was Sella. And Adah gave birth to Jovil: this was the father of the herdsmen living in the villages. And his brother's name was Jubal: this one showed him a singer and a harp. And Sella also gave birth to Thovel, who was also a Milatobian, a smith of copper and iron: and Thovel’s sister, Noema. And Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Sella, hear the voice of my wife Lamech, inspire my words: For I have killed a man for my plague, and a young man for my sore. For I took vengeance from Cain in a week, and from Lamech in seventy weeks. And Adam knew Eve his wife, and conceived a son, and called his name Seth, saying: For God hath raised up another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
And Seth became a son: and his name was Enos, who trusted to call on the name of the Lord God.
Reading Genesis [4:16–26]
Cain left the presence of God and settled in the land of Naid opposite Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch, and he built a city and named the city after the name of his son Enoch. Enoch begat Gaidad, and Gaidad begat Maleleel, and Maleleel begat Methuselah, and Methuselah begat Lamech. And Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Sella. And Adah gave birth to Jobil: he was the father of the shepherds who lived in tents. And his brother's name was Jubal; he invented the psalter and the cithara. Sella gave birth to Thobel; he was a blacksmith who forged copper and iron; and Thobel's sister is Noema. And Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Sella, listen to my speech! Wives of Lamech, listen to my words! I killed a husband - to hurt me, and a young man - to hurt me. If Cain was avenged seven times, then Lamech was avenged seventy times seven.” And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son and called his name Seth, saying: “God restored to me another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” And Seth had a son, whose name he called Enosh, and he called upon the name of the Lord God with hope.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 32), tone 1: O Lord, Thy mercy be upon us, / as we trust in Thee.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O righteous ones: praise is due to the upright.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 32), tone 1: May Your mercy visit us, Lord, for we have placed our hope in You!
Verse: Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord; the just must praise Him!
Reading parables. [Prov.5:15-23, 6:1-3]
Son, drink water from your vessels, and from your fountains: Let the waters from your fountain overflow for you, and let your waters flow into your path. May your possessions be yours alone, and may no one who is stranger share with you. Let the source of your water be yours, and rejoice with your wife as from your youth. Let the tree of love, and the lot of your graces, speak to you, let yours precede you, and let it be with you at all times: for if you sow in friendship, you will be multiplied. Don’t be too close to strangers, but you won’t be embraced by the arms that are not yours. For the essence of God’s path is before the eyes of a man, yet all his courses watch. The husband’s transgressions are caught: everyone is caught up in the captivity of his sins. This one ends unpunished: from the multitude of his life he is cast out and perishes for madness. Son, if you have vouched for your friend, betray your hand to the enemy. For the net is strong around the mouth of a man, and he is taken captive by the mouth of his own mouth. Son, do as I command you, and save yourself.
Reading the book of Proverbs [5:15–23; 6:1–3a]
My son! Drink water from your vessels and from the source of your wells. Let the waters overflow from your source, and let your waters flow into your squares; let them belong to you alone, and let no one else have a share with you. Let the source of your water be your own, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. Let the doe of love and the mare of your joys be in communication with you, and let your own precede and be with you at all times: being in love with her, you will live long. Do not be with a stranger for a long time and do not succumb to embraces that are not your own, for before the eyes of God are the ways of man, and He watches over all his paths. Iniquities lie in wait for the husband: each is entangled in the chains of his own sins. Such a one dies with those who have not received instruction; he is cast out of his life and perishes because of foolishness. My son! If you vouch for your friend, you will betray your hand to your enemy. For a strong snare for a man is his own mouth, and because of his words he is taken captive. Do, my son, what I command you, and save yourself.