The Lord Almighty says: Behold, I am my people from the land of the east, and from the land of the west. And I will bring them [into their land], and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will become a people, and I will become a God for them in truth and in righteousness. The Lord Almighty says: May the hands of you be strengthened who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets, from whom the church of the Lord Almighty and the church were founded this day created from now on. Before the days there was no reward for man without success, and there was no reward for cattle, and there was no peace for sorrow for him who goes out and in, and I will send all men to whom my sincere one. And now, not according to the former day, I will create the remnant of this people, says the Lord Almighty. But I will show the world: the grapes will give their fruit, and the earth will give its grain, and the sky will give its dew, and I will create an inheritance for the remains of my people, all this.
And it shall come to pass, as you were cursed among the nations, the house of Judah, and the house of Israel, that I will save you, and ye shall be blessed: take courage, and be strong with your own hands. Behind your face the Lord Almighty says: Because you had thoughts of embittering, you always angered Me, says the Lord Almighty, and you did not repent: for I was tired, and I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: be of good cheer. These words that you have created, speak the truth to each of your sincere ones, judge the truth and judgment of the worldly among your brothers. And do not entertain any sincere malice in your hearts, and do not love lying oaths: for all this you have hated, says the Lord Almighty.
Reading the prophecy of Zechariah [8:7–17]
Thus says the Lord Almighty: Behold, I will save my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west, and I will bring them into their land and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness. Thus says the Lord Almighty: May your hands be strengthened, who hear these words in these days in the speech of the prophets, from the day that the house of the Lord Almighty was founded and the church was built. For before those days, retribution was not for the benefit of people, and there was no retribution for animals, and there was no rest for those who went out and in, because of sorrow, and I allowed every man to rebel against his neighbor. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in those former days, says the Lord Almighty. But I will show peace: the grapes will yield their fruit, and the earth will yield its produce, and the heavens will yield its dew, and I will give all these things for a possession to the remnant of my people. And it shall come to pass: just as you, the house of Judah and the house of Israel, were cursed among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be blessed; take courage and strengthen your hands!
For thus says the Lord Almighty: Just as I intended to punish you when your fathers angered Me, says the Lord Almighty, and did not change my mind, so I determined and thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Go for it! These are the commands that you must fulfill: speak the truth, every one of you, to your neighbor, judge truthfully and peaceably at your gates, and do not meditate on the vices of your neighbor in your hearts, and do not love a false oath, for I have hated all this, says the Lord Almighty.
Προφητείας Ζαχαρίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα (Κεφ. Ηˊ 7–17)
Τάδε λέγει Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ· Ἰδού, ἐγὼ σῴζω τὸν λαόν μου ἀπὸ γῆς ἀνατολῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς δυσμῶν, καὶ εἰσάξω αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατασκηνώσω ἐν μέσῳ Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν, καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς Θεόν, ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ· Κατισχυέτωσαν αἱ χεῖρες ὑμῶν ἀκουόντων ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις τοὺς λόγους τούτους, ἐκ στόματος τῶν Προφητῶν, ἀφˊ ἧς ἡμέρας τεθεμελίωται ὁ οἶκος Κυρίου Παντοκράτορος, καὶ ὁ Ναός, ἀφˊ οὗ ᾠκοδόμηται. Διότι πρὸ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐκείνων, ὁ μισθὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἔσται εἰς ὄνησιν, καὶ ὁ μισθὸς τῶν κτηνῶν οὐχ ὑπάρξει, καὶ τῷ ἐκπορευομένῳ, καὶ τῷ εἰσπορευομένῳ, οὐκ ἔσται εἰρήνη ἀπὸ τῆς θλίψεως, καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἕκαστον ἐπὶ τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ.
Καὶ νῦν, οὐ κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς ἔμπροσθεν ἐγὼ ποιῶ τοῖς καταλοίποις τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, λέγει Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ, ἀλλˊ ἢ δείξω εἰρήνην· ἡ ἄμπελος δώσει τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἡ γῆ δώσει τὰ γεννήματα αὐτῆς, καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς δώσει τὴν δρόσον αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατακληρονομήσω τοῖς καταλοίποις τοῦ λαοῦ μου ταῦτα πάντα. Καὶ ἔσται, ὃν τρόπον ἦτε ἐν κατάρᾳ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁ οἶκος Ἰούδα, καὶ ὁ οἶκος Ἰσραήλ, οὕτω διασώσω ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔσεσθε ἐν εὐλογίᾳ, θαρσεῖτε, καὶ κατισχύετε ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ὑμῶν, διότι τάδε λέγει Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ. Ὃν τρόπον διενοήθην τοῦ κακῶσαι ὑμᾶς, ἐν τῷ παροργίσαι με τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν, λέγει Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ, καὶ οὐ μετενόησα, παρατέταγμαι καὶ διανενόημαι, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις, τοῦ καλῶς ποιῆσαι τῇ Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰούδα, θαρσεῖτε.
Οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι, οὓς ποιήσετε, λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, ἀλήθειαν καὶ κρῖμα εἰρηνικὸν κρίνετε ἐν ταῖς πύλαις ὑμῶν, καὶ ἕκαστος τὴν κακίαν τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ μὴ λογίζεσθε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, καὶ ὅρκον ψευδῆ μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε διότι ταῦτα πάντα ἐμίσησα, λέγει Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ.
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Prokeimenon, voice 3: Sing to our God, sing, sing to our King, sing.
Verse: All nations clasp your hands, shout to God with a voice of joy.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 46), tone 3:
Sing our God, glorify with songs; sing praises to our King, glorify us with songs!
Verse: All nations, begin to clap your hands and cry out to God with a voice of joy!
Προκείμενον Ἦχος γˊ
Ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε, (ψάλατε τῷ βασιλεῖ ἡμῶν ψάλατε).
Στίχ. τὰ ἔθνη κροτήσατε χεῖρας (ἀλαλάξατε τῷ θεῷ ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως).