At matins
Troparion of prophecy, voice 2:
Maintain the ends, you have deigned to be supported by the grave, O Christ, so that you may deliver humanity from the fall of hell, and by immortalizing us, revive us, like the immortal God.
Glory: the end. And now: all.
Troparion of prophecy, voice 2: You, who embrace the ends of the earth, deigned to be enveloped in the grave, O Christ, in order to deliver humanity, forever swallowed up by hell, and to revive us, granting immortality, like the Immortal God.
Glory: ending. And now: and we repeat the same troparion.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 43), tone 4: Arise, Lord, help us, / and deliver us in Your name.
Verse: God gave us ears to hear, and our fathers told us.
Prokeimenon (Psalm 43), tone 4: Lord, rise up, help us, redeem us for Thy name's sake!
Verse: God, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers told us.
Reading the prophecies of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:1–14).
The hand of the Lord will be upon me, and I will be carried out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me in the midst of the field, which is full of human bones. And I led me round about them, and behold, there were many green fields, and behold, they were green. And he said to me: Son of man, will these bones live? And he said: Lord God, You weigh this. And he said to me: Son of man, prophets are upon these bones, and you said to them: These bones are dry, hear the word of the Lord. Behold the words of Adonai the Lord in this bone: Behold, I will bring the living spirit into you. And I will put sinews on you, and I will bring flesh upon you, and I will send skin over you, and I will put My spirit in you, and you will live, and you will know that I am the Lord. And he prophesied, as the Lord commanded me, and there came a voice to prophesy at times, and behold, he was a coward, and he copulated with bones, bone to bone, each one to his own composition. And I saw, and behold, their veins and flesh stretched, and ascended, (and stretched out) their skin on top, but there was no spirit in them.
And he said to me: the prophets about the soul, the prophets, the son of man, and the prophets of the spirit: this is the verb of Adonai, the Lord: from the four winds come, O soul, and blow upon the dead this, and let them live. And he prophesied as I commanded, and the spirit of life came into her, and she came to life, and stood on her feet, the council became very green. And the Lord spoke to me, saying: “Son of man, these are the bones of the whole house of Israel; for they say: our bones are dry, our hope is perished, we are slain.” For this reason the prophets (sons of man) and the prophets spoke to them, this is the saying of Adonai the Lord: Behold, I will open your graves, and I will bring you out from your graves, my people, and I will bring you into the land Izrailev. And you will know that I am the Lord, who will always open your graves for Me, even as I will tell you from your graves, My people: and I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live. And I will establish you in your land, and you will know that I am the Lord: I will say, and I will do, says Adonai the Lord.
Reading the prophecy of Ezekiel [37:1–14]
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me in the middle of a field, and it was full of human bones. And He led me around around them, and behold, there were very many of them on the surface of the field, and behold, they were very dry. And He said to me: “Son of man! Will these bones come to life? And I said: “Lord, Lord! You know that." And he said to me: “Son of man! Prophesy on these bones and say to them: "Dry bones! Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord to Adonai to these bones: Behold, I will bring the spirit of life into you, and will cover you with sinews, and will make flesh grow on you, and will cover you with skin, and will breathe My spirit into you, and you will live, and you will know that I am the Lord." And I prophesied as the Lord commanded me. And there was a noise when I prophesied, and this is the movement: then the bones were connected, bone to bone, each to its own composition. And I saw: and behold, there were veins on them, and the flesh began to grow and rise, and the skin stretched out over them, but the spirit was not in them.
And He said to me: “Prophesy about the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: “Thus says the Lord God: come the spirit from the four winds and breathe on these dead men, that they may live.” And I prophesied as He commanded me, and the spirit entered into them, and they lived and stood on their feet: a very large congregation. And the Lord said to me: “Son of man! These bones are the entire house of Israel, for they say: “Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, we are killed!” Therefore prophesy and say to them: “Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves, and I will bring you, My people, out of your graves, and will bring you into the land of Israel. And you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, to bring you, My people, out of your graves, and I will blow My spirit into you, and you will live. And I will make you dwell in your land, and you will know that “I am the Lord, I have spoken and I will do it,” says the Lord God.”
Reading the Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:6–8; Gal. 3:13–14).
Brothers, little kvass leaves the whole mixture. Cleanse away the old kvass, so that you may be a new mixture, just as you are without leaven: for our Passover was devoured for us by Christ. Moreover, let us celebrate, not in the kvass of all things, nor in the kvass of malice and wickedness, but in the unleavened purity and truth. Christ redeemed us from the legal oath, becoming an oath against us. For it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Let Abraham be blessed among the nations through Christ Jesus, and let us receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
Reading the letter of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians [1 Cor. 5:6b–8, Gal.3:13–14]
Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purify the old leaven so that it may be new lump for you, since you are unleavened. For our Passover, Christ, was also slain. Let us therefore celebrate, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of vice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of purity and truth. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Jesus Christ, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.