Office of Readings
Give glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his deeds among the Gentiles. Sing to him, yea sing praises to him: relate all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek ye the lord, and be strengthened: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works which he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth. O ye seed of Abraham his servant; ye sons of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth. He hath remembered his covenant for ever: the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which he made to Abraham; and his oath to Isaac: And he appointed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting testament: Saying: To thee will I give the land of Chanaan, the lot of your inheritance. When they were but a small number: yea very few, and sojourners therein: And they passed from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people. He suffered no man to hurt them: and he reproved kings for their sakes. Touch ye not my anointed: and do no evil to my prophets.
And he called a famine upon the land: and he broke in pieces all the support of bread. He sent a man before them: Joseph, who was sold for a slave. They humbled his feet in fetters: the iron pierced his soul, Until his word came. The word of the Lord inflamed him. The king sent, and he released him: the ruler of the people, and he set him at liberty. He made him master of his house, and ruler of all his possession. That he might instruct his princes as himself, and teach his ancients wisdom.
And Israel went into Egypt: and Jacob was a sojourner in the land of Cham. And he increased his people exceedingly: and strengthened them over their enemies. He turned their heart to hate his people: and to deal deceitfully with his servants. He sent Moses his servant: Aaron the man whom he had chosen. He gave them power to shew them signs, and his wonders in the land of Cham. He sent darkness, and made it obscure: and grieved not his words. He turned their waters into blood, and destroyed their fish. Their land brought forth frogs, in the inner chambers of their kings. He spoke, and there came divers sorts of flies and sciniphs in all their coasts. He gave them hail for rain, a burning fire in the land. And he destroyed their vineyards and their fig trees: and he broke in pieces the trees of their coasts. He spoke, and the locust came, and the bruchus, of which there was no number. And they devoured all the grass in their land, and consumed all the fruit of their ground. And he slew all the firstborn in their land: the firstfruits of all their labour. And he brought them out with silver and gold: and there was not among their tribes one that was feeble. Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them lay upon them. He spread a cloud for their protection, and fire to give them light in the night. They asked, and the quail came: and he filled them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and waters flowed: rivers ran down in the dry land. Because he remembered his holy word, which he had spoken to his servant Abraham. And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness. And he gave them the lands of the Gentiles: and they possessed the labours of the people: That they might observe his justifications, and seek after his law.
Lauds
I cried with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord: I will seek thy justifications. I cried unto thee, save me: that I may keep thy commandments. I prevented the dawning of the day, and cried: because in thy words I very much hoped. My eyes to thee have prevented the morning: that I might meditate on thy words. Hear thou my voice, O Lord, according to thy mercy: and quicken me according to thy judgment. They that persecute me have drawn nigh to iniquity; but they are gone far off from thy law. Thou art near, O Lord: and all thy ways are truth. I have known from the beginning concerning thy testimonies: that thou hast founded them for ever.
Then Moses and the children of Israel sung this canticle to the Lord, and said: Let us sing to the Lord: for he is gloriously magnified, the horse and the rider he hath thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my praise, and he is become salvation to me: he is my God, and I will glorify him: the God of my father, and I will exalt him. The Lord is as a man of war, Almighty is his name. Pharao's chariots and his army he hath cast into the sea: his chosen captains are drowned in the Red Sea. And with the blast of thy anger the waters were gathered together: the flowing water stood, the depths were gathered together in the midst of the sea. The enemy said: I will pursue and overtake, I will divide the spoils, my soul shall have its fill: I will draw my sword, my hand shall slay them. Thy wind blew and the sea covered them: they sunk as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like to thee, among the strong, O Lord? who is like to thee, glorious in holiness, terrible and praise-worthy, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst forth thy hand, and the earth swallowed them. In thy mercy thou hast been a leader to the people which thou hast redeemed: and in thy strength thou hast carried them to thy holy habitation. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thy inheritance, in thy most firm habitation, which thou hast made, O Lord; thy sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
O Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.
Terce
Set before me for a law the way of thy justifications, O Lord: and I will always seek after it. Give me understanding, and I will search thy law; and I will keep it with my whole heart. Lead me into the path of thy commandments; for this same I have desired. Incline my heart into thy testimonies and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes that they may not behold vanity: quicken me in thy way. Establish thy word to thy servant, in thy fear. Turn away my reproach, which I have apprehended: for thy judgments are delightful. Behold I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy justice.
I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth. In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my troubles. Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him: and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him: and shall deliver them. O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him. Fear the Lord, all ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The rich have wanted, and have suffered hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good.
Come, children, hearken to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man that desireth life: who liveth to see good days? Keep thy tongue form evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Turn away from evil and do good: seek after peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the just: and his ears unto their prayers. But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things: to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The just cried, and the Lord heard them: and delivered them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit. Many are the afflictions of the just; but out of them all will the Lord deliver them. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit. The death of the wicked is very evil: and they that hate the just shall be guilty. The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall offend.
Sext
Set before me for a law the way of thy justifications, O Lord: and I will always seek after it. Give me understanding, and I will search thy law; and I will keep it with my whole heart. Lead me into the path of thy commandments; for this same I have desired. Incline my heart into thy testimonies and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes that they may not behold vanity: quicken me in thy way. Establish thy word to thy servant, in thy fear. Turn away my reproach, which I have apprehended: for thy judgments are delightful. Behold I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy justice.
I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth. In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my troubles. Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him: and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him: and shall deliver them. O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him. Fear the Lord, all ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The rich have wanted, and have suffered hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good.
Come, children, hearken to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man that desireth life: who liveth to see good days? Keep thy tongue form evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Turn away from evil and do good: seek after peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the just: and his ears unto their prayers. But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things: to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The just cried, and the Lord heard them: and delivered them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit. Many are the afflictions of the just; but out of them all will the Lord deliver them. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit. The death of the wicked is very evil: and they that hate the just shall be guilty. The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall offend.
None
Set before me for a law the way of thy justifications, O Lord: and I will always seek after it. Give me understanding, and I will search thy law; and I will keep it with my whole heart. Lead me into the path of thy commandments; for this same I have desired. Incline my heart into thy testimonies and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes that they may not behold vanity: quicken me in thy way. Establish thy word to thy servant, in thy fear. Turn away my reproach, which I have apprehended: for thy judgments are delightful. Behold I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy justice.
I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth. In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my troubles. Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him: and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him: and shall deliver them. O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him. Fear the Lord, all ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The rich have wanted, and have suffered hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good.
Come, children, hearken to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man that desireth life: who liveth to see good days? Keep thy tongue form evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Turn away from evil and do good: seek after peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the just: and his ears unto their prayers. But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things: to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The just cried, and the Lord heard them: and delivered them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit. Many are the afflictions of the just; but out of them all will the Lord deliver them. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit. The death of the wicked is very evil: and they that hate the just shall be guilty. The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall offend.
Vespers
I have cried to thee, O Lord, hear me: hearken to my voice, when I cry to thee. Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight; the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: and a door round about my lips. Incline not my heart to evil words; to make excuses in sins. With men that work iniquity: and I will not communicate with the choicest of them. The just man shall correct me in mercy, and shall reprove me: but let not the oil of the sinner fatten my head. For my prayer shall still be against the things with which they are well pleased: Their judges falling upon the rock have been swallowed up. They shall hear my words, for they have prevailed: As when the thickness of the earth is broken up upon the ground: Our bones are scattered by the side of hell. But to thee, O Lord, Lord, are my eyes: in thee have I put my trust, take not away my soul. Keep me from the snare, which they have laid for me, and from the stumblingblocks of them that work iniquity.
Of understanding for David, A prayer when he was in the cave. [1 Kings 24.] I cried to the Lord with my voice: with my voice I made supplication to the Lord. In his sight I pour out my prayer, and before him I declare my trouble: When my spirit failed me, then thou knewest my paths. In this way wherein I walked, they have hidden a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me. Flight hath failed me: and there is no one that hath regard to my soul. I cried to thee, O Lord: I said: Thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my supplication: for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the just wait for me, until thou reward me.
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause, God also hath exalted him and hath given him a name which is above all names: That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
Compline
Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David. When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying? Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him. Be ye angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds. Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who sheweth us good things? The light of thy countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: thou hast given gladness in my heart. By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest: In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest: For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.
A gradual canticle. Behold now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord: Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord. May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.