Occurring Scripture for the Hour of Matins
First Week of August
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday SaturdayLesson i
Here Begin the Proverbs of Solomon
Proverbs 1:1-6 7-19The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel. To know wisdom, and instruction: To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity: To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding. A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understands, shall possess governments. He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.
Lesson ii
Proverbs 1:7-14The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother: That grace may be added to your head, and a chain of gold to your neck. My son, if sinners shall entice you, consent not to them. If they say: "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goes down into the pit. We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils. Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse."
Lesson iii
Proverbs 1:15-19My son, walk not with them, restrain your foot from their paths. For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings. And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practice deceits against their own souls. So the wage of every covetous man destroys the souls of the possessors.
Lesson iv
From the Treatise of Saint Ambrose, Bishop
on the Psalm CXVIII Sermon 5, n. 36-37The Prophet said that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." And what is the first act of wisdom but to renounce the world since to love the things of the world is folly. So indeed said the Apostle "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (1 Corinthians 3:19). But the very fear of the Lord itself is useless, nay, harmful, if it be not according to knowledge. The Jews have a truly fervent zeal for God, but since they have not knowledge, their very zeal and fear do cause them to do things contrary to God's will. That they circumcise their children, that they keep holy the Sabbath-Day, shows how they fear the Lord, but knowing not the spiritual meaning of the Law, they circumcise the body and not the heart.
Lesson v
But wherefore should I speak of Jews? There are those among ourselves who have the fear of God, but not according to knowledge, and set up hard ordinances which the weakness of man is not able to bear. They fear God in this, that they seem to themselves to be looking to discipline, and to be enforcing the practice of godliness, but they lack knowledge, in that they feel not for the weakness of nature, nor consider whether a thing can, or cannot be done. Let not then the fear of God be unreasonable. True wisdom begins with the fear of God, neither is it spiritual wisdom without the fear of God, but neither ought the fear of God to be without wisdom.
Lesson vi
Holy fear is the foundation of all good instruction. Just as a statue is set up upon a pedestal, and thereby receives both beauty and strength, even so it becomes the word of God to be set forth based upon a holy fear, and it is in the heart of him that fears that it gets the firmest root, a home from which it does not drop, neither do the birds of the air come and carry it away, as from the heart of him that is careless and deceiving.
The remaining lessons and collect are from the current Sunday after Pentecost
Lesson i
From the Proverbs of Solomon
Proverbs 3:1-6My son, forget not my law, and let your heart keep my commandments. For they shall add to you length of days, and years of life and peace. Let not mercy and truth leave you, put them about your neck, and write them in the tables of your heart: And you shall find grace and good understanding before God and men. Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not upon your own prudence. In all thy ways think of Him, and He will direct your steps.
Lesson ii
Proverbs 3:7-10Be not wise in your own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil: For it shall be health to your navel, and moistening to your bones. Honour the Lord with your substance, and give him of the first of all your fruits: And your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine.
Lesson iii
Proverbs 3:11-15My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when you are chastised by Him: For whom the Lord loves, He chastises: and as a father in the son He pleases Himself. Blessed is the man that finds wisdom and is rich in prudence: purchasing of them is better than the merchandise of silver, and their fruit than the finest and purest gold: She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired are not to be compared with her.
Lesson i
From the Proverbs of Solomon
Proverbs 5:1-6My son, attend to my wisdom, and incline your ear to my prudence. That you may keep thoughts, and your lips may preserve instruction. Mind not the deceit of a woman. For the lips of a harlot are like a honeycomb dropping, and her throat is smoother than oil. But her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down into death, and her steps go in as far as hell. They walk not by the path of life, her steps are wandering, and unaccountable.
Lesson ii
Proverbs 5:7-13 20-23Now therefore, my son, hear me, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove your way far from her, and come not near the doors of her house. Give not your honour to strangers, and your years to the cruel, lest strangers be filled with your strength, and your labors be in another man's house....
Lesson iii
Proverbs 5:20-23Why are you seduced, my son, by a strange woman, and cherished in the bosom of another? The Lord beholds the ways of man, and considers all his steps. His own iniquities catch the wicked, and he is fast bound with the ropes of his own sins. He shall die, because he has not received instruction, and in the multitude of his folly he shall be deceived.
Lesson i
From the Proverbs of Solomon
Proverbs 8:1-6 7-11 12-17Does not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice? Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, in the midst of the paths. Beside the gates of the city, in the very doors she speaks, saying: "O you men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O little ones, understand subtlety, and you unwise, take notice. Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things."
Lesson ii
Proverbs 8:7-11"My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness. All my words are just, there is nothing wicked nor perverse in them. They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather than gold. For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it."
Lesson iii
Proverbs 8:12-17"I, wisdom dwell in counsel, and am present in learned thoughts. The fear of the Lord hates evil: I hate arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue. Counsel and equity are mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine. By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things, By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice. I love them that love me: and those that watch for me in the early morning shall find me."
Lesson i
From the Proverbs of Solomon
Proverbs 10:1-5A wise son makes the father glad: but a foolish son is the sorrow of his mother. Treasures of wickedness shall profit nothing: but justice shall deliver from death. The Lord will not afflict the soul of the just with famine, and he will disappoint the deceitful practices of the wicked. The slothful hand produces poverty: but the hand of the industrious gains riches. He that trusts to lies feeds the winds: and the same runs after birds that fly away. He that gathers in the harvest is a wise son: but he that slumbers in the summer, is the son of confusion.
Lesson ii
Proverbs 10:6-10The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the just: but iniquity covers the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the just will be praised: and the name of the wicked shall rot. The wise of heart receive precepts: a fool is beaten with his own lips. He that walks sincerely, walks confidently: but he that perverts his ways, shall be manifest. He that winks at a fault shall cause sorrow: and the prating fool shall be beaten.
Lesson iii
Proverbs 10:11-16The mouth of the just is a vein of life: and the mouth of the wicked conceals iniquity. Hatred stirs up strife: and charity covers all sins. In the lips of the wise is wisdom found: and a rod on the back of him that lacks sense. Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the fool is next to confusion. The substance of a rich man is the city of his strength: the fear of the poor is their poverty. The work of the just is unto life: but the fruit of the wicked, unto sin.
Lesson i
From the Proverbs of Solomon
Proverbs 14:1-5A wise woman builds her house: but the foolish will pull down with her hands that also which is built. He that walks in the right way, and fears God, is despised by him that goes by an infamous way. In the mouth of a fool is the rod of pride: but the lips of the wise preserve them. Where there are no oxen, the crib is empty: but where there is much corn, there the strength of the ox is manifest. A faithful witness will not lie: but a deceitful witness utters lies.
Lesson ii
Proverbs 14:6-11A scorner seeks wisdom, and finds it not: the learning of the wise is easy. Keep away from the foolish man, for he knows not the words of prudence. The wisdom of a discreet man is to understand his way: and the imprudence of fools is their own deception. A fool will laugh at sin, but among the just grace shall abide. The heart that knows the bitterness of his own soul, in his joy no one else shares. The house of the wicked shall be destroyed: but the tabernacles of the just shall flourish.
Lesson iii
Proverbs 14:12-16There is a way which seems just to a man: but the end of it leads to death. Laughter shall be mingled with sorrow, and mourning takes hold of the end of joy. A fool shall be filled with his own ways, and the good man shall be above him. The innocent believes every word: the discreet man considers his steps. No good shall come to the deceitful son: but the wise servant shall prosper in his dealings, and his way shall be made straight. A wise man fears and declines from evil: the fool leaps over and is confident.
Lesson i
From the Proverbs of Solomon
Proverbs 16:1-5It is the part of man to prepare the soul: and of the Lord to govern the tongue. All the ways of a man seem good to his own eyes: the Lord proves the spirits. Lay open thy works to the Lord: and thy thoughts shall be directed. The Lord has made all things for Himself: even the wicked for the evil day. Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord: though hand should be joined to hand, he is not innocent.
Lesson i
Proverbs 16:5-10The beginning of a good way is to do justice; and this is more acceptable with God, than to offer sacrifices. By mercy and truth iniquity is redeemed: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. When the ways of man shall please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace. Better is a little with justice, than great revenues with iniquity. The heart of man disposes his way: but the Lord must direct his steps. Divination is in the lips of the king, his mouth shall not err in judgment.
Lesson i
Proverbs 16:11-15Weight and balance are judgments of the Lord: and His work all the weights of the bag. They that act wickedly are abominable to the king: for the throne is established by justice. Just lips are the delight of kings: he that speaks right things shall be loved. The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: and the wise man will pacify it. In the cheerfulness of the king's countenance is life: and his clemency is like the latter rain.
