Occurring Scripture for the Hour of Matins
Fifth Week of August
If August lacks a fifth week, this week is omitted.
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Lesson i
Here begins the book of Ecclesiasticus
Ecclesiasticus 5:1-5Set not your heart upon unjust possessions, and say not: "I have enough to live on": for it shall be of no service in the time of vengeance and darkness. Follow not in your strength the desires of your heart: And say not: "How mighty am I? and who shall bring me under for my deeds? for God will surely take revenge." Say not: "I have sinned, and what harm has befallen me?" for the most High is a patient rewarder. Be not without fear about sin forgiven, and add not sin upon sin:
Lesson ii
Ecclesiasticus 5:6-11And say not: "The mercy of the Lord is great, he will have mercy on the multitude of my sins." For mercy and wrath quickly come from Him, and His wrath looks upon sinners. Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not from day to day. For His wrath shall come on a sudden, and in the time of vengeance He will destroy you. Be not anxious for goods unjustly gotten: for they shall not profit you in the day of calamity and revenge. Winnow not with every wind, and go not into every way: for so is every sinner proved by a double tongue.
Lesson iii
Ecclesiasticus 5:12-16Be steadfast in the way of the Lord, and in the truth of your judgment, and in knowledge, and let the word of peace and justice keep with you. Be meek to hear the word, that you may understand: and return a true answer with wisdom. If you have understanding, answer your neighbor: but if not, let your hand be upon your mouth, lest you be surprised in an unskillful word, and be confounded. Honour and glory is in the word of the wise, but the tongue of the fool is his ruin. Be not called a whisperer, and be not taken in your tongue, and confounded.
Lesson iv
From the Sermons of St John Chrysostom, PatriarchDelay not to turn to the Lord, indeed, defer not your repentance from day to day for you do not know what the morrow may bring. In delay there is danger and terror, but where there is no delay, health is safe and secure. Live well then—then, however young you die, you will die safely; and if thou come to old age you wilt depart without vexation or trouble; and you wilt have a double happiness, in that you will be leaving all the evils of life, and in that you have lived well. Say not: "There will be a time enough for repentance." for such words greatly arouse the anger of God.
Lesson v
He has promised you eternal ages, and you will not to work [for them] in this present life, which is so short and so fleeting. Do you carry yourself so idly and loosely, as though the life which you seek were a shorter life than this? Do not daily feasting, daily gluttony, daily uncleanness, shows, and riches bear witness to the undying nature of sinful cravings? Think it well over, that as often as you commit uncleanness, you dost damn yourself—for this is the nature of sin, as soon as it is committed, the Judge's sentence is uttered.
Lesson vi
Have you been drunk? Have you over-eaten? Have you stolen? Stop and turn back—thank the goodness of God, that He has not taken you away in the midst of your sins—seek not more time to commit iniquity. Many have perished suddenly, in the midst of bad and vicious lives, and have gone away to manifest damnation—have fear lest the same thing befall you. But, you say, "there have been many to whom God has given time, and they have been to confession in their old age." How is that proof that it will be given to you? "Perhaps it will," you say. But why do you say "perhaps"? Perhaps it happens sometimes. But recognize that you are considering your very soul! Look at it the other way, and say "What if time is not given?" But, you say: "But what if it is?" If so, it is among His gifts—but nevertheless, this is the safer and the better way.
Lesson i
Ecclesiasticus 7:1-5Do no evils, and no evils shall lay hold of you. Depart from the unjust, and evils shall depart from you. My son, sow not evils in the furrows of injustice, and you shall not reap them sevenfold. Seek not of the Lord a pre-eminence, nor of the king the seat of honor. Justify not yourself before God, for he knows the heart: and desire not to appear wise before the king.
Lesson ii
Ecclesiasticus 7:6-10Seek not to be made a judge, unless you have strength enough to extirpate iniquities: lest you fear the person of the powerful, and lay a stumbling block for your integrity. Offend not the multitude of a city, nor cast yourself upon the people, nor bind sin to sin: for even in one you shall not be unpunished. Be not fainthearted in your mind: Neglect not to pray, and to give alms.
Lesson iii
Ecclesiasticus7:11-15Say not: "God will have respect to the multitude of my gifts, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept my offerings." Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is one that humbles and exalts, God who sees all. Devise not a lie against your brother: neither do the like against your friend. Be not willing to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good. Be not full of words in a multitude of ancients, and repeat not the word in your prayer.
Lesson i
Ecclesiasticus 10:1-5A wise judge shall judge his people, and the government of a prudent man shall be steady. As the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers: and what manner of man the ruler of a city is, such also are they that dwell therein. An unwise king shall be the ruin of his people: and cities shall be inhabited through the prudence of the rulers. The power of the earth is in the hand of God, and in his time he will raise up a profitable ruler over it. The prosperity of man is in the hand of God, and upon the person of the scribe he shall lay his honor.
Lesson ii
Ecclesiasticus 10:6-10Remember not any injury done to you by your neighbor, and do no deeds of injury. Pride is hateful before God and men: and all iniquity of nations is execrable. A kingdom is translated from one people to another, because of injustices, and wrongs, and injuries, and diverse deceits. But nothing is more wicked than the covetous man. Why are earth and ashes proud? There is not a more wicked thing than to love money: for such a one sets even his own soul on sale: because while he lives he has cast away his bowels.
Lesson iii
Ecclesiasticus 10:11-16All power is of short life. A long sickness is troublesome to the physician. The physician cuts off a short sickness: so also a king is today, and tomorrow he shall die. For when a man shall die, he shall inherit serpents, and beasts, and worms. The beginning of the pride of man, is to fall from God: Because his heart is departed from Him that made him: for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holds it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end. Therefore has the Lord disgraced the assemblies of the wicked, and has utterly destroyed them.
Lesson i
Ecclesiasticus 13:1-6He that touches pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that has fellowship with the proud, shall put on pride. He shall take a burden upon himself that has fellowship with one more honorable than himself. And have no fellowship with one that is richer than yourself. What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken. The rich man has done wrong, and yet he will fume: but the poor man is wronged and must hold his peace. If you give, he will make use of you: and if you have nothing, he will forsake you. If you have any thing, he will live with you, and will make you bare, and he will not be sorry for you.
Lesson ii
Ecclesiasticus 13:9-15Humble yourself to God, and wait for His hands. Beware that you are not deceived into folly, and be humbled. Be not lowly in your wisdom, lest being humbled you are deceived into folly. If you be invited by one that is mightier, withdraw a little from him: for so he will invite you the more. Be not troublesome to him, lest you be put back: and keep not far from him, lest you be forgotten. Affect not to speak with him as an equal: and believe not his many words: for by much talk he will sift you, and smiling will examine you concerning your secrets. His cruel mind will lay up your words: and he will not spare to do you hurt, and to cast you into prison.
Lesson iii
Ecclesiasticus 13:16-22
Take heed , and attend diligently to what you hear: for you walk in danger of your ruin. Consider those words as dreams and be watchful. Love God all your life, and call upon him for your salvation. Every beast loves its own kind: so also every man loves him that is nearest to himself. All flesh shall consort with that like itself, and every man shall associate with one like himself. Does the wolf ever have fellowship with the lamb? So it is with the sinner and the just. What fellowship does a holy man have with a dog, or what part have the rich with the poor?
Lesson i
Ecclesiasticus 14:1-5Blessed is the man that has not slipped by a word out of his mouth, and is not pricked with the remorse of sin. Happy is he that has had no sadness of his mind, and who is not fallen from his hope. Riches do not become a covetous man and a niggard, and what should an envious man do with gold? He that gathers together by wronging his own soul, gathers for others, and another will squander his goods in rioting. He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? and he shall not take pleasure in his goods.
Lesson ii
Ecclesiasticus 14:6-10There is none worse than he that envies himself, and this is the reward of his wickedness: if he does good, he does it ignorantly, and unwillingly: and at the last he discovers his wickedness. The eye of the envious is wicked: and he turns away his face, and despises his own soul. The eye of the covetous man is insatiable in his portion of iniquity: he will not be satisfied till he consumes his own soul, drying it up. An evil eye is towards evil things: and he shall not have his fill of bread, but shall be needy and pensive at his own table.
Lesson iii
Ecclesiasticus 14:11-17My son, if you have any thing, do good to yourself, and offer to God worthy offerings. Remember that death is not slow, and that the covenant of hell has been shown to you: for the covenant of this world shall surely die. Do good to your friend before you die, and according to youR ability, stretching out your hand, give to the poor. Defraud not yourself of the good day, and let not the part of a good gift pass over you. Shalt you not leave to others to divide by your sorrows and labors by lot? Give and take, and justify your soul. Before your death work justice: for in hell there is no finding food.
Lesson i
Ecclesiasticus 21:1-5My son, have you sinned? do so no more: but for your former sins, pray that they may be forgiven you. Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent: for if you come near them, they will take hold of you. Their teeth are the teeth of a lion, killing the souls of men. All iniquity is like a two-edged sword, there is no remedy for its wound. Injuries and wrongs will waste riches: and the house that is very rich shall be brought to nothing by pride: so the substance of the proud shall be rooted out.
Lesson ii
Ecclesiasticus 21:6-10Prayer out of the mouth of the poor man shall reach the ears of God, and judgment shall come for him speedily. He that hates to be reproved walks in the harness of a sinner: and he that fears God will turn to his own heart. He that is mighty by a bold tongue is known afar off, but a wise man knows to slip by him. He that builds his house at other men's expense, is as he that gathers stones to build in the winter. The congregation of sinners is like a coarse, broken fiber, heaped together, and the end of them is a flame of fire.
Lesson iii
Ecclesiasticus 21:11-16The way of sinners is made plain with stones, and their end is hell, and darkness, and pains. He that keeps justice shall obtain its understanding. The perfection of the fear of God is wisdom and understanding. He that is not wise in goodness will not be taught. But there is a wisdom that abounds in evil: and there is no understanding where there is bitterness. The knowledge of a wise man shall abound like a flood, and his counsel continues like a fountain of life.
Lesson i
Ecclesiasticus 32:1-5Have they made you ruler? be not lifted up: be among them as one of them. Have care of them, and so sit down, and when you have acquitted yourself of all your charge, take your place: That you may rejoice for them, and receive a crown as an ornament of grace, and get the honor of your hospitality. Speak, for you are an elder: for it becomes you, To speak the first word with care, and knowledge, and not to hinder the music.
Lesson ii
Ecclesiasticus 32:6-10Where there is no listening, pour not out words, and be not lifted up out of season with your wisdom. A concert of music in a banquet wine is as a carnelian set in gold. As a signet of an emerald in a work of gold: so is the melody of music with pleasant and moderate wine. Hear in silence, and for your reverence good grace shall come to you. Young man, scarcely speak in your own cause.
Lesson iii
Ecclesiasticus 32:11-17If you be asked twice, let your answer be short. In many things be as if you were ignorant, and hear in silence and withal seeking. In the company of great men presume to say little: and when the ancients are present, speak not much. Before a storm goes lightning: and before a shamed face goes favor: and for your reverence good grace shall come to you. And at the time of rising be not slack: but be first to run home to your house, and there withdraw yourself, and there take your pastime. And do what you have a mind, but not in sin or proud speech. And for all these things, bless the Lord, that made you, and that replenishes you with all His good things.
