Thursday in the Third Week of Lent

At the Sixth Hour.

The Lesson of the Prophecy of Isaias.
Isaias 11:10-12:2.
Thus saith the Lord: In that day the root of Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of the people, him the Gentiles shall beseech, and his sepulchre shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand the second time to possess the remnant of his people, which shall be left from the Assyrians, and from Egypt, and from Phetros, and from Ethiopia, and from Elam, and from Sennaar, and from Emath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up a standard unto the nations, and shall assemble the fugitives of Israel, and shall gather together the dispersed of Juda from the four quarters of the earth. And the envy of Ephraim shall be taken away, and the enemies of Juda shall perish: Ephraim shall not envy Juda, and Juda shall not fight against Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines by the sea, they together shall spoil the children of the east: Edom, and Moab shall be under the rule of their hand, and the children of Ammon shall be obedient. And the Lord shall lay waste the tongue of the sea of Egypt, and shall lift up his hand over the river in the strength of his spirit: and he shall strike it in the seven streams, so that men may pass through it in their shoes. And there shall be a highway for the remnant of my people, which shall be left from the Assyrians: as there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. And thou shalt say in that day: I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, for thou wast angry with me: thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me. Behold, God is my saviour, I will deal confidently, and will not fear: O because the Lord is my strength, and my praise, and he is become my salvation.

At Vespers.

The Lesson of Genesis.
Genesis 7:11-8:4.
In the six hundredth year of the life of Noe, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the flood gates of heaven were opened: and the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the selfsame day Noe, and Sem, and Cham, and Japheth his sons: his wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, went into the ark: they and every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle in their kind, and every thing that moveth upon the earth according to its kind, and every fowl according to its kind, all birds, and all that fly, went in to Noe into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein was the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in on the outside. And the flood was forty days upon the earth, and the waters increased, and lifted up the ark on high from the earth. For they overflowed exceedingly: and filled all on the face of the earth: and the ark was carried upon the waters. And the waters prevailed beyond measure upon the earth: and all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountains which it covered. And all flesh was destroyed that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beasts, and of all creeping things that creep upon the earth: and all men. And all things wherein there is the breath of life on the earth, died. And he destroyed all the substance that was upon the earth, from man even to beast, and the creeping things and fowls of the air: and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noe only remained, and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days. And God remembered Noe, and all the living creatures, and all the cattle which were with him in the ark, and brought a wind upon the earth, and the waters were abated. The fountains also of the deep, and the flood gates of heaven were shut up, and the rain from heaven was restrained. And the waters returned from off the earth going and coming: and they began to be abated after a hundred and fifty days. And the ark rested in the seventh month, the seven and twentieth day of the month, upon the mountains of Armenia.

The Lesson of Proverbs.
Proverbs 10:1-22.
A wise son maketh 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 hath wrought poverty: but the hand of the industrious getteth riches. He that trusteth to lies feedeth the winds: and the same runneth after birds that fly away. He that gathered in the harvest is a wise son: but he that snorteth in the summer, is the son of confusion. The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the just: but iniquity covereth the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the just is with praises: and the name of the wicked shall rot. The wise of heart receiveth precepts: a fool is beaten with lips. He that walketh sincerely, walketh confidently: but he that perverteth his ways, shall be manifest. He that winketh with the eye shall cause sorrow: and the foolish in lips shall be beaten. The mouth of the just is a vein of life: and the mouth of the wicked covereth iniquity. Hatred stirreth up strifes: and charity covereth all sins. In the lips of the wise is wisdom found: and a rod on the back of him that wanteth 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. The way of life, to him that observeth correction: but he that forsaketh reproofs goeth astray. Lying lips hide hatred: he that uttereth reproach is foolish. In the multitude of words there shall not want sin: but he that refraineth his lips is most wise. The tongue of the just is as choice silver: but the heart of the wicked is nothing worth. The lips of the just teach many: but they that are ignorant, shall die in the want of understanding. The blessing of the Lord maketh men rich: neither shall affliction be joined to them.