Tuesday in the Fourth Week of Lent

At the Sixth Hour.

The Lesson of the Prophecy of Isaias.
Isaias 25:1-9.
O Lord, thou art my God, I will exalt thee, and give glory to thy name: for thou hast done wonderful things, thy designs of old faithful, Amen. For thou hast reduced the city to a heap, the strong city to ruin, the house of strangers, to be no city, and to be no more built up for ever. Therefore shall a strong people praise thee, the city of mighty nations shall fear thee. Because thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress: a refuge from the whirlwind, a shadow from the heat. For the blast of the mighty is like a whirlwind beating against a wall. Thou shalt bring down the tumult of strangers, as heat in thirst: and as with heat under a burning cloud, thou shalt make the branch of the mighty to wither away. And the Lord of hosts shall make unto all people in this mountain, a feast of fat things, a feast of wine, of fat things full of marrow, of wine purified from the lees. And he shall destroy in this mountain the face of the bond with which all people were tied, and the web that he began over all nations. He shall cast death down headlong for ever: and the Lord God shall wipe away tears from every face, and the reproach of his people he shall take away from off the whole earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And they shall say in that day: Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have patiently waited for him, we shall rejoice and be joyfull in his salvation.

At Vespers.

The Lesson of Genesis.
Genesis 9:8-17.
Thus also said God to Noe, and to his sons with him: Behold I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you: and with every living soul that is with you, as well in all birds as in cattle and beasts of the earth, that are come forth out of the ark, and in all the beasts of the earth. I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall be no more destroyed with the waters of a flood, neither shall there be from henceforth a flood to waste the earth. And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I give between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations. I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me, and between the earth. And when I shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds: and I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the clouds, and I shall see it, and shall remember the everlasting covenant, that was made between God and every living soul of all flesh which is upon the earth. And God said to Noe: This shall be the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh upon the earth.

The Lesson of Proverbs.
Proverbs 12:8-22.
A man shall be known by his learning: but he that is vain and foolish, shall be exposed to contempt. Better is the poor man that provideth for himself, than he that is glorious and wanteth bread. The just regardeth the lives of his beasts: but the bowels of the wicked are cruel. He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that pursueth idleness is very foolish. He that is delighted in passing his time over wine, leaveth a reproach in his strong holds. The desire of the wicked is the fortification of evil men: but the root of the just shall prosper. For the sins of the lips ruin draweth nigh to the evil man: but the just shall escape out of distress. By the fruit of his own mouth shall a man be filled with good things, and according to the works of his hands it shall be repaid him. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsels. A fool immediately sheweth his anger: but he that dissembleth injuries is wise. He that speaketh that which he knoweth, sheweth forth justice: but he that lieth, is a deceitful witness. There is that promiseth, and is pricked as it were with a sword of conscience: but the tongue of the wise is health. The lip of truth shall be steadfast for ever: but he that is a hasty witness, frameth a lying tongue. Deceit is in the heart of them that think evil things: but joy followeth them that take counsels of peace. Whatsoever shall befall the just man. it shall not make him sad: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord: but they that deal faithfully please him.