First Kathisma

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the impious, and hath not stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of the pestilent. But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law shall he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree that is planted by streams of waters, which shall yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf shall not fall, and all that he doeth shall prosper. Not so the impious, not so: but rather as the chaff which the wind driveth away from the face of the earth. Therefore the impious shall not rise in judgment, nor sinners in the council of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the impious shall perish.

Psalm 2

Why did the nations rage, and the people meditate vain things? The kings of the earth presented themselves, the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ, saying, Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast off their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh at them, and the Lord shall mock them. Then shall He speak to them in his wrath, and in his displeasure disquiet them. But I have been appointed king by him on Zion his holy mountain, declaring the ordinance of the Lord. The Lord said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt shepherd them with a rod of iron; as a potter’s vessel shalt thou break them in pieces. And now, ye kings, understand; be chastised, ye judges of the earth. Serve ye the Lord with fear, and rejoice unto him with trembling. Receive chastisement, lest at any time the Lord be wroth, and ye perish from the righteous way. When his displeasure be kindled suddenly, blessed are all they that trust in him.

Psalm 3

O Lord, why are they that afflict me multiplied? Many rise against me. Many say of my soul, There is no salva tion for him in his God. But thou, O Lord, art my succor, my glory, and the lifter-up of my head. With my voice I cried to the Lord, and He heard me out of his holy mountain. I fell asleep and slept; I rose up again, for the Lord succoreth me. I will not fear ten thousands of the people that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all who bear enmity against me; the teeth of sinners hast thou shattered. Salvation is of the Lord, and thy blessing is upon thy people.

Psalm 4

When I called, the God of my righteousness hearkened unto me; in tribulation thou hast enlarged me. Be compassionate unto me, and hearken unto my prayer. Ye sons of men, how long will ye be heavy hearted? Why do ye love vanity and seek falsehood? But ye know that the Lord hath made wondrous his holy one; the Lord shall hearken unto me when I cry unto him. Be ye wroth and sin not; for that which ye say in your hearts, be moved to compunction upon your beds. Offer up a sacrifice of righteousness, and hope on the Lord. Many say, Who will show us the good things? The light of thy face hath been signed upon us, O Lord. Thou hast given gladness to my heart: from the fruit of their wheat, wine and oil are they multiplied. In peace will I both lay me down and sleep, for thou alone, O Lord, hast made me to dwell in hope.

Psalm 5

Give heed to my words, O Lord; hearken to my cry. At tend to the voice of my prayer, O my King and my God: for unto thee will I pray, O Lord. Do thou hear my voice early in the morning; early in the morning will I stand up before thee, and thou shalt look upon me. For thou art not a God that desireth transgression: no evil doer shall dwell with thee, nor shall the lawless remain before thine eyes. Thou hast hated all the workers of iniquity; thou shalt destroy all them that speak falsehood: the man of blood and deceit shall the Lord abhor. But I, in the multitude of thy mercies, will enter into thy house; I will worship toward thy holy temple in thy fear. O Lord, guide me in thy righteousness; because of mine enemies, direct my way before thee. For there is no truth in their mouth, their heart is vanity; an open grave is their throat, with their tongues have they used deceit. Judge them, O God, that they may fall through their own counsels; according to the multitude of their impiety cast them out, for they have provoked thee, O Lord. And let all those that hope in thee be glad; they shall rejoice for ever, and thou shalt abide in them: and they that love thy name shall boast of thee. For thou shalt bless the righteous man, O Lord, as with the armor of good will hast thou crowned us.

Psalm 6

O Lord, in thy displeasure rebuke me not, neither in thy wrath chastise me. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am infirm; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are disquieted, and my soul is disquieted greatly; but thou, O Lord, how long? Turn thou, O Lord, deliver my soul; save me for thy mercy’s sake. For there is none who in death remembereth thee; in hell who shall confess thee? I have labored in my sighing; I shall bathe my cot every night; with my tears shall I water my bed. Mine eye is disquieted because of my displeasure; I have grown old amid all mine enemies. Turn away from me all ye workers of transgression, for the Lord hath hearkened to the voice of my weeping: the Lord hath heard my prayer; the Lord hath accepted my supplication. Let all mine enemies be put to shame and greatly disquieted; let them be turned back and with haste greatly put to shame.

Psalm 7

O Lord my God, in thee have I trusted, save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: lest at any time he seize my soul as a lion, when there is none to deliver me, nor to save. O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there be any unrighteousness in my hands, if I have rendered evil unto them that rendered evil unto me, then let me fall empty before mine enemies. Let the enemy then persecute my soul, and take it; and let him trample my life into the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Arise, O Lord, in thy wrath; be thou exalted to the limits of thine enemies; awake, O Lord my God, according to the precept which thou hast commanded. And a multitude of peoples shall encompass thee, for which cause do thou return on high. The Lord shall judge the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine innocence within me. Let the wickedness of sinners be ended, and do thou direct the righteous, O God that searchest out the hearts and reins. My help is righteous, coming from God who saveth the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and mighty, and long-suffering, and doth not inflict his wrath every day. If ye will not turn back, his sword shall he fur bish; He hath bent his bow and made it ready. And on it hath He made ready the instruments of death; his arrows hath He made for them that rage hotly. Behold, he hath travailed with unrighteousness, he hath conceived trouble, and brought forth iniquity. He hath opened a pit, and dug it up, and he shall fall into the ditch that he hath made. His trouble shall return on his own head, and his unrighteousness shall come down upon his own crown. I will confess unto the Lord according to his righteousness. I will sing psalms unto the name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord, how wondrous is thy name in all the earth! for thy magnificence is exalted above the heavens. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise, for the sake of thine enemies; that thou mightest destroy the enemy and the avenger. For I will behold the heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars, which thou hast founded. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels; thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands. All things hast thou subjected beneath his feet: sheep and all oxen, yea, the cattle of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, that travel the paths of the sea. O Lord, our Lord, how wondrous is thy name in all the earth!

In transgressions was I, a prodigal, conceived, and I dare not look up to the height of heaven, but making bold of thy love of man, I cry: O God, cleanse thou me a sinner, and save me.

If a righteous man shall scarcely be saved, where shall I, a sinner, appear? The burden and heat of day I have not borne: but with the hirelings of the eleventh hour do thou number me, O God, and save me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Make haste to open to me a fatherly embrace, for as the prodigal have I wasted my life. Disregard not mine impoverished heart, for looking upon the unfailing riches of thy compassion, O Saviour, in contrition I cry to thee, O Lord: I have sinned against heaven and before thee.

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The hope of Christians, O most-holy Virgin, thou hast borne God beyond mind and speech; pray unceasingly with the Powers above that forgiveness of sins and correction of life be granted to us all, who ever honor thee in faith and love.

O Master almighty, incomprehensible, Source of light, and Power beyond knowledge, from whom came forth the hypostatic Word of the Father, one in might with thy Spirit: on account of thy tender-hearted mercy and thine inexpressible goodness, having not despised human nature, held fast in the darkness of sin, but by the divine light of thy sacred teachings, Law, and Prophets having enlightened the world, and after having been well-pleased to make shine forth for us in the flesh thine only-begotten Son, and to guide us to the radiance of thy light, let thine ears give heed to the voice of our prayer. And grant us, O God, with vigilant and sober heart to pass through all the night of our present life, awaiting the coming of thy Son and our God, the Judge of all, that we might not be lying down and sleeping, but watchful and working in the performance of thy commandments, and to enter together into his joy, where the voice of them that keep festival is unceasing, and unending the bliss of them that behold the unutterable beauty of thy face. For thou art a good God who lovest man, and to thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.