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23, Baramhat 1742 (Wednesday, 1 April 2026)

Wednesday of the Seventh week of the Holy Lent

Matins

Prophecy

Proverbs 10:32 - 11:13

32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.1Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight.2When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.3The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.4Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.5The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.6The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.7When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of the unjust perishes.8The righteous is delivered from trouble, And it comes to the wicked instead.9The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.10When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.11By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.12He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, But a man of understanding holds his peace.13A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

Prophecy

Isaiah 58:1-11

1Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.2Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.3`Why have we fasted,' they say, `and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.4Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.5Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord?6Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?8Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.9Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, `Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,10If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.11The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Prophecy

Job 40:1 - 41:34

1Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:2Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.3Then Job answered the Lord and said:4Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth.5Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.6Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:7Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me:8Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?9Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His?10Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty.11Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.12Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place.13Hide them in the dust together, Bind their faces in hidden darkness.14Then I will also confess to you That your own right hand can save you.15Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox.16See now, his strength is in his hips, And his power is in his stomach muscles.17He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.18His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron.19He is the first of the ways of God; Only He who made him can bring near His sword.20Surely the mountains yield food for him, And all the beasts of the field play there.21He lies under the lotus trees, In a covert of reeds and marsh.22The lotus trees cover him with their shade; The willows by the brook surround him.23Indeed the river may rage, Yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,24Though he takes it in his eyes, Or one pierces his nose with a snare.1Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?2Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook?3Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?4Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever?5Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens?6Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants?7Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?8Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle--Never do it again!9Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?10No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me?11Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.12I will not conceal his limbs, His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.13Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle?14Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around?15His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal;16One is so near another That no air can come between them;17They are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted.18His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.19Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out.20Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.21His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth.22Strength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him.23The folds of his flesh are joined together; They are firm on him and cannot be moved.24His heart is as hard as stone, Even as hard as the lower millstone.25When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.26Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.27He regards iron as straw, And bronze as rotten wood.28The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones become like stubble to him.29Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins.30His undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire.31He makes the deep boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.32He leaves a shining wake behind him; One would think the deep had white hair.33On earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear.34He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.

Psalm

Psalms 57:1

1Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.

Gospel

Luke 14:28-35

28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--29lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,30saying, `This man began to build and was not able to finish.'31Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?32Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.33So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.34Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?35It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Liturgy

Pauline

Romans 10:4-13

4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.5For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, The man who does those things shall live by them.6But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, Do not say in your heart, `Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down from above)7or, `Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).8But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach):9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.11For the Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.13For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Catholic

James 1:13-21

13Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.18Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.19So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Acts

Acts 19:23-26

23And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.24For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen.25He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.26Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.

Psalm

Psalms 51:2-3

2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.3For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.

Gospel

John 6:35-45

35And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.36But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.39This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.40And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.41The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.42And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, `I have come down from heaven'?43Jesus therefore answered and said to them, Do not murmur among yourselves.44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.45It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.