Lord, judge those that wrong me, make war on those who war against me. Take up weapon and shield and arise to my help. Draw the sword and block the way of those who persecute me; say to my soul: I am your salvation. Let those who seek my life be put to shame and turned back, let those who devise evils against me be routed and put utterly to shame. Let them be like dust before the wind, with the Angel of the Lord afflicting them. Let their way become dark and slippery, with the Angel of the Lord pursuing them. Because they hid for me a snare of destruction; without cause they reviled my soul. Let a snare which they do not know come upon them, and let the trap which they hid seize them, and let them fall into the very same snare. But my soul will rejoice in the Lord, it will delight in his salvation. All my bones will say: Lord, who is like you? Who deliver the poor from those who are stronger, and the poor and needy from those that despoil them. Unjust witnesses arose and asked me things of which I knew nothing. They repaid me evils for good, and bereavement for my soul. But I, when they troubled me, put on sackcloth and humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer shall return to my own bosom. I acted pleasantly towards them, as to our neighbour or brother; as one mourning and downcast I humbled myself. Yet they rejoiced against me and scourges were assembled, assembled against me, and I knew it not. They were scattered, but felt no compunction. They put me to the test, they reviled me utterly, they gnashed their teeth against me. Lord, when will you look upon me? Deliver my life from their malice, my only life from lions. I will give you thanks in a great congregation, among a numerous people I will praise you. Do not let those who are hostile to me without cause rejoice against me; those who hate me for nothing and who wink with their eyes. Because they spoke things of peace to me, but imagined trickeries in anger. And they opened wide their mouths against me; they said: Fine, fine, our eyes have seen. You have seen, Lord, do not keep silent; Lord, do not withdraw from me. Rise, Lord, and attend to my judgement; my God and my Lord to my cause. Judge me, O God, according to your righteousness, O Lord my God; and do not let them rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts: Fine, fine it is to our soul; nor let them say: We have swallowed him down. Let those who rejoice at my afflictions be put to shame and turned back together; let those who speak proud words against me be clothed in shame and confusion. Let those who wish my righteousness rejoice and be glad, and let those who wish the peace of his servant ever say: The Lord be magnified. And my tongue will meditate on your justice; all day long on your praise. ****

¶15

Psalm 108

¶16

Do not be silent, O God of my praise. For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, even while I make prayer for them. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. They say, ‘Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand on his right. When he is tried, let him be found guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin. May his days be few; may another seize his position. May his children be orphans, and his wife a widow. May his children wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit. May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil. May there be no one to do him a kindness, nor anyone to pity his orphaned children. May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation. May the iniquity of his father be remembered before the Lord, and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be before the Lord continually, and may his memory be cut off from the earth. For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the broken-hearted to their death. He loved to curse; let curses come on him. He did not like blessing; may it be far from him. He clothed himself with cursing as his coat, may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones. May it be like a garment that he wraps around himself, like a belt that he wears every day.’ May that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, of those who speak evil against my life. But you, O Lord my Lord, act on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is pierced within me. I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt. I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love. Let them know that this is your hand; you, O Lord, have done it. Let them curse, but you will bless. Let my assailants be put to shame; may your servant be glad. May my accusers be clothed with dishonour; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle. With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death. ****

¶17

Psalm 50

¶18

**Have mercy on me, O God, in accordance with your great mercy. According to the multitude of your compassion blot out my offence. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my wickedness, and my sin is ever before me. Against you only I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight, that you may be justified in your words and win when you are judged. For see, in wickedness I was conceived and in sin my mother bore me. For see, you have loved truth; you have shown me the hidden and secret things of your wisdom. You will sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be cleansed. You will wash me and I shall be made whiter than snow. You will make me hear of joy and gladness; the bones which have been humbled will rejoice. Turn away your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. Do not cast me out from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, and establish me with your sovereign Spirit. I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn to you again. O God, the God of my salvation, deliver me from bloodshed and my tongue will rejoice at your justice. Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. For if you had wanted a sacrifice, I would have given it. You will not take pleasure in burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit. A broken and a humbled heart God will not despise. Do good to Sion, Lord, in your good pleasure, and let the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt. Then you will be well pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, oblation and whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer calves upon your altar.

¶19

**x3**). Lord, have mercy (**x3**).

¶20

Lord, the Jews condemned you, the life of all, to death; those who by a staff crossed the Red Sea on foot nailed you to a cross, and those who sucked honey from a rock offered you gall. But you endured willingly, that you might free us from the slavery of the foe. Christ God, glory to you!

¶21

Mother of God, you are the true vine, who gave bud to the fruit of life; we implore you, Sovereign Lady, intercede together with the Apostles and all the Saints that you have mercy on our souls.

¶22

After which we sing the following Idiomels in Tone 8:

¶23

Through fear of the Jews Peter, your friend and neighbour, denied you, Lord; and in bitter grief he cried out: Do not pass by my tears in silence, compassionate Master; for I said I would keep faith, but have not kept it. Accept our repentance too, and have mercy on us. (

¶24

**Twice, without a verse**) ****

¶25

Give ear to my words, O Lord; understand my cry.

¶26

Before your precious Cross as the soldiers mocked you, Lord, the spiritual hosts were struck with amazement. For you were wreathed with a crown of outrage, you who painted the earth with flowers; and you wore a cloak of mockery, you who wrap the firmament in clouds; by such a dispensation was your compassion made known, O Christ, and your great mercy. Glory to you!

¶27

¶28

As you were dragged to the Cross, Lord, you cried out thus: For what work do you wish to crucify me, O Jews? Because I braced the paralytic? Because I raised the dead from sleep? I healed the woman with an issue of blood, I took pity on the woman of Canaan. For what work do you wish to slay me, O Jews? But, transgressors, you will see Christ whom now you pierce.

¶29

¶30

For I am ready for scourges; \* and my pain is with me continually.

¶31

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; nor chasten me in your wrath.

¶32

The Reading is from the Prophecy of Isaias.

¶33

The Lord God has given me the tongue of instruction, that I may know when to speak a word. Very early in the morning he has given me, given me an ear to hear; and the instruction of the Lord, of the Lord opens my ear, and I do not disobey, I do not dispute. I gave my back to scourges, and my cheeks to blows; I did not turn my face from the shame of spitting. The Lord God became my helper; therefore I was not ashamed, but I set my face like solid rock, and I knew that I would not be put to shame; he who justifies me is near. Who will contend with me? Let him stand up against me at the same time; who will contend with me? Let him draw near me. See, the Lord, the Lord will help me; who will injure me? All of you will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat you up. Who among you fears the Lord? Let him obey the voice of his servant; you that walk in darkness and have no light, trust in the name of the Lord and place your reliance on God? See, all of you burn like fire, make the flame grow strong. Walk in the light of your fire, and in the flame that you have kindled! For my sake this happened to you: you shall lie down in sorrow.

¶34

The Reading is from the Epistle of Paul to the Romans.

¶35

Brethren, while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

¶36

And that he would count us worthy to listen to the holy Gospel, let us pray to the Lord God. ****

¶37

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. ****

¶38

And to your spirit. ****

¶39

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark. ****

¶40

Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you!

¶41

At that time, the soldiers led Jesus into the courtyard, that is the praetorium, and summoned the whole cohort. They clothed him in purple and having plaited a crown of thorns placed it on him, and they began to salute him and say, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they kept striking his head with a reed and spitting on him, and they bowed the knee and did him homage. And when they had mocked him they took off the purple and dressed him in his own clothes and led him out to crucify him. And they forced Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they bring him to a place Golgotha, which means place of a skull. And they gave him wine drugged with myrrh to drink. It was the third hour and they crucified him. And the inscription of his charge ran, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two thieves, one on the right and one on the left. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, He was counted among transgressors. And the passers by blasphemed him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days! Save yourself and come down from the cross.’ Likewise the chief priests also mocked him among themselves with the scribes and said, ‘He saved others. He cannot save himself. Let Christ the king of Israel now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe in him.’ Those who were crucified with him also taunted him. When it was the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elias.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see if Elias is coming to take him down.’ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that he cried out in this way and he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was Son of God!’ There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him when he was in Galilee and minister to him; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

¶42

Glory to you, Lord, glory to you!

¶43

Blessed is the Lord God, blessed is the Lord day by day; may the God of our salvation give us prosperity.

¶44

Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (

¶45

**three times**).

¶46

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

¶47

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

¶48

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen

¶49

Our Father, in heaven, may your name be hallowed; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

¶50

For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. ****

¶51

Come, let us all sing the praise of him who was crucified for us; for Mary looked upon him on the Tree and said: ‘Though you endure the Cross, yet you are my Son and my God’.

¶52

Lord, have mercy. (**x40**)

¶53

At every time and at every hour, in heaven and on earth worshipped and glorified, Christ God, long-suffering, great in mercy, great in compassion, loving the just and merciful to sinners, calling all to salvation by the promise of the blessings to come; do you, Lord, yourself accept our entreaties at this hour, and direct our lives to your commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our ideas and deliver us from every distress, evil, and pain. Wall us about with your holy Angels, that protected and guided by their host we may reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of your unapproachable glory; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.

¶54

Lord, have mercy (

¶55

**x3**). Glory. Both now. Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word, truly the Mother of God we magnify you. In the name of the Lord, bless, Father. ****

¶56

May God take pity on us and be merciful to us, and make his face shine on us and have mercy on us. ****

¶57

And the Superior says the following

¶58

God and Master, Father almighty, Lord, only begotten Son, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit, one godhead, one power, have mercy on me a sinner; and by the judgements which you know, save me your unworthy servant; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.

Translated by Ephrem Lash. Edition lash.en.anastasis.