Ode 9. Irmos.

Exapostilarion.

‘The Word, God from God, who has come with ineffable wisdom to renew Adam, terribly fallen by eating to corruption, for us ineffably incarnate from a holy Virgin, with one accord in hymns we the faithful magnify him’.

When John saw you, O Benefactor, coming to him and in humility asking Baptism from you, he was amazed and drew back, in no way daring to touch with his hand the One who touches all the mountains and they smoke.

Like a holy swallow, harbinger of spiritual spring, the Baptist came to those in the winter of unnumbered faults and ever enduring the tempestuous gale of hostile spirits with most wicked passions.

Seeing your fruitlessness the axe of death laid to your roots as to tree threatens to fell you; do not then continue fruitless, my soul, but cry out to God with fervent repentance, ‘I have sinned, save me’.

The voice of one who cried was heard in desert hearts, ‘Be glad, Christ has come granting forgiveness to all. Be hallowed every sea, springs and rivers, valleys and lakes and all that lies beneath the sun.

‘We who have been saved through you, pure Virgin, confess you to be indeed Mother of God, as with the Bodiless choirs we magnify you’.

Women listen.

The voice of one who cries has sounded; you hills, leap for joy; dance, human race, for the Word before eternity, taking flesh as a man, has come that he may be baptized in Jordan by hands which he fashioned and to abolish the sin of the world.

Same melody.

How will a river’s streams receive you, Lover of mankind, who made from nothing rivers and seas? How will the Forerunner dare to lay his hand on your immaculate head, Master? Trembling we sing the praise, O Word, of the height of your poverty.

At Lauds we insert 4 Stichera and sing Prosomia, of which the acrostic, until the 5th of the month, is:

Song of Theophanes for the Lights.

Tone 8. The Angelic Powers.

Go on, Angelic Powers, from Bethlehem to Jordan’s streams. Leaving the wilderness behind. John draw near. River rejoice and make ready. Let all the earth be glad. Christ is coming to cleanse the sin of Adam, as he is compassionate.

With pure mouths and souls made clean, come, let us mystically pass over from Bethlehem and hastening with Christ to the Jordan let us, all the tribes of the earth, now sing to him as we say with faith, ‘Blessed is our God who has come; glory to you’.

Great and fearful is the mystery! That God has been made like humans and wholly without knowledge of sin the guiltless today asks to be baptized by John in the river Jordan. Blessed is our God who has appeared; glory to you!

A flower from David, which blossomed from the Virgin, Christ has come to the streams of Jordan to wash away the sins of the Forefather in the waters. Adam, dance; Eve rejoice; let heaven be glad; let peoples say, \`Blessed is our God who has come; glory to you’.

**Same melody.**

Fearing to place his hand, with his hand he trembles; with his soul John rejoices, understanding that you have been well-pleased to incline your head, for you have taken the form of a slave, that you may deliver mortals from the slavery of the foe, as they cry, ‘Blessed is our God who has come; glory to you’.

**Same melody.**

Let the whole earth mystically rejoice and let the mountains prophetically leap for joy; Jordan’s stream, turn back, as it is written; tremble before the face of the Master; because God, become man, has come to cleanse all mortals of the sin of Adam.