Ode 7. The Irmos.

**Theotokion.**

‘Do not hand us over for ever, for your name’s sake, do not scatter your covenant and do not withdraw your mercy from us, O Lord the God of our fathers, highly exalted unto the ages.’

O merciful Christ, willingly you were numbered among the lawless at the moment of your divine Passion; seeing it the earth was shaken and the rocks were rent by your all-effecting wish, O Infinite, and the dead from time’s beginning arose.

With your soul you went down to the lower regions of Hell; bravely you led out all the prisoners that death, the bitter tyrant, held since time’s beginning, as they cried out to you, Christ our God: Glory to your dread dispensation!

Why do you seek the eternally living with the dead? He has risen, as he said. Here, as you see, the graveclothes are empty, the tomb is empty, the young man who appeared said to the Women: Go with haste, tell the Apostles.

You are the water of life, the Woman of Samaria cried out to Christ; therefore, O Word, give me, who am ever thirsty, your divine grace to drink, that I may no longer, Lord Jesu, be mastered by the drought of ignorance, but may proclaim your wonderful works.

We hymn the Father and the Son and the divine Spirit, Trinity by nature undivided, divided by persons, one united Essence, without beginning, Maker of all and God, whom all the ranks of heaven praise.

After your dread child-birth, holy Mother of God, you were kept a pure Virgin; therefore all the choirs of Angels and all generations of mankind hymn you with never silent voices as the pure place which confined the infinite.