O God, why hast Thou cast us off unto the end? Why hath Thine anger raged against the sheep of Thy pasture? Remember Thy congregation which Thou hast purchased from the beginning. Thou hast redeemed the rod of Thine inheritance, this Mount Sion wherein Thou hast dwelt. Lift up Thy hands against their pride at the end, against the things which the enemy hath wickedly done in Thy holy place. And those who hate Thee have boasted in the midst of Thy feast. They set up their ensigns, yea, signs (though they knew it not) as it were for the departing on high. As in a forest of trees, with axes they cut down the doors thereof together, with two-edged axe and mason’s hammer have they broken it down. With fire have they burned down Thy sanctuary, they have profaned even unto the ground the habitation of Thy name. They said in their heart, even the whole kindred of them together: Come let us abolish all the feasts of God from the earth. Our signs have we not seen; there is no more any prophet, and he will know us no more. How long, O God, shall the enemy utter reproaches? Shall the adversary provoke Thy name to the end? Wherefore turnest away Thy hand, and Thy right hand out of the midst of Thy bosom for ever? But God is our king before the ages, He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst establish the sea by Thy might, Thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the water. Thou didst crush the head of the dragon, Thou gavest him as food to the Ethiopian peoples. Thou hast cloven fountains and torrents, Thou hast dried up the rivers of Etham. Thine is the day and Thine is the night; Thou hast perfected the light and the sun. Thou hast made all the borders of the earth; summer and spring hast Thou fashioned. Be mindful of this Thy creation. The enemy hath reproached the Lord, and a mindless people hath provoked Thy name. O deliver not unto beasts the soul which doth confess Thee; of the souls of Thy paupers be not forgetful unto the end. Look Thou upon Thy covenant, for the dark places of the earth are filled with the houses of iniquity. Let not the humbled and shamed man be turned away; the beggar and the poor man shall praise Thy name. Arise, O God, judge Thine own cause; remember the reproach made against Thee by the mindless man all the day long. Forget not the voice of Thy suppliants; the pride of those who hate Thee ascendeth continually.

¶9

Deacon: Wisdom, stand aright! Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.

¶10

Psalm 76

¶11

Priest: Peace be unto all.

¶12

With my voice unto the Lord have I cried, with my voice unto God, and He was attentive unto me. In the day of mine affliction I sought out God, with my hands upraised by night before Him, and I was not deceived. My soul refused to be comforted; I remembered God and I was gladdened; I spake in idleness and my spirit became faint-hearted. Mine eyes were wakeful before the watches; I was troubled and spake not. I thought upon the days of old, and the years of ages past I called to mind, and I meditated. By night I pondered in my heart, and my spirit searched diligently. Will the Lord then cast me off unto the ages, and will He be favorable no more? Or will He cut off His mercy unto the end? Hath He brought to an end His word from generation to generation? Or will the Lord forget to be merciful? Or in His wrath will He shut up His compassions for ever? And I said: Now have I made a beginning; this change hath been wrought by the right hand of the Most High. I remembered the works of the Lord; for I will remember Thy wonders from the beginning. And I will meditate on all Thy works, and I shall ponder upon Thy ways. O God, in the sanctuary is Thy way. What God is as great as our God? Thou art God Who worketh wonders. Thou hast made Thy power known among the peoples; with Thine arm hast Thou redeemed Thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. The waters saw Thee, O God, the waters saw Thee and were afraid; the abysses were troubled. Great was the resounding sound of the waters, the clouds gave forth a voice. Yea, for Thine arrows passed abroad; the voice of Thy thunder is in their rolling. And Thy lightnings have lightened the world; the earth was shaken and it trembled. In the sea are Thy byways, and Thy paths in many waters; and Thy footsteps shall not be known. Thou leddest Thy people as sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

¶13

Priest: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark [§2]

¶14

Psalm 90

¶15

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us.

¶16

He that dwelleth in the help of the Most High shall abide in the shelter of the God of heaven. He shall say unto the Lord: Thou art my helper and my refuge. He is my God, and I will hope in Him. For He shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunters and from every troubling word. With His shoulders will He overshadow thee, and under His wings shalt thou have hope. With a shield will His truth encompass thee; thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, Nor for the thing that walketh in darkness, nor for the mishap and demon of noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but unto thee shall it not come nigh. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and thou shalt see the reward of sinners. For Thou, O Lord, art my hope. Thou madest the Most High thy refuge; No evils shall come nigh thee, and no scourge shall draw nigh unto thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. On their hands shall they bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Upon the asp and basilisk shalt thou tread, and thou shalt trample upon the lion and dragon. For he hath set his hope on Me, and I will deliver him; I will shelter him because he hath known My name. He shall cry unto Me, and I will hearken unto him. I am with him in affliction, and I will rescue him and glorify him. With length of days will I satisfy him, and I will show him My salvation.

¶17

Glory…, Now & ever…

¶18

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Glory to Thee, O God! Thrice

¶19

Lord, have mercy! Thrice

¶20

Once, the River Jordan was turned back by the mantle of Elisha when Elijah was borne aloft, and the waters were parted on either side, and the path which before was wet became dry for him, as a true image of baptism, whereby we pass through the flow of life. Christ hath appeared in the Jordan to sanctify the waters.

¶21

As we have no boldness because of the multitude of our sins, O Virgin Theotokos, entreat Him Who was born of thee; for thy maternal supplication of the kindheartedness of the Master can accomplish much. Disdain not the entreaties of sinners, O most pure one, for He Who was well-pleased to suffer for us is merciful and able to save.

¶22

Then, these stichera—

¶23

In Tone VIII: Thus did the Lord say unto John: “Come and baptize Me Who have created thee, Who enlighten thee with grace and purify all! Touch thou My divine head, and be not hesitant. Let it be so now, for I have come to fulfill all righteousness. Do thou in no wise be reluctant, for I hasten to destroy the prince of darkness, the adversary who hideth in the waters, that I may now deliver the world from his snares, granting everlasting life, in that I love mankind.” Twice

¶24

Stichos: Therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan and Hermoniem.

¶25

In Tone VI: Today the prophecy of the Psalmist hasteneth to its fulfillment; for he said: The sea beheld and fled, Jordan turned back before the face of the Lord, before the face of the God of Jacob, Who came to receive baptism from His servant, that we also, having been washed clean of the impurity of idolatry, may be enlightened in soul for His sake.

¶26

Stichos: The waters saw Thee, O God, the waters saw Thee and were afraid.

¶27

The foregoing is repeated.

¶28

Glory…, in Tone V—

¶29

Why dost thou turn thy waters back, O Jordan? Wherefore dost thou withdraw thy streams? Why dost thou not rush forward in accordance with thy nature? “I am unable to bear the Fire which consumeth me!” it said; “I marvel and am astonished by His extreme condescension; for I am not accustomed to washing One Who is clean, neither am I used to cleansing One Who is sinless; but rather it is my wont to purify defiled vessels. Christ Who is baptized in me teacheth me to burn up the thorns of offenses! John, the voice of the Word, beareth witness to me, crying: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sins of the world!’” O ye faithful, to Him let us cry out: O God Who hast revealed Thyself for our salvation, glory be to Thee!

¶30

Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated.

¶31

Prokimenon, in Tone IV—

¶32

In the sea are Thy byways, and Thy paths in many waters.

¶33

Stichos: The voice of Thy thunder is in their rolling.

¶34

Thus saith the Lord: Draw ye water with joy out of the wells of salvation. And in that day thou shalt say: Sing to the Lord, call aloud upon His name, proclaim His glorious deeds among the nations; make mention that His name is exalted. Sing praise to the name of the Lord; for He hath done great things: declare this in all the earth. Exult and rejoice, O ye who dwell in Sion: for the Holy One of Israel is exalted in the midst thereof.

¶35

A Reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans [§91]

¶36

Brethren: As many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death. Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism unto death, that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

¶37

People: And to thy spirit.

¶38

People: Glory to Thee, O God, glory to Thee!

¶39

At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying: “Thou art My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” And immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto Him. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel.”

¶40

People: Glory to Thee, O God, glory to Thee!

¶41

Then, the following—

¶42

Let Thy compassions quickly go before us, O Lord, for we are become exceedingly poor. Help us, O God our Savior, for the sake of the glory of Thy name; O Lord, deliver us and be gracious unto our sins for Thy name’s sake.

¶43

In the streams of the Jordan the Lord crieth out to John today: Fear not to baptize Me, for I have come to save Adam the first-created!

¶44

Lord, have mercy! Forty times

¶45

O Christ God, Thou Long-suffering, greatly Merciful and exceedingly Compassionate One, Who at all times and at every hour, in heaven and on earth, art worshipped and glorified; Who lovest the righteous and hast mercy on the sinful; Who callest all to salvation in the promise of good things to come: do Thou Thyself, O Lord, accept also our prayers at this hour, and guide our life toward Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies; set our minds aright; and cleanse our thoughts. And deliver us from every sorrow, evil and pain. Protect us by Thy holy angels, that, preserved and guided by their array, we may attain unto the unity of the Faith and to the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

¶46

Lord, have mercy! Thrice

¶47

Glory…, Now & ever…

¶48

We magnify thee, the Theotokos, who art more honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim, and without corruption gavest birth to God the Word.

¶49

In the name of the Lord, father, bless!

¶50

O God and Lord of hosts, Author of all creation, Who in the loving-kindness of Thine incomparable mercy didst send Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation of our race, and by His precious Cross didst rend asunder the record of our sins, and hast thereby vanquished the princes and powers of darkness: do Thou Thyself, O Master Who lovest mankind, accept also these prayers of thanksgiving and supplication from us sinners, and deliver us from every pernicious and dark transgression, and from all enemies, visible and invisible, who seek to do us harm. Nail Thou our flesh to the fear of Thee, and incline not our hearts unto words or thoughts of evil, but wound our souls by Thy love, that, ever looking to Thee and guided by the light which doth emanate from Thee, the unapproachable and everlasting Light, we may send up unceasing confession and thanksgiving unto Thee: the unoriginate Father and Thine only-begotten Son, and Thy most holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.