Irmos: I pour forth my prayer unto the Lord, and to Him do I declare my grief; for my soul is full of evil and my life hath drawn nigh unto hell, and like Jonah I pray: Lead me up from corruption, O God!
Kontakion, in Tone II: Spec. Mel: “Seeking the highest...”—
Having fortified the weakness of her nature with the might of the Cross, and repudiated youthful adornment by divine love, at night the maiden took courage and ran away, seeking the fragrant teachings of Him Who was her Desired One.
Theotokion: Choosing thee from among the beautiful valleys of the world as a rose, a most comely lily, a sweet-scented fragrance, O Maiden, the Creator made His abode within thy womb; and, having been born, He hath filled all things with a sweet savor.
With love, of her own will, the right glorious protomartyr Thecla supernaturally left her bridal chambers to dwell in a dungeon with malefactors; for her desire for the Creator overcame her desire for comforts.
Drinking in the words of Paul in prison as in a divine meadow, the martyr kissed the chains of her divine teacher; and she grew and truly brought forth most comely fruit for the Master.
Having wounded thy heart with the love of Christ, O good virgin, thou didst spurn a transitory betrothed as of no account; and didst brave the fire and shut the mouths of the wild beasts. And, saved from them, O Thecla, first among women to suffer, thou didst take care to seek out Paul.
Ikos: Having learned the path of truth from Paul, thou didst follow after him without wavering, O all-glorious one, and having abandoned thine own people as strangers, with manly mind and in manly guise thou didst follow a stranger. Wherefore, the Master hath shown thee forth as the first to suffer among women contenders in the world, wherein thou didst remain, O Thecla, first among women to suffer, going about the ends thereof in search of Paul.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.