Vespers
The Beginning of Vespers
Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. (For private prayers begin, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”.)
Reader: Amen. Glory to You, our God, glory to You!
O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who are everywhere present and fill all things; Treasurer of Blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell within us, and cleanse us from every blemish, and save our souls, O blessed One!
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us! [3]
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; O Lord, cleanse us of our sins; O Master, forgive our transgressions; O Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities, for Your Name's sake.
Lord, have mercy! [3]
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Priest: For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Reader: Amen. Lord, have mercy. [12]
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us worship God our King! Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, our King and our God! Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself, our King and our God!
Psalm 103
BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL; O Lord my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment;
*Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain; Who lay the beams of His chambers in the waters;
Who make the clouds His chariot, who walk on the wings of the wind;
*Who make His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire;
Who laid the foundation of the earth, that it should never be moved.
*You covered it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hurried away.
*They go up over the mountains; they go down into the valleys, to the place which You established for them.
You have set a boundary that they may not trespass; that they never again flood the earth.
*He sends the springs into the valleys, which flow among the hills.
They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
*By them live the birds of the air, which sing among the branches.
He waters the hills from His chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of His labor.
*He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation to serve mankind;
that we may grow food from the earth, wine that gladdens our hearts,
*oil to make our faces shine, and bread which strengthens our bodies.
The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon which He planted;
where the birds make their nests; the stork has its abode in the fir trees.
*The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the hares.
He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.
*You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God.
*The sun arises; they gather themselves together and lie down in their dens.
Mankind goes off to work and to labor until the evening.
*O Lord, how manifold are Your works! You have made them all in wisdom: the earth is full of Your riches.
So is this great and wide sea, in which there are innumerable creatures, both small and great things.
*There go the ships; there is that dragon, whom You made to play there.
All these wait upon You; that You may give them their food in due season. They gather what You give them;
*When You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
*You send out Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.
The glory of the Lord shall endure forever; the Lord shall rejoice in His works.
*He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
*My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.
Let the sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia; glory to You, O God. [3]
Here we read the appointed Kathisma from the Psalter.
The Lamplighting Psalms
Psalm 140
O LORD, I HAVE CRIED UNTO YOU, hear me! Receive the voice of my prayer when I call upon You.
Let my prayer be set forth in Your sight as incense, and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; and a protecting door about my lips.
*Incline not my heart to evil words to make excuses in sins.
With men that work iniquity; and I will not communicate with the choicest of them.
*The just man shall correct me with mercy and reprove me, do not use the oil of the sinner to anoint my head.
For my prayer shall still be against the things with which they are well-pleased. Their judges falling on the Rock have been swallowed up.
*They shall hear my words, for they are sweet. As a clod of dry earth is broken on the ground, their bones are scattered by the side of hell.
But to You, O Lord, are my eyes; I have put my trust in You; do not take away my soul.
*Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets while I alone escape.
Psalm 141
I CRIED OUT TO THE LORD WITH MY VOICE; with my voice, I made supplication to the Lord.
I poured out my supplication before Him, I showed Him my trouble.
When my spirit is overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path.
*In the way in which I walk they have secretly laid a snare for me.
I looked to my right and saw there was no one that would help me.
*Refuge failed me; no one cared for my soul.
I cried out to You, O Lord; I said: You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.
*Listen to my cry; for I am brought very low.
Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.
*Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Your name.
The righteous shall wait for me, until You recompense me.
Psalm 129
OUT OF THE DEPTHS have I cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
Let Your ears be receptive to the voice of my supplication.
*If You should mark iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? For there is forgiveness with You.
Because of Your name I have waited for You, O Lord; my soul has waited for Your word, my soul hoped in the Lord.
*From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel trust in the Lord.
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption; and He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Psalm 116
PRAISE THE LORD, ALL NATIONS; praise Him, all people.
For His mercy is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The Sunset Hymn
GLADSOME LIGHT of the holy glory that shines from the immortal, heavenly Father, the holy, the blessed Jesus Christ! In that we have come to sunset, now that we see the evening light, we sing the praise of Father and Son and Holy Spirit, one God! Worthy are You to be praised at all times with voices meet for holy song, O Son of God, the Giver of life, for which cause, all the world does give glory to You!
The Prokimen
Saturday, Tone 6:
THE LORD is King, * He is robed in majesty.
V. The Lord is robed with strength and He has girded Himself.
V. For He has established the world, which shall not be moved.
V. Holiness becomes Your house, O Lord, forever more.
Sunday, Tone 8:
BEHOLD NOW, bless the Lord, * all you servants of the Lord.
V. You who stand in the temple of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
Monday, Tone 4:
THE LORD will hear me * when I cry out to Him.
V. When I called, the God of my righteousness heard me.
Tuesday, Tone 1:
YOUR MERCY, O Lord, shall follow me * all the days of my life.
V. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures.
Wednesday, Tone 5:
O GOD, in Your name save me, * and in Your strength judge me.
V. O God, hear my prayer, give ear to the words of my mouth.
Thursday, Tone 6:
MY HELP comes from the Lord, * who has made heaven and earth.
V. I lift up my eyes to the mountains, from which my help will come.
Friday, Tone 7:
O GOD, You are my helper, * and Your mercy shall go before me.
V. Deliver me from my enemies, O God, and from those who rise up against me.
Prayer at the Approach of Sundown
GRANT, O LORD, TO KEEP US THIS evening without sin. Blessed are You, O Lord God of our Fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name forever. Amen.
Let Your mercy be upon us, O Lord, even as we have set our hope on You.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach us Your commandments.
Blessed are You, O Master, make us to understand Your commandments.
Blessed are You, O Holy One, enlighten us with Your commandments.
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever, do not despise the works of Your hands.
To You belongs praise, to You belongs song, to you belongs glory: To the Father, and to Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The Canticle of Saint Simeon
NOW LET YOUR SERVANT DEPART IN PEACE, O Master, according to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all people. A light of revelation for the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us! [3]
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; O Lord, cleanse us of our sins; O Master, forgive our transgressions; O Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities, for Your Name's sake.
Lord, have mercy! [3]
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Priest: For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
YOU ARE TRULY DESERVING OF GLORY, O Birthgiver of God, the ever blessed and most pure mother of God. More honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who as a Virgin gave birth to God the Word, true Birthgiver of God, we magnify you!
Glory to You, O Christ God our hope, glory to You.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. [3]
The Prayer of St. Basil the Great
BLESSED ARE YOU, O LORD ALMIGHTY who have lit up the day with the light of the sun and have brightened the night with shining stars, who have granted us to pass the length of the day and to reach the beginning of the night. Hear our supplication, and that of all Your people, and forgive all our sins, both voluntary and involuntary. Accept our evening prayer and send down the multitude of Your mercies and compassions upon Your people. Wall us about with Your holy angels; arm us with the armor of righteousness; enclose us with Your truth, guard us with Your power, deliver us from all misfortune and from every snare of the adversary. Grant us that the present evening with the coming night may be perfect, holy, peaceful, blameless, without temptation, without imaginings, all the days of our lives, through the prayers of the holy Mother of God and of all the saints, who from the ages have been well-pleasing to You. Amen.
The End of Vespers