Readings and saints

Wednesday, April 28, 2027

April 15 on the Old Calendar

Great and Holy Wednesday

Fasting: No overrides (Lenten Fast): no meat, fish, dairy, eggs, wine, or oil.Your priest can tell you how to keep the fast.

The readings

TranslationTraditionalModernSide by side

Traditional: the King James Version (1611) for the New Testament. The Old Testament is Brenton’s English Septuagint (1844), from the Greek Old Testament the Church reads, in both settings; some of its verse numbers differ from other Bibles. Underlined words are explained in Words of Prayer.

Modern: the World English Bible for the New Testament. The Old Testament stays Brenton’s Septuagint (1844): there is no modern English translation of the Greek Old Testament that is free to publish. Your choice is remembered on this device.

The Divine Liturgy2 readings

Gospel for Bridegroom

John 12:17-50

Traditional

¹⁷The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. ¹⁸For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. ¹⁹The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

²⁰And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: ²¹The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. ²²Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

²³And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. ²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. ²⁵He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. ²⁶If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. ²⁷Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. ²⁹The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. ³⁰Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. ³²And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. ³³This he said, signifying what death he should die. ³⁴The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? ³⁵Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. ³⁶While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

³⁷But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: ³⁸That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? ³⁹Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, ⁴⁰He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. ⁴¹These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

⁴²Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: ⁴³For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

⁴⁴Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. ⁴⁵And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. ⁴⁶I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. ⁴⁷And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. ⁵⁰And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Modern

¹⁷The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about it. ¹⁸For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign. ¹⁹The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”

²⁰Now there were certain Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast. ²¹Therefore, these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” ²²Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.

²³Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. ²⁷“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time’? But I came to this time for this cause. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” ²⁹Therefore the multitude who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. ³²And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die. ³⁴The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.

³⁷But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, ³⁸that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” ³⁹For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again: ⁴⁰“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.” ⁴¹Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.

⁴²Nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, ⁴³for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.

⁴⁴Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. ⁴⁵He who sees me sees him who sent me. ⁴⁶I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. ⁴⁷If anyone listens to my sayings and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke will judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”

Gospel for Presanctified

Matthew 26:6-16

Traditional

⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. ⁸But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? ⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. ¹⁰When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. ¹¹For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. ¹²For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. ¹³Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, ¹⁵And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

Modern

⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. ⁸But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” ¹⁰However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good work for me. ¹¹For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me. ¹²For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.”

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?” So they weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

The 6th Hour1 reading

Old Testament reading

Ezekiel 2:3-3:3

³And he said to me, Son of man, I send thee forth to the house of Israel, them that provoke me; who have provoked me, they and their fathers, to this day. ⁴And thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord. ⁵Whether then indeed they shall hear or fear, (for it is a provoking house,) yet they shall know that thou art a prophet in the midst of them.

⁶And thou, son of man, fear them not, nor be dismayed at their face; (for they will madden and will rise up against thee round about, and thou dwellest in the midst of scorpions): be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their countenance, for it is a provoking house. ⁷And thou shalt speak my words to them, whether they will hear or fear: for it is a provoking house.

⁸And thou, son of man, hear him that speaks to thee; be not thou provoking, as the provoking house: open thy mouth, and eat what I give thee. ⁹And I looked, and behold, a hand stretched out to me, and in it a volume of a book. ¹⁰And he unrolled it before me: and in it the front and the back were written upon: and there was written in it Lamentation, and mournful song, and woe.

¹And he said to me, Son of man, eat this volume, and go and speak to the children of Israel. ²So he opened my mouth, and caused me to eat the volume. And he said to me, Son of man,

³thy mouth shall eat, and thy belly shall be filled with this volume that is given to thee. So I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet honey.

Vespers2 readings

Old Testament reading 1 of 2

Exodus 2:11-22

¹¹And it came to pass in that length of time, that Moses having grown, went out to his brethren the sons of Israel: and having noticed their distress, he sees an Egyptian smiting a certain Hebrew of his brethren the children of Israel. ¹²And having looked round this way and that way, he sees no one; and he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. ¹³And having gone out the second day he sees two Hebrew men fighting; and he says to the injurer, Wherefore smitest thou thy neighbour? ¹⁴And he said, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? wilt thou slay me as thou yesterday slewest the Egyptian? Then Moses was alarmed, and said, If it be thus, this matter has become known. ¹⁵And Pharao heard this matter, and sought to slay Moses; and Moses departed from the presence of Pharao, and dwelt in the land of Madiam; and having come into the land of Madiam, he sat on the well. ¹⁶And the priest of Madiam had seven daughters, feeding the flock of their father Jothor; and they came and drew water until they filled their pitchers, to water the flock of their father Jothor. ¹⁷And the shepherds came, and were driving them away; and Moses rose up and rescued them, and drew water for them, and watered their sheep. ¹⁸And they came to Raguel their father; and he said to them, Why have ye come so quickly to-day? ¹⁹And they said, An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds, and drew water for us and watered our sheep. ²⁰And he said to his daughters, And where is he? and why have ye left the man? call him therefore, that he may eat bread. ²¹And Moses was established with the man, and he gave Sepphora his daughter to Moses to wife. ²²And the woman conceived and bore a son, and Moses called his name Gersam, saying, I am a sojourner in a strange land.

Old Testament reading 2 of 2

Job 2:1-10

¹And it came to pass on a certain day, that the angels of God came to stand before the Lord, and the devil came among them to stand before the Lord. ²And the Lord said to the devil, Whence comest thou? Then the devil said before the Lord, I am come from going through the world, and walking about the whole earth. ³And the Lord said to the devil, Hast thou then observed my servant Job, that there is none of men upon the earth like him, a harmless, true, blameless, godly man, abstaining from all evil? and he yet cleaves to innocence, whereas thou hast told me to destroy his substance without cause? ⁴And the devil answered and said to the Lord, Skin for skin, all that a man has will he give as a ransom for his life. ⁵Nay, but put forth thine hand, and touch his bones and his flesh: verily he will bless thee to thy face. ⁶And the Lord said to the devil, Behold, I deliver him up to thee; only save his life.

⁷So the devil went out from the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from his feet to his head. ⁸And he took a potsherd to scrape away the discharge, and sat upon a dung-heap outside the city.

⁹And when much time had passed, his wife said to him, How long wilt thou hold out, saying, ¹⁰But he looked on her, and said to her, Thou hast spoken like one of the foolish women. If we have received good things of the hand of the Lord, shall we not endure evil things? In all these things that happened to him, Job sinned not at all with his lips before God.

Remembered on this day

Apostles Jason and Sosipater of the Seventy

Calendar: Orthocal, following the Revised Julian (New) Calendar of the Orthodox Church in America. Parishes on the Old Calendar keep each day 13 days later. Check your own parish calendar.