St. Michael the Archangel

Liturgical Day

Thursday, April 02, 2026
6th Thursday of Lent
Strict Fast
Today we commemorate:
Daily Readings
Old Testament Reading
Isaiah 65:8-16

إشعياء 65: 8-16

Thus says the LORD: "As the wine is found in the cluster, and they say, 'Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,' so I will do for my servants' sake, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah inheritors of my mountains; my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for my people who have sought me. But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny; I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter; because, when I called, you did not answer, when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes, and chose what I did not delight in." Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart, and shall wail for anguish of spirit. You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but his servants he will call by a different name. So that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hid from my eyes.

8وهذا ما قالَ الرّبُّ:

«كما توجدُ الخمرةُ في العُنقودِ،

فيقولُ قائِلٌ: لا تُتلِفْهُ

لأنَّ فيهِ بركةَ الرّبِّ،

كذلِكَ أصنَعُ لعِبادي

لِئلاَ أُتلِفَهُم جميعًا

9وسأُخرِج مِنْ يَعقوبَ نَسلاً

ومِنْ يَهوذا وارِثًا لجبالي.

فيَرِثُها الذينَ اَختَرتُهُم

وعِبادي يسكنونَ هُناكَ.

10ويكونُ سَهلُ شارونَ مَرعًى

ووادي عكورَ مَربِضَ بقَرٍ

لشعبي الذينَ سَعَوا إليَ.

11وأنتُمُ الذينَ تَركتُموني

ونَسيتُم جبَليَ المُقدَّسَ،

وهيَّأتُم مائِدةً للإلهِ جادَ

ومزَجتُمُ الخمرَ للإلهَةِ مناةَ

12سأجعَلُ السَّيفَ مَصيرَكُم

فتَركعونَ جميعُكُم للذَّبحِ.

ولأنِّي دَعَوتُ وما أجبتُم

وتكلَّمتُ وما سَمِعتُم،

بل فعَلتُمُ الشَّرَ في نَظَري

واَختَرتُم ما لا يَسُرُّني،

13فسَيأكُلُ عِبادي وأنتُم تَجوعونَ،

ويَشرَبونَ وأنتُم تَعطَشونَ.

سيَفرَحُ عِبادي وتَخزَونَ أنتُم

14ومِنْ بهجةِ القلبِ يُرنِّمونَ

وأنتُم مِنَ الكآبَةِ واَنكِسارِ الرُّوحِ

تصرُخونَ صُراخا وتُوَلوِلونَ.

15تترُكونَ اَسمَكُم لِلعنَةِ والفسادِ،

وأنا السَّيِّدُ الرّبُّ أُميتُكُم

وأدعو عِبادي باَسمِ آخرَ.

16فمَنْ يَتَبارَكُ مِنهُم يتَبارَكُ بإلَهِ الحَقِّ،

ومَنْ يحلِفُ مِنهُم يحلِفُ بهِ،

لأنَّ المتاعِبَ السَّالِفَةَ تُنسَى

وتُستَرُ عنْ عينيَ أنا الرّبُّ.

 

Old Testament Reading
Genesis 46:1-7

تكوين 46: 1-7

So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here am I." Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes." Then Jacob set out from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They also took their cattle and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters; all his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

فرَحَلَ يعقوبُ بِجميعِ ما كانَ لَه وجاءَ إلى بِئرِ سَبْعَ، فذبَحَ ذبائِحَ لإلهِ أبيهِ إسحَقَ. 2فقالَ لَه اللهُ ليلاً في رُؤيا: «يعقوبُ، يعقوبُ!» قالَ: «نعم، ها أنا». 3قالَ: «أنا اللهُ إلهُ أبيكَ. لا تَخفْ أنْ تنزِلَ إلى مِصْرَ، فسَأجعَلُكَ أُمَّةً عظيمةً هُناكَ_ 4أنا أنزِلُ معَكَ إلى مِصْرَ وأنا أُصعِدُكَ منها ويوسُفُ هوَ يُغمِضُ عينَيكَ ساعةَ تموتُ».

5فقامَ يعقوبُ مِنْ بِئرِ سَبْعَ. وحَمَلَهُ بَنوه، كما حَمَلوا أطفالَهُم ونِساءَهُم على المَركباتِ التي أرسَلها فِرعَونُ. 6وأخذوا ماشيَتَهم وكُلَ ما اَقتَنَوه في أرضِ كنعانَ وجاؤوا إلى مِصْرَ. وكانَ معَ يعقوبَ جميعُ نسلِهِ: 7بَنوه وبَنو بَنيهِ وبَناتُه وبَناتُ بَنيهِ، عِندَما جاءَ إلى مِصْرَ.

 

Old Testament Reading
Proverbs 23:15-24:5

أمثال 23: 15-24: 5

My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My soul will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way. Be not among winebibbers, or among gluttonous eaters of meat; for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. Hearken to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who begets a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and mother be glad, let her who bore you rejoice. My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. For a harlot is a deep pit; an adventuress is a narrow well. She lies in wait like a robber and increases the faithless among men. Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine, those who go to try mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. "They struck me," you will say, "but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink." Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; for their minds devise violence, and their lips talk of mischief. By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is mightier than a strong man, and a man of knowledge than he who has strength.

15إنْ كانَ قلبُكَ يا اَبْني حكيمًا،

فقَلبي يفرَحُ جدُا لكَ.

16بل صَدري يَنشَرِحُ يا اَبْني

إذا نطَقَت شَفَتاكَ بالاستِقامةِ.

17لا يفضُلُ قلبُكَ الخاطئينَ،

بلِ اَتقِ الرّبَّ نهارًا وليلاً.

18فلا بُدَ يا اَبني مِنْ آخرةٍ،

ورجاؤُكَ لا يُنكَرُ علَيكَ.

19فاَسمَعْ يا اَبني وكُنْ حكيمًا،

وليكُن قلبُكَ دَليلَكَ.

20لا تكُنْ بَينَ شِرِّيبي الخمرِ،

ولا الذينَ يأكلونَ كثيرًا.

21فالشِّرِّيبُ والأكِّيلُ يَفتَقِرانِ،

وكثرةُ النَّومِ تُلبِسُكَ الخرَقَ.

22إسمَعْ لأبيكَ الذي ولَدَكَ،

ولا تَحتَقِرْ أُمَّكَ إذا شاخت.

23إقتنِ الحَقَ ولا تَبِعْهُ،

وكذلِكَ الحِكمةَ والمَشورَةَ والفِطنَةَ.

24أبو الصِّدِّيقِ يَبتَهج اَبْتِهاجا،

ومَنْ يَلِدُ حكيمًا يفرَحُ بهِ.

25فليَفرَحْ أبوكَ وأمُّكَ بكَ،

ولتَبتَهِج تلكَ التي ولَدَتْكَ.

26أعطِني قلبَكَ يا اَبني،

ولتُلاحِظْ عيناكَ طُرُقي.

27الزَّانيةُ حُفرَةٌ عميقَةٌ،

والفاجرةُ بِئْرٌ عطشانَةٌ.

28هيَ أيضًا تكمُنُ كالموتِ،

وتَزيدُ الغادر

29لِمَنِ الويلُ ولِمَنِ الشَّقاءُ؟

لِمَنِ الخصامُ ولِمَنِ الفضيحةُ؟

لِمَنِ الجراحُ مِنْ غَيرِ عِلَّةٍ؟

لِمَنِ اَحْمِرارُ العينَينِ

30إلاَ للَّذينَ يُدمِنُونَ الخمرَ

ويَسعَونَ وراءَ المُسكِرِ.

31لا تَنظُرْ إلى الخمرِ إذا اَحْمَرَّت،

إذا تَلألأَت بالكأسِ وطابَ مَذاقُها،

32فهيَ في الآخرِ تَلدَغُ كالحَيَّةِ

وتَلسَعُ لَسعَةَ العقرَبِ.

33فتَرى عَيناكَ الغَرائِبَ

وتَنطِقَ بِما لا خيرَ فيهِ.

34وتكونُ كمُضطَجعِ في قلبِ البحرِ،

أو كنائِمِ على رأسِ السَّاريةِ.

35تقولُ: ضَرَبوني وما توَجعتُ،

آلموني وما عَرَفتُ، فسأعودُ

إلى الخمرِ متى أستَفيقُ.

لا تُعاشِرْ أهلَ السُّوءِ

ولا ترغَبْ أنْ تكونَ معَهُم،

2لأنَّ قلوبَهُم تلهَج بالجورِ

وشِفاهَهُم تَنطِقُ بالأذى.

3بالحِكمةِ يُبنَى البَيتُ، وبالفَهْمِ تتثَبَّتُ أركانُهُ.

4بالمَعرِفةِ تَمتَلِئَ جوانبُهُ

مِنْ كُلِّ نَفيسٍ شَهيٍّ.

5الرَّجلُ الحكيمُ عزيزُ الشَّأْنِ

وصاحِبُ المَعرِفةِ عظيمُ القُدْرةِ.

 

The readings and listing of saints for the day are calculated by and made available through the Online Chapel of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (www.goarch.org/chapel). The scripture readings in English are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.