Day 21 – January 21, 2021

• Psalm 22 – The Lord Is My Shepherd, Byzantine Chant, Plagal of First Tone
• Adapted from Hieromonk Gregory of Simonos Petras Monastery by Basil Crow
• See more music at https://www.englishmenaion.com/

Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

1 Now the Lord visited Sarah as He said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.†

2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in old age, at the set time, of which God had spoken to him.†

3 So Abraham called the name of his son born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.

4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God commanded him.

5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh; all who hear will laugh with me.”

7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne a child in my old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

8 So the child grew and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the same day Isaac was weaned.

9 Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, who was born to Abraham, playing with Isaac her son.

10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this maidservant and her son, for the son of this maidservant shall not be heir with my son Isaac.”†

11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of your son and your maidservant. Whatever Sarah said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.

13 Yet I will also make a great nation of the son of your maidservant, because he is your seed.”

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the wilderness, near the Well of Oath.

15 When the water in the skin was used up, she placed the boy under one of the shrubs.

16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

17 But God heard the voice of the lad from the place where he was. Then the Angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.†

18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.Ӡ

19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.

20 Thus God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the desert, and became an archer.

21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Abraham’s Agreement with Abimelech

22 Now it came to pass at that time that Abimelech, and his friend Ochozath, and Phichol, the commander-in-chief of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all you do.

23 Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, or with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the righteousness I did to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”

24 So Abraham said, “I swear.”

25 Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water Abimelech’s servants had seized.

26 Abimelech replied, “I do not know who did this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.”

27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.

28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29 Thus Abimelech asked Abraham, “Why have you placed these seven ewe lambs by themselves?”

30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, to witness that I dug this well.”

31 Therefore he called that place, the Well of Oath, because the two of them swore an oath there.

32 Thus they made a covenant at the Well of Oath. So Abimelech rose with Ochozath his friend and Phichol, the commander-in-chief of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.

33 Then Abraham planted a field at the Well of Oath, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the eternal God.

34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.

Psalms 22

1 A psalm by David. †The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 

3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord to the end of my days.

Psalms 23

1 A psalm by David; on the first day of the week. †The earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness, The world and all who dwell therein. 

2 For He founded it upon the seas And prepared it upon the rivers. 

3 Who shall ascend to the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place?

4 He who has innocent hands and a pure heart; He who does not lift up his soul to vanity; He who does not swear deceitfully to his neighbor. 

5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord And mercy from the God of his salvation. 

6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek the face of the God of Jacob. (Pause) 

7 Lift up the gates, O you rulers, And be lifted up, you everlasting doors, And the King of glory shall enter. 

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord powerful in battle. 

9 Lift up the gates, O you rulers, And be lifted up, you everlasting doors, And the King of glory shall enter. 

10 Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.

Proverbs of Solomon 4

13 Do not go in the ways of the ungodly, Neither be zealous for the ways of the lawless; 

14 In whatever place they encamp, do not go there, But turn aside from them and pass by. 

15 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; Their sleep is taken away, and they do not rest; 

16 For they feed on the bread of ungodliness, And they are drunk with the wine of lawlessness. 

17 But the ways of the righteous shine like a light; They go before and give light until full daylight. 

18 But the ways of the ungodly are dark; They do not know how they stumble.

Matthew 14

Herod’s Fears

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus†

2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.

4 Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

6 But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.

7 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

8 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”

9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. 

10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.

11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Feeding the Five Thousand

13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.†

14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.†

15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.”

19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.†

20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.

21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.