12th Hour– Compline
INTRODUCTION TO EVERY HOUR
In the name
of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Kyrie
eleison. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless us. Amen.
Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the
ages of all ages. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Make us
worthy to pray thankfully:
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, in Christ Jesus our Lord. For Thine
is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Let us give
thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and
Savior, Jesus Christ, for He has covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us
unto Him, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour. Let us also ask
Him, the Lord our God, the Almighty, to guard us in all peace this holy day and
all the days of our life.
O Master,
Lord, God the Almighty, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, we
thank You for every condition, concerning every condition, and in every
condition, for You have covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us unto You,
spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour.
Therefore,
we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, to grant us to complete
this holy day, and all the days of our life, in all peace with Your fear. All
envy, all temptation, all the work of Satan, the counsel of wicked men, and the
rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest, take them away from us, and from all
Your people, and from this holy place that is Yours.
But those
things which are good and profitable do provide for us; for it is You Who have
given us the authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and upon all the
power of the enemy.
And lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, by the grace, compassion and love
of mankind, of Your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
through Whom the glory, the honor, the dominion, and the adoration are due unto
You, with Him, and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, Who is of one essence with
You, now and at all times, and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
PSALM 50
Have mercy
upon me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the multitude of
Your compassions blot out my iniquity. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my iniquity; and my sin is at all
times before me.
Against You
only I have sinned, and done evil before You: that You might be just in Your
sayings, and might overcome when You are judged. For, behold, I was conceived in
iniquities, and in sins my mother conceived me.
For, behold,
You have loved the truth: You have manifested to me the hidden and unrevealed
things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with Your hyssop, and I shall be
purified: You shall wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. You shall
make me to hear gladness and joy: the humbled bones shall rejoice.
Turn away
Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in my inward parts. Do not cast me away
from Your face; and do not remove Your Holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of
Your salvation: and uphold me with a directing spirit. Then I shall teach the
transgressors Your ways; and the ungodly men shall turn to You.
Deliver me
from blood, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall rejoice in Your
righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips; and my mouth shall declare Your
praise. For if You desired sacrifice, I would have given it: You do not take
pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit: a broken
and humbled heart God shall not despise.
Do good, O
Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built.
Then You shall be pleased with sacrifices of righteousness, offering, and burnt
sacrifices: then they shall offer calves upon Your altar. ALLELUIA.
The blessed
prayer of retiring, we offer to Christ our King and our God, beseeching Him to
forgive us our sins.
From the
Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be upon
us all. Amen.
PSALM 129
Out of the
depths I have cried to You, O Lord. O Lord, hear my voice: let Your ears be
attentive to the voice of my supplication. If You, O Lord, should mark
iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? For through You is forgiveness. For Your
name's sake I have waited for You, O Lord. My soul has waited for Your law. My
soul has hoped in the Lord, from the morning watch till night. From the morning
watch, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord is mercy, and great is His
redemption; and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 130
O Lord, my
heart was not exalted, neither have my eyes been haughtily raised: neither have
I walked in great matters, nor in wonders greater than me. If I have not humbled
myself, but raised my soul, as a weaned child with his mother, so is the
recompense upon my soul. Let Israel hope in the Lord, from now and forever.
ALLELUIA.
PSALM 131
Lord,
remember David and all his meekness: how he swore to the Lord, and vowed to the
God of Jacob, saying, “I will not go into the dwelling of my house, or go up
to the bed of my couch; I will not give sleep to my eyes, nor slumber to my
eyelids, nor rest to my temples, until I find a place for the Lord, and a
dwelling place for the God of Jacob. Behold, we heard of it in Ephratha; we
found it in the fields of the wood. Let us enter into His dwelling, and worship
at the place where His feet stood.
Arise, O
Lord, into Your rest; You, and the ark of Your holy place. Your priests shall
clothe themselves with righteousness; and Your righteous shall exult. For the
sake of Your servant David, do not turn away Your face from Your anointed.
The Lord has
sworn in truth to David, and He will not turn from it, “Of the fruit of your
loins I will set upon your throne. If your children keep My covenant and My
testimonies which I will teach them, their children also will sit upon your
throne forever.”
For the Lord
has selected Zion, He has chosen her a dwelling for Himself: “This is My
resting place forever. Here I will dwell; for I have desired it. In blessing I
shall bless her hunting. Her poor I shall satisfy with bread. Her priests I
shall clothe with salvation; and her saints with rejoicing shall rejoice. There
I shall raise a horn to David. I have prepared a lamp for My anointed. His
enemies I shall clothe with shame, and My holiness shall flourish upon Him.”
ALLELUIA.
PSALM 132
Behold! What
is so good, or what so pleasant, as for brothers dwelling together? It is as
ointment upon the head, that came down upon beard, the beard of Aaron that came
down to the fringe of his clothing; as the dew of Aermon, that comes down upon
the mountain of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing and the life
forever. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 133
Behold,
bless the Lord, O you the servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the
Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. In the nights lift up your hands
unto the Holies, and bless the Lord. The Lord shall bless you out of Zion, He
who made heaven and earth. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 136
By the
rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our
harps on the willows in the midst of it. For there those who had taken us
captive asked of us the words of a song; and those who had carried us away asked
a hymn, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
How will we
sing the Lord's song in a strange land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, I shall
forget my right hand. My tongue shall cling to my throat, if I did not remember
you; if I did not prefer Jerusalem as the head of my joy.
Remember, O
Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, “Tear it down,
tear it down, even to its foundations.” Wretched daughter of Babylon! Blessed
is he who will reward you with the reward you have given us. Blessed is he who
will seize and bury your infants by the rock. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 137
I will
confess You, O Lord, with my whole heart, for You have heard all the words of my
mouth. Before the angels I will chant to You. I will worship toward Your holy
temple, and confess Your name, on account of Your mercy and Your truth; for You
have magnified Your holy name above all. The day in which I call upon You, hear
me speedily; You shall exceedingly look upon my soul with power. Let all the
kings of the earth, O Lord, confess You; for they have heard all the words of
Your mouth. And let them sing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of
the Lord.
The Lord is
high, and He regards the lowly; and He knows the existing things from afar off.
If I walk in the midst of affliction, You shall revive me; You have stretched
forth Your hands against the wrath of enemies, and Your right hand has saved me.
O Lord, You shall reward on my behalf: Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever: do
not overlook the works of Your hands. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 140
O Lord, I
have cried to You, hear me. Attend to the voice of my supplication when I cry to
You. Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense, and the lifting up of my
hands as an evening sacrifice. O Lord, set a watch on my mouth and a strong door
for my lips. Do not incline my heart to words of evil, to employ excuses for
sins with men who work iniquity; and I shall not agree with their choices. The
righteous shall chasten me with mercy, and reprove me: but do not let the oil of
the sinner anoint my head: for yet my prayer also is in their pleasures.
Their mighty
ones have been swallowed up near the rock: they shall hear my words, for they
are delightful. As a lump of earth, they are broken upon the ground, their bones
have been scattered at Hades. For my eyes are to You, O Lord: O Lord, I have
hoped in You; do not take away my soul. Keep me from the snare which they have
set for me, and from the stumbling blocks of those who work iniquity. Sinners
shall fall by their own net: I am alone until iniquity passes by. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 141
With my
voice to the Lord I cried; with my voice to the Lord I made supplication. I will
pour out before Him my supplication. My affliction I will pour out before Him,
when my spirit was fainting within me, and You knew my paths. In the way in
which I was walking, they hid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and
beheld, for there was no one who noticed me. Refuge failed me, and there was no
one who cared for my soul. I cried unto You, O Lord, and said, “You are my
hope, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my supplication, for I am
brought very low; deliver me from those who persecute me, for they are stronger
than me. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may confess Your name, O Lord. The
righteous wait for me until You reward me.” ALLELUIA.
PSALM 145
Praise the
Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord in my life. I will sing praises to my
God as long as I exist. Do not trust in the princes, nor in the children of men,
in whom there is no salvation. Their spirit shall go forth, and they shall
return to their earth. In that day all their thoughts shall perish.
Blessed is
he whose helper is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God:
who made heaven and earth, the sea and all things in them; who keeps truth
forever: who executes judgement for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord
looses the bound; the Lord sets up the broken down. The Lord gives wisdom to the
blind; the Lord loves the righteous. the Lord preserves the strangers; He
accepts the orphan and widow: but He will destroy the way of sinners. The Lord
shall reign forever, and your God, O Zion, from generation to generation.
ALLELUIA.
PSALM 146
Praise the
Lord, for a psalm is good; let praise be sweet unto our God. The Lord builds up
Jerusalem; and He will gather together the dispersed of Israel. He heals the
broken-hearted, and binds up all their fractures. He numbers the multitudes of
stars, and calls them all by names. Great is the Lord, and great is His
strength; His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifts up the meek, but brings
sinners down to the ground.
Begin the
song to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises to our God on the harp: He who
covers the heaven with clouds; who prepares rain for the earth; who causes grass
to spring up on the mountains, and green herb for the service of men; who gives
food to the cattle, and to the young ravens that call upon Him. He will not take
pleasure in the strength of a horse, nor will He be well‑pleased with the
legs of man. The Lord will take pleasure in those who fear Him, and in those who
hope in His mercy. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 147
Praise the
Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion: for He has strengthened the bars of
your gates. He has blessed your children within you. He makes your borders
peaceful, and fills you with the fatness of wheat. He sends His word to the
earth: His word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool: He scatters the mist like
ashes. He casts out His ice like morsels: who will be able to stand before
His frost? He will send out His word, and melt them. His wind will blow, and the
waters shall flow. He declares His word to Jacob, His ordinances and judgements
to Israel. He has not done so with every nation; and He has not revealed to them
His judgements. ALLELUIA.
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE (CH. 2: 25-32)
And behold,
there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and this man was just and
devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death
before he had seen Christ the Lord. So he came by the Spirit into the temple.
And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the
custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God, and said:
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your
word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the
face of all peoples, a light for the revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory
of Your people Israel.”
Glory to God
forever. Amen.
Tenoo
oasht emmok o piekhristos nem pekyot en aghathos nem pi epnevma ethowab je akee
ak soati emmon nai nan
We worship
You O Christ with Your Good Father and the Holy Spirit, for You have come and
saved us.
1.
Behold, I am about to stand before the Just Judge terrified and trembling
because of my many sins. For a life spent in pleasures deserves condemnation.
But repent, O my soul, so long as you dwell on this earth, for inside the grave,
dust does not praise. And among the dead, no one remembers, neither in hades,
does anyone give thanks. Therefore arise from the slumber of laziness, and
entreat the Savior, repenting and saying, “God, have mercy on me and save
me.”
Doxa
Patri ke Eioa ke Agio Pnevmati
Glory to the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
2. If
life were everlasting, and this world ever-existing, you would have an excuse, O
my soul. But if your wicked deeds and ugly evils were exposed before the Just
Judge, what answer would you give while you are lying on the bed of sins,
negligent in disciplining the flesh!? O Christ our God, before Your awesome seat
of judgement I am terrified, and before Your council of judgement I submit, and
from the Light of Your divine radiance I tremble, I, the wretched and defiled,
who lies on my bed, negligent in my life. But I take example of the Publican,
beating my chest and saying, “O God, forgive me and have mercy on me, a
sinner.”
Ke nin ke
a ee ke ees toos e onas toan e oa noan ameen.
Now and
forever and unto the ages of all ages, Amen.
3. O
pure Virgin, overshadow your servant with your instant help, and keep the waves
of evil thoughts away from me, and raise up my ailing soul for prayer and vigil,
for it has gone into a deep sleep. For you are a capable, compassionate and
helpful mother, the bearer of the Fountain of Life, my King and my God, Jesus
Christ, my hope.
GRACIOUSLY ACCORD, O LORD
Graciously
accord, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin. Blessed are You, O Lord, God
of our fathers, and exceedingly blessed, and glorified be Your name forever.
Amen.
Let Your
mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according to our hope in You; for the eyes of
everyone wait upon You, for You give them their food in due season. Hear
us, O God, our Savior, the hope of all the regions of the earth. And You, O
Lord, keep us safe from this generation and forever. Amen.
Blessed are
You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes. Blessed are You, O Lord; make me to
understand Your commandments. Blessed are You, O Lord; enlighten me with Your
righteousness. Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever. Despise not, O Lord,
the works of Your hands. You have been my refuge from generation to
generation.
I said, O
Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul; for I have sinned against You. Lord,
I have fled unto You, save me, and teach me to do Your will, for You are my God,
and with You is the fountain of life. In Your light shall we see light.
Let Your
mercy come unto those who know You, and Your righteousness unto the upright in
heart. To You belongs blessing. To You belongs praise. To You belongs glory, O
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, existing from the beginning, now, and forever and
ever. Amen.
It is good
to confess unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Your name, O Most High; to
show forth Your mercy every morning, and Your righteousness every night.
THE TRISAGION
Holy God,
Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was born of the Virgin, have mercy on us.
Holy God,
Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was crucified for us, have mercy on us.
Holy God,
Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who rose from the dead and ascended into the
heavens, have mercy on us.
Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the
ages of all ages. Amen.
O Holy
Trinity, have mercy on us. O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Holy Trinity,
have mercy on us.
O Lord,
forgive us our sins. O Lord, forgive us our iniquities. O Lord, forgive us our
trespasses.
O Lord,
visit the sick of Your people, heal them for the sake of Your holy name. Our
fathers and brothers who have slept, O Lord, repose their souls.
O You Who
are without sin, Lord have mercy on us. O You Who are without sin, Lord help us
and receive our supplications. For Yours is the glory, the dominion, and triple
holiness. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord bless. Amen.
Make us
worthy to pray thankfully:
Our Father
Who art in heaven ...
INTRODUCTION TO THE CREED
We exalt
you, the Mother of the true Light. We glorify you, O Saint, the Theotokos,
for you brought forth unto us the Savior of the whole world; He came and saved
our souls.
Glory to
You, our Master, our King, Christ, the pride of the apostles, the crown of the
martyrs, the joy of the righteous, the firmness of the churches, the forgiveness
of sins.
We proclaim
the Holy Trinity in One Godhead. We worship Him. We glorify Him.
Lord have
mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord bless. Amen.
THE ORTHODOX CREED
We believe
in one God, God the Father, the Almighty, Who created heaven and earth, and all
things, seen and unseen.
We believe
in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father
before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of
one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who for us, men, and
for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnated of the Holy Spirit
and of the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was crucified for us under
Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. And on the third day He rose from the
dead, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into the heavens; and sat at the
right hand of His Father, and also He is coming again in His glory to judge the
living and the dead, whose kingdom has no end.
Yes, we
believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giver, Who proceeds from the
Father, Who, with the Father and the Son, is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke
in the prophets. And in one holy, catholic and apostolic church. We
confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
We look for
the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the coming age. Amen.
Then the
worshipper prays:
Lord, hear
us and have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. Amen.
(Lord have
mercy) 41 times
HOLY HOLY HOLY
Holy Holy
Holy. Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory and honor. Have
mercy on us, O God the Father, the Almighty O Holy Trinity, have mercy on
us. O Lord, God of hosts, be with us. For we have no helper in our hardships and
tribulations but You. Absolve, forgive, and remit, O God, our transgressions;
those which we have committed willingly and those we have committed unwillingly,
those which we have committed knowingly and those which we have committed
unknowingly, the hidden and manifest, O Lord forgive us, for the sake of Your
Holy name which is called upon us.
Let it be
according to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to our sins.
Make us
worthy to pray thankfully:
Our Father
Who art in heaven ...
ABSOLUTION
Lord, all
our sins which we committed against You in this day, whether in deeds or in
words or in thoughts or through all senses, please remit and forgive us, for the
sake of Your holy name, as You are Good and Lover of mankind. God, grant us a
peaceful night and a sleep free from all anxiety. And send us an angel of peace
to protect us from every evil, and every affliction, and every temptation of the
enemy; through the Grace, compassion and love of mankind of Your Only-Begotten
Son, our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, to Whom is due, with You and with
the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver Who is of one essence with You, all glory, honor
and dominion, now and forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
THE CONCLUSION OF EVERY HOUR
Have mercy
on us, O God, and have mercy on us, who, at all times and in every hour, in
heaven and on earth, is worshipped and glorified, Christ our God, the good, the
long suffering, the abundant in mercy, and the great in compassion, who loves
the righteous and has mercy on the sinners of whom I am chief; who does not wish
the death of the sinner but rather that he returns and lives, who calls all to
salvation for the promise of the blessings to come.
Lord receive
from us our prayers in this hour and in every hour. Ease our life and guide us
to fulfill Your commandments. Sanctify our spirits. Cleanse our bodies. Conduct
our thoughts. Purify our intentions. Heal our diseases. Forgive our sins.
Deliver us from every evil grief and distress of heart. Surround us by Your holy
angels, that, by their camp, we may be guarded and guided, and attain the unity
of faith, and the knowledge of Your imperceptible and infinite glory. For You
are blessed forever. Amen.