Composite 24 - Leviticus 26 (Vespers, 2nd reading)
- 1
- The Lord spoke to the sons of Israel, saying: “If you will walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them, then will I give you the rain in its season, and the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And the time of your threshing shall reach unto the gathering of the vine, and the gathering of the vine shall reach unto the sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and you shall dwell securely in your land. And I will give peace in your land, and you shall sleep, and none shall make you afraid; and I will destroy the cruel beasts out of your land, and war shall not go through your land. And you shall pursue your enemies, and they shall fall before you with slaughter. And five of you shall pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you shall pursue ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. And I will look upon you and bless you; I will increase you and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you. You shall eat the old stores, and the oldest of the old; and you shall carry off the old to make way for the new. And I will establish My covenant with you, and My soul shall not be disturbed with you. And I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.
- 2
- “But if you will not hearken unto Me, nor do these My commandments, nor submit yourselves to them, and your soul should abhor My judgments, so that you should not keep all My commandments, so as to break My covenant, then will I do thus to you: I will bring want upon you; you shall sow your seed vainly, and your enemies shall eat up the fruit of your labors. And I will set My face against you, and you shall fall before your enemies and be made subject to them that hate you; you shall flee when no one pursues you. And I will break down the haughtiness of your pride; I will make your heaven like iron and your earth like brass. And your strength shall be in vain, for your land shall not yield its seed, nor shall the tree of your field yield its fruit. And I will send upon you the wild beasts of the land, and they shall devour you and lay waste to your cattle; and I will make you few in number, and the sword falling upon you shall destroy you. And your land shall be desolate and your gates deserted, for you walked perversely before Me; and I will walk contrary to you in fury,“ saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel.