Thursday in the Second Week of August

If today be a Feria, the Collect is taken from the preceding Sunday as given in the Ordo.

Matins

De libro Ecclesiástæ

The Lesson is taken from
the Book of Ecclesiastes

Ne témere quid loquáris, neque cor tuum sit velox ad proferéndum sermónem coram Deo.  Deus enim in cælo, et tu super terram ; idcírco sint pauci sermónes tui.  Multas curas sequúntur sómnia, et in multis sermónibus inveniétur stultítia.  Si quid vovísti Deo, ne moréris réddere ; displícet enim ei infidélis et stulta promíssio ; sed quodcúmque vóveris redde ; multóque mélius est non vovére, quam post votum promíssa non réddere.

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.  For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.  When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  In princípio Deus ántequam terram fáceret, priúsquam abyssos constitúeret, priúsquam prodúceret fontes aquárum, * Antequam montes collocaréntur, ante omnes colles generávit me Dóminus.
V.  Quando præparábat cælos, áderam, cum eo cuncta compónens.
R.  Antequam montes collocaréntur, ante omnes colles generávit me Dóminus.

R.  The Lord possessed me in the beginning, or ever the earth was, when there were no fountains abounding with water ; * Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.
V.  When he prepared the heavens, I was there, present with him, forming all things.
R.  Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.

Ne déderis os tuum ut peccáre fácias carnem tuam ; neque dicas coram Angelo : Non est providéntia ; ne forte irátus Deus contra sermónes tuos díssipet cuncta ópera mánuum tuárum.  Ubi multa sunt sómnia, plúrimæ sunt vanitátes et sermónes innúmeri ; tu vero Deum time.  Si víderis calúmnias egenórum et violéntia judícia et subvérti justítiam in província, non miréris super hoc negótio ; quia excélso excélsior est álius, et super hos quoque eminentióres sunt álii ; et ínsuper univérsæ terræ rex ímperat serviénti.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?  For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.  If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.  Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Gyrum cæli circuívi sola, et in flúctibus maris ambulávi, in omni gente et in omni pópulo primátum ténui : * Superbórum et sublímium colla própria virtúte calcávi.
V.  Ego in altíssimis hábito, et thronus meus in colúmna nubis.
R.  Superbórum et sublímium colla própria virtúte calcávi.

R.  I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep, and in every people and nation have I gotten myself a possession ; *  And by mine own power have I trodden under my feet the hearts of both the high and the low.
V.  I dwell in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of cloud.
R.  And by mine own power have I trodden under my feet the hearts of both the high and the low.

In Feastdays of Simple rank :

V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Magnificásti pópulum tuum et honorásti.

V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  For thou dost magnify thy people, and glorify them.

And on such Feastdays of Simple rank, the Third Lesson is read according to the Proper.

Proper Third Lesson

Avárus non implébitur pecúnia, et qui amat divítias fructum non capiet ex eis : et hoc ergo vánitas.  Ubi multæ sunt opes, multi et qui cómedunt eas.  Et quid prodest possessóri, nisi quod cernit divítias óculis suis?  Dulcis est somnus operánti, sive parum sive multum cómedat ; satúritas autem dívitis non sinit eum dormíre.  Est et ália infírmitas péssima, quam vidi sub sole : divítiæ conservátæ in malum dómini sui.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.  When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?  The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.  There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Emítte, Dómine, sapiéntiam de sede magnitúdinis tuæ, ut mecum sit et mecum labóret : * Ut sciam quid accéptum sit coram te omni témpore.
V.  Da mihi, Dómine, sédium tuárum assistrícem sapiéntiam.
R.  Ut sciam quid accéptum sit coram te omni témpore.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Ut sciam quid accéptum sit coram te omni témpore.

R.  Send Holy Wisdom out of thy heavens, O Lord, and from the Throne of thy Glory, to be present and labour with me, * That I may ever know what is pleasing unto thee.
V.  Give me, O Lord, Holy Wisdom that sitteth by thy Throne.
R.  That I may ever know what is pleasing unto thee.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  That I may ever know what is pleasing unto thee.

The Office of Matins ends after the Third Respond.  The Te Deum is not said, and Lauds normally follows immediately, beginning with the Opening Versicles.  Otherwise, the Conclusion of Matins is read, according to the Rubrics.

Conclusion of Matins
 

After the conclusion of the First Nocturn, the Second Nocturn is begun according to the current weekday.

Second Nocturn