Martyr Matrona of Thessalonica

⁶And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. ⁷Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. ⁸Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; ⁹That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. ¹⁰They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

³And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. ⁴And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, ⁵And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. ⁶And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. ⁷And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. ⁸If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked. ⁹Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. ¹⁰And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled. ¹¹And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. ¹²And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. ¹³I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. ¹⁴And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? ¹⁵Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. ¹⁶For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

³To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. ⁴An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. ⁵The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want. ⁶The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. ⁷The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment. ⁸The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right. ⁹It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. ¹⁰The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes. ¹¹When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. ¹²The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness. ¹³Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. ¹⁴A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath. ¹⁵It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. ¹⁶The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. ¹⁷He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. ¹⁸The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright. ¹⁹It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. ²⁰There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up. ²¹He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.