THE NINTH ODE – The song of the Theotokos. (Luke 1: 46-55)
The maiden mother praiseth her Son and God.
Let us magnify the Theotokos with hymns.
My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name; and His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.
He hath showed strength with His arm, he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and hath exalted them of low degree; He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy; as He spake to our fathers; to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
The prayer of Zacharias, the father of the Forerunner. (Luke 1: 68-79)
Zacharias blesseth the birth of his son.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people,
And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.
As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began,
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us,To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, and to remember His holy covenant,
For 8 verses
The oath which He sware to our father Abraham, that He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
For 6 verses
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest;
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God,
For 4 verses
Whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.