[Concerning the Readers—The Constitution of Matthew.]

XXII. Concerning readers,  144  The Oxford ms. has no part of this chapter. It reads: “A reader is appointed when the bishop gives him a book; for there is no imposition of hands.” I Matthew, also called Levi, who was once a tax-gatherer, make a constitution: Ordain a reader by laying thy hands upon him, and pray unto God, and say: O Eternal God, who art plenteous in mercy and compassions, who hast made manifest the constitution of the world by Thy operations therein, and keepest the number of Thine elect, do Thou also now look down upon Thy servant, who is to be entrusted to read Thy Holy Scriptures to Thy people, and give him Thy Holy Spirit, the prophetic Spirit. Thou who didst instruct Esdras Thy servant to read Thy laws to the people,  145  Neh. viii. do Thou now also at our prayers instruct Thy servant, and grant that he may without blame perfect the work committed to him, and thereby be declared worthy of an higher degree, through Christ, with whom glory and worship be to Thee and to the Holy Ghost for ever. Amen.

[22] Περὶ δὲ ἀναγνωστῶν ἐγὼ Ματθαῖος ὁ καὶ Λευὶς ὅ ποτε τελώνης διατάσσομαι. Ἀναγνώστην προχείρισαι ἐπιθεὶς αὐτῷ τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ ἐπευξάμενος πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν λέγε: Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ αἰώνιος, ὁ πολὺς ἐν ἐλέει καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς, ὁ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου σύστασιν διὰ τῶν ἐνεργουμένων φανεροποιήσας καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν σου ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ διαφυλάττων: αὐτὸς καὶ νῦν ἔπιδε ἐπὶ τὸν δοῦλόν σου τὸν ἐγχειριζόμενον τὰς ἁγίας σου γραφὰς ἀναγινώσκειν τῷ λαῷ σου, καὶ δὸς αὐτῷ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, πνεῦμα προφητικόν. Ὁ σοφίσας Ἔσδραν τὸν θεράποντά σου ἐπὶ τὸ ἀναγινώσκειν τοὺς νόμους σου τῷ λαῷ σου, καὶ νῦν παρακαλούμενος ὑφ' ἡμῶν σόφισον τὸν δοῦλόν σου καὶ δὸς αὐτῷ, ἀκατάγνωστον διανύσαντα τὸ ἐγχειρισθὲν αὐτῷ ἔργον, ἄξιον ἀναδειχθῆναι μείζονος βαθμοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ σοὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ σέβας ἐν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας: ἀμήν.