Akathist to the Holy Great-Martyr Queen Ketevan
Wounded by divine longing, thou didst take upon thee many wounds and courageously endure torments of many kinds; therefore in place of a passing queenship thou didst inherit the kingdom of heaven, thrice-blessed Ketevan; entreat Christ God to have mercy on our souls.
To the struggler on high and chosen handmaid of God, Queen Ketevan, luminary of Kakheti, we offer humble praise: O queen, who reignest with boldness before the Trinity, free us from all passions, that we may sing to thee: Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
Angels served thee together with men, O holy one, and the Lord prepared thee to be an earthly queen and a heavenly martyr; and He taught us this hymn to thee:
Rejoice, good shoot of the Davidic Bagratids. Rejoice, thou who from youth didst choose holiness and good sense. Rejoice, thou who wast well blended in soul and body by the Creator. Rejoice, vessel guarded by angels. Rejoice, adornment of the kings of Georgia. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
Seeing thy good sense and firmness, the Holy Spirit armed thee, O queen, as a true warrior, with the art of salvation; and thou, ever trusting in the Lord, didst sing to God: Alleluia.
When thou wast summoned by the lawless Constantine, murderer of his father and brother, in a manner like the deeds of Herodias, keeping thy purity thou didst ask the help of God, and the judgement of the Lord crushed the evil one; and we, gladdened, learn to sing thus:
Rejoice, new Anna, guardian of spotless widowhood. Rejoice, Esther who didst crush lawlessness. Rejoice, bride of the King of kings and queen of Kakheti. Rejoice, helper of all parents. Rejoice, strengthener of Christian daughters. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
The power of the Most High made thee wise, O blessed one, and the grace of thy holiness sheltered the kingdom of Kakheti, and the people received abundantly the fruit of God and sang with thee to God: Alleluia.
A divine longing to serve the one heavenly King pierced thee, O holy one, and thou didst multiply good works, hastening to gain heavenly treasures; the immortal Bridegroom loved thee and chose thee as a chosen portion, and we offer a hymn to thy choosing:
Rejoice, seeker of the ways of the Lord. Rejoice, benefactress of priests and protectress of monks. Rejoice, builder of churches and monasteries. Rejoice, thou who receivest the poor and orphans. Rejoice, thou who carest only for the treasure on high. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
Like the ark amid the waves, so thou too, O queen, wast not overcome by the billows of this passing world; thou didst establish faith and peace in the kingdom and sing to God: Alleluia.
When Abbas, the accomplice of the devil, heard of the strengthening of the Christian Georgians, he wished to overthrow the God-chosen kingdom and multiplied evil wiles; but thou, as a spotless ewe-lamb, didst offer thyself for thy people; therefore we cry to thee:
Rejoice, heavenly bird who shelterest us beneath thy wings. Rejoice, tireless entreater for us. Rejoice, our guardian from enemies visible and invisible. Rejoice, offering-wine of the heavenly altar. Rejoice, unshakeable guardian of Church and people. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
Thou didst appear to the Georgians as a star running a God-guided course, O blessed one, strengthening all the Christians in Shiraz by thy holy life, and the people, imitating their queen, kept the true law and glorified the Lord in song: Alleluia.
The thirsty beheld from thee an abundance of grace and mercy, and like an oasis in the desert all hastened to thee; and thou, O queen, didst give them to drink of hope in God; therefore we cry to thee in song:
Rejoice, thou made wise by the Holy Spirit. Rejoice, peerless vanquisher of the delusions of the devil. Rejoice, strengthener of those who bear thy name. Rejoice, tender mother of all who flee to thee. Rejoice, date-palm of paradise that givest sweetness. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
By thy life thou didst preach Jesus crucified, and as a praised labourer thou didst bear by the will of the holy King the burdens of the people, and becamest the intercessor of all Georgians, and thou singest ever to the Lord: Alleluia.
Thou didst become like the saints of heaven and didst struggle courageously in captivity; all women were strengthened by thy struggle and magnified God, and we who magnify Him offer a hymn of victory:
Rejoice, thou who didst receive captivity as a call to thy Lord’s supper. Rejoice, thou who didst wear down the flesh by fasting and prayer. Rejoice, heavenly comfort of all prisoners. Rejoice, thou who raisest up the weak by grace. Rejoice, chosen attendant of the Queen of heaven. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
The God-fighting ruler devised to bend thee by captivity, but as gold is tried in the furnace, so thou wast made perfect, ever knowing the words of God: all the servants of the Lord prepare themselves for trials; thou didst trust in the Lord and sing to Him: Alleluia.
Wondrous and new deeds were done by thy hands, when by the grace of the Lord thou didst build a small dwelling of prayer in the city of the Hagarenes and ever didst send up prayer and glorify God; and we too tirelessly send up a hymn:
Rejoice, thou who grantest the grace of prayer to those who pray. Rejoice, fulfiller of the petitions of the servants of God. Rejoice, thou who didst make thy faith manifest to the men of the world. Rejoice, thou who firmly raisest up the despairing. Rejoice, thou who grantest victory to the helpless. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
The tempter devised a strange and dread guile when he promised thee the queenship of Persia and demanded that thou forsake the law of Christ; but thou, hastening to the heavenly crown of glory, a tower of the true faith, didst expose lawlessness and sing to God alone: Alleluia.
Thou didst love the Lord Jesus Christ with all thy soul and all thy mind, didst forsake everything material and follow the teaching of God like the apostles, and wast made worthy to be the bride of the blessed Bridegroom; and we sing to thee:
Rejoice, thou who askest blessedness for those who struggle. Rejoice, instructor of the Orthodox. Rejoice, thou who didst scatter lawlessness. Rejoice, thou who pourest light upon Kakheti. Rejoice, bountiful giver of spiritual gifts. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
The choirs of angels, beholding thy life, loved thee and magnified the Creator, and inseparably strengthened thee in trial; now thou singest with them to God: Alleluia.
As a voiceless fish cannot speak, so neither can the philosophies of orators speak of thy soul; but we, enraptured, send up praise to thee:
Rejoice, thou exalted in virtues. Rejoice, thou cleansed by divine grace. Rejoice, thou who bringest relief to strugglers. Rejoice, candle ever shining. Rejoice, sweet-sounding cymbal that glorifiest the commandments of the Lord. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
Desiring salvation for all, when thou didst see thy companions wavering, thou didst call them courageously and pray, and Satan, overcome by thy grace, fled in fear; and all, filled with divine zeal, received martyrdom with joy and glorified God: Alleluia.
Wondrous is thine endurance, O queen, when the tormentor thrice brought upon thee torments of many kinds: all the limbs of thy body were torn apart, the flesh was in pain, but the soul shone like the sun and hastened towards heaven to reach the bosom of the Lord; and we, beholding thy glory, offer thee a hymn:
Rejoice, beholder of the blessedness of the heavenly Jerusalem. Rejoice, adornment of paradise tried in gold. Rejoice, thou adorned with crowns of three pillars. Rejoice, gate that firmly guardest Orthodoxy. Rejoice, fair cluster from the vineyard of the Church of Christ. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
Thou didst glorify the all-holy Trinity by thy life and martyrdom and inherit the heavenly dwelling; by patience and blood thou didst put off the first Eve and become like the second Eve; thou reignest with the angels and singest to God: Alleluia.
Thou art a shining dawn from the assembly of the saints; thou intercedest swiftly for those who ask of thee and enlightenest those who entreat thee; therefore we offer thee praise:
Rejoice, casket filled with heavenly fragrances. Rejoice, deified daughter of the Lord. Rejoice, dwelling beloved of the Trinity. Rejoice, thou who bringest the fallen into the truth. Rejoice, ray that enlightenest the penitent. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
Asking for thy grace, we receive a sea of the mercy of God, and rejoicing we keep thy holy memory, and beholding thy countless miracles we sing to God: Alleluia.
We praise, O holy queen, all thy struggle and valour, for thou didst strengthen the Church of the Georgians and art joined with those who keep festival in heaven, and art the intercessor of those who sing to thee:
Rejoice, crowned one adorned with the purple of the King of kings. Rejoice, invincible guardian of Church and people. Rejoice, beauty of martyrs. Rejoice, unquenchable lamp before the Trinity. Rejoice, radiant pearl in the crown of the martyrs of Georgia. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
O thrice-blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, accept this our prayer of thanksgiving and ask of God for us victory over enemies visible and invisible, that, made courageous by thee, we may sing to God: Alleluia. (Thrice)
Angels served thee together with men, O holy one, and the Lord prepared thee to be an earthly queen and a heavenly martyr; and He taught us this hymn to thee:
Rejoice, good shoot of the Davidic Bagratids. Rejoice, thou who from youth didst choose holiness and good sense. Rejoice, thou who wast well blended in soul and body by the Creator. Rejoice, vessel guarded by angels. Rejoice, adornment of the kings of Georgia. Rejoice, daughter of David and boast of Iberia. Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
To the struggler on high and chosen handmaid of God, Queen Ketevan, luminary of Kakheti, we offer humble praise: O queen, who reignest with boldness before the Trinity, free us from all passions, that we may sing to thee: Rejoice, blessed great-martyr Queen Ketevan, swift helper and intercessor of our souls.
O thrice-blessed holy great-martyr Queen Ketevan, who dwellest before the thrones of the all-holy Trinity as a holy queen and faithful martyr of Christ, who didst keep the apostolic faith, fight the good fight and receive the crown of righteousness, and gain for thyself a mighty power to help us, for thou art the fulfiller of our petitions.
O all-radiant great-martyr, handmaid of Christ, shelter and strengthen our God-protected people and grant its sovereign the wisdom of love for Christ and victory over enemies. Enlighten the helmsman of our holy Church, the Most Holy and Most Blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazeti, the great lord, our father Ilia, and the most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, all the priestly and monastic orders, and strengthen the Christ-loving rulers and the military order, and all Orthodox Christians.
O Queen Ketevan, clothed in purple among the martyrs, by thy wondrous intercession grant fruitfulness to labourers, relief to captives, repentance to those in prison, healing to the sick, protection to travellers, and forgiveness to all of us sinners; shelter us from enemies visible and invisible, that, receiving countless mercies through thee, we may glorify the all-holy Trinity with all the saints, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The akathist was composed by the superior of the Gremi monastery, Hegumen Gabriel (Jambazishvili).
