Choir of the brethren of the Valaam Monastery
God is with us, understand the Gentiles, / and repent: / For God is with us.
Hear to the last of the earth: / For God is with us.
Ye that are mighty, repent: / For God is with us.
Even if you are able again, / and again you will be victorious: / For God is with us.
And even if you hold a council, / the Lord will destroy: / For God is with us.
And the word, even if you cry, / will not abide in you: / For God is with us.
But we will not be afraid of your fear, / we will be troubled: / For God is with us.
Let us sanctify the Lord our God, / and He will be our fear: / For God is with us.
And if I trust in Him, / it will be for my sanctification: / For God is with us.
And I will trust in Him, / and I will be saved by Him: / For God is with us.
Behold the children that God gave to me: / For God is with us.
People walking in darkness / see a great light: / For God is with us.
Living in the land and shadow of death, / light will shine on you: / For God is with us.
As a Child was born to us, / A Son, and was given to us: / As God is with us.
His rulership was on His side: / For God is with us.
And His peace knows no bounds: / For God is with us.
And His Name is called, / Great is the Council Angel: / For God is with us.
Wonderful Counselor: / For God is with us.
God is strong, Ruler, / Chief of the world: / For God is with us.
Father of the future century: / For God is with us.
***
The chant “God is with us” consists of selected verses from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Is. 8:9–10, 12b–14a, 17b, 18a; Is.9:2,6) and is part of Great Compline, celebrated during Lent (on the eve of Wednesday and the heel of Cheese Week, Monday–Friday evenings 1st–6th weeks, on the eve of Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday), as well as at the all-night vigil of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany.
In addition, according to the Rule, Great Compline is sometimes prescribed on weekdays of other multi-day fasts (Nativity, Holy Apostles, Dormition), but in practice such services are not performed.
There are two main options for performing this chant in practice: either the choir sings everything in its entirety, or the choir performs it alternately by the canonarch (the third option - everything is read by a reader - happens as an exception). In the case of a commission with a canonarch, the canonarch proclaims the initial verse “God is with us, understand the Gentiles, and repent: As God is with us,” then the choir repeats it, after which the canonarch proclaims the verses, the choir sings only the refrain “As God is with us”; at the end, the canonarch once again proclaims the opening verse “God is with us, understand the Gentiles...”, then the choir repeats it three times.
The pattern of singing “God is with us...” does not depend on the degree of solemnity of the service; only the chant varies: if Great Compline is celebrated as part of a vigil (Nativity of Christ, Epiphany, Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos, or a temple holiday on the weekday of fasting), the choir, as a rule, chooses a more festive version of singing “God is with us...”. In addition, in practice, at a vigil, during the singing of “God is with us...” the royal doors are opened (this is not provided for in the Charter).
In terms of ideological content, “God is with us...” is considered as an analogue of “God the Lord...” in the rite of Matins - these verses glorify the coming of the Lord to earth. The chant “God is with us...” is perceived especially harmoniously as part of the vigil for the Nativity of Christ (especially since part of the verses “God is with us...” is part of one of the proverbs of the holiday): from the outside it may even seem that this is a special chant of the holiday, and not the ordinary prayer of Compline.
The use of “God with us...” in the rite of Great Compline goes back to the ancient Palestinian tradition: this chant is already indicated in the Book of Hours of the 9th century, discovered in Sinai. From Palestine, together with the Book of Hours, this rite passed into Constantinople monastic worship after the 9th century.
In Byzantine monastic worship of the 11th – 13th centuries. “God is with us...” was included both in the sequence of Great Compline and in the “middle” Compline (which was a shortening of Great Compline and was performed in the case of weekly services outside periods of fasting); Subsequently, the practice of performing three types of Compline (small, middle and great) was adopted by the Russian Church and was preserved until the 17th century, after which time it remained among the Old Believers, where it is still relevant.
Another interesting fact: in Greek “with us” is μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν (meth imon"); Because of this, in medieval Russia “God is with us...” was called “Mephimon”, and together with it the entire rite of Great Compline was called this way (obviously because the singing of “God With Us...” is a notable feature of Great Compline).