a thread opens
Only be sure that you eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and you may not eat the life with the flesh.
The Vigil
Today’s scroll, one verse at a time — each linked to the last by the cross-references rather than by any model of you. The same vigil for everyone, and a different one tomorrow.
And whatever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunts and catches any beast or birds that may be eaten; he shall even pour out its blood, and cover it with dust.
from Deuteronomy 12:23 · a strong link
Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it upon the earth as water.
from Leviticus 17:13 · a strong link
But flesh with its life, which is its blood, shall you not eat.
from Deuteronomy 12:16
And whatever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eats any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
from Genesis 9:4
Then they told Saul, saying, Look, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, You have transgressed: roll a great stone to me this day.
from Leviticus 17:10
a thread opens
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
Thus says the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
from I Corinthians 8:4
For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
from Isaiah 44:6 · a strong link
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
from Isaiah 54:5
Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
from Ephesians 5:25 · a strong link
a thread opens
By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.
from I John 3:16
Finally, be all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brothers, be compassionate, be courteous:
from John 15:12
Now the God of patience and comfort grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
from I Peter 3:8
a thread opens
But the anointing which you have received of him remains in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall remain in him.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
from I John 2:27
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
from Hebrews 8:10
Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, who caused them to be led into captivity among the pagans: but I have gathered them to their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
from Ezekiel 39:22
I say then, Has God cast away his people? By no means. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
from Ezekiel 39:28
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
from Romans 11:1 · a strong link
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as for the law, a Pharisee;
from II Corinthians 11:22 · a strong link
a thread opens
And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, varieties of tongues.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
from I Corinthians 12:28 · a strong link
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;
from Ephesians 4:11 · a strong link
And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
from Ephesians 2:20 · a strong link
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
from Matthew 16:18
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
from Ephesians 5:32
a thread opens
I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy your people, who are present here, to offer willingly to you.
I the LORD search the heart, I try the inmost thoughts, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
from I Chronicles 29:17 · a strong link
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the inmost thoughts and hearts: and I will give to every one of you according to your works.
from Jeremiah 17:10 · a strong link
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, so that you should obey it in its lusts.
from II Corinthians 5:10
a thread opens
Clean out therefore the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover, his disciples said to him, Where will you that we go and prepare that you may eat the Passover?
from I Corinthians 5:7
And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
from Mark 14:12
You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shall you eat unleavened bread with it, even the bread of affliction; for you came forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that you may remember the day when you came forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.
from Exodus 12:8
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Deuteronomy 12:23 along this chain. Today’s own vigil is laid separately.
Each verse follows the one before it along the chain a study Bible draws — a century old, public, and compiled by people arguing about Scripture rather than about how long you stay. Every card says which verse it came from and opens the chapter it belongs to. Today’s vigil is the same for every reader and is worked out from the date alone, so there is no account, no counter, and nothing stored in your browser or ours.
The text is the Lantern Modern Standard. The links are openbible.info’s cross-reference set (CC BY), the same apparatus behind the reader’s Echoes drawer. Read a whole book · Today’s table