a thread opens
If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
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 Jacob said to Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
from Ecclesiastes 6:3
And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years.
from Genesis 47:9
And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, a hundred sixty and fifteen years.
from Genesis 35:28
So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran.
from Genesis 25:7
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran, and dwelt there.
from Genesis 12:4
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.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
from I Corinthians 8:4 · a strong link
But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to withstand his indignation.
from Deuteronomy 6:4
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
from Jeremiah 10:10
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
from Hebrews 10:31
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.
But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
from I John 3:16 · a strong link
To the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he has made us accepted in the beloved.
from Romans 5:8 · a strong link
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
from Ephesians 1:6
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 the truth’s sake, which dwells in us, and shall be with us for ever.
from I John 2:27
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
from II John 1:2
What is man, so that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, so that he should be righteous?
from I John 1:8 · a strong link
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
from Job 15:14 · a strong link
If they sin against you, (for there is no man who sins not,) and you be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives to a land far off or near;
from Proverbs 20:9
For in many things we all stumble. If any man does not stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
from II Chronicles 6:36
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.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
from I Corinthians 12:28
Follow after love, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy.
from Romans 12:6
Neglect not the gift in you, which was given you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
from I Corinthians 14:1
This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on you, that you by them might wage the good warfare;
from I Timothy 4:14 · a strong link
To Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
from I Timothy 1:18
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.
For we have great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.
from I Chronicles 29:17
The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus; for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
from Philemon 1:7
Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
from II Timothy 1:16 · a strong link
And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came to them.
from II Timothy 4:19 · a strong link
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:
That you put off your old self, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
from I Corinthians 5:7
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
from Ephesians 4:22
I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.
from Ezekiel 18:30
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Ecclesiastes 6:3 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