a thread opens
To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
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 when a convenient day had come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
from Esther 1:11
Then the king made a great feast to all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
from Mark 6:21 · a strong link
The kingdom of heaven is like to a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
from Esther 2:18
Another parable he put forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field:
from Matthew 22:2
Then he said, To what is the kingdom of God like? and to which shall I resemble it?
from Matthew 13:24
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, your redeemer, and he that formed you from the womb, I am the LORD that makes all things; that stretches forth the heavens alone; that spreads abroad the earth by myself;
from I Corinthians 8:4
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
from Isaiah 44:24
According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, so that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
from Ephesians 3:9
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you, and peace, be multiplied.
from Ephesians 1:4 · 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.
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
from I John 3:16 · a strong link
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have first place.
from Revelation of John 1:5 · a strong link
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
from Colossians 1:18
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.
Being born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, by the word of God, which lives and remains for ever.
from I John 2:27
Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
from I Peter 1:23 · a strong link
Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:
from John 3:5
John to the seven churches in Asia: Grace be to you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits before his throne;
from Matthew 28:19
And out of the throne proceeded lightning and thunder and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
from Revelation of John 1:4 · a strong link
And the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
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
Flee also youthful passions: but follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
from I Corinthians 14:1
Rejoice, O young man, in your youth; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes: but know you, that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
from II Timothy 2:22
I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
from Ecclesiastes 11:9 · a strong link
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.
They that are of a perverse heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.
from I Chronicles 29:17
א ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
from Proverbs 11:20
Furthermore then we beg you, brothers, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more.
from Psalms 119:1
Now we beg you, brothers, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together to him,
from I Thessalonians 4:1
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:
But God judges those outside. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
from I Corinthians 5:7
Then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them with stones that they die; the young woman, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he has humbled his neighbor’s wife: so you shall put away evil from among you.
from I Corinthians 5:13
And it shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she will; but you shall not sell her at all for money, you shall not make merchandise of her, because you have humbled her.
from Deuteronomy 22:24
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Esther 1:11 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