a thread opens
And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a cast metal calf: and they said, These be your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
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.
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: look, your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
from Exodus 32:4
However from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, namely, the golden calves in Bethel, and that were in Dan.
from I Kings 12:28 · a strong link
And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
from II Kings 10:29
a thread opens
Then Moses said to Aaron, This is it that the LORD spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
I was mute, I opened not my mouth; because you did it.
from Leviticus 10:3
And the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Why have you done so?
from Psalms 39:9
No but, O man, who are you that reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus?
from II Samuel 16:10
Shall he that contends with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproves God, let him answer it.
from Romans 9:20
If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
from Job 40:2
I will say to God, Do not condemn me; show me therefore you contend with me.
from Job 9:3 · a strong link
a thread opens
Now to him that is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
from Jude 1:24
But my horn shall you exalt like the horn of a wild ox: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
from II Timothy 4:18
God brought him forth out of Egypt; he has as it were the strength of a wild ox: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
from Psalms 92:10
For, look, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from there she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.
from Numbers 24:8
Lift you up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice to them, shake the hand, so that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
from Jeremiah 50:9
a thread opens
Woe to them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
Which have forsaken the right way, and have gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
from Jude 1:11 · a strong link
He sent messengers therefore to Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Look, there has a people come out from Egypt: look, they cover the face of the earth, and they remain opposite me:
from II Peter 2:15
Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
from Numbers 22:5 · a strong link
And now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
from Joshua 24:9
a thread opens
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
from Luke 2:14
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
from Romans 5:1 · a strong link
Great peace have they which love your law: and nothing shall offend them.
from Isaiah 32:17 · a strong link
a thread opens
And shall not God give justice to his own elect, which cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies.
from Luke 18:7
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now has come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brothers is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
from Romans 8:33 · a strong link
And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;
from Zechariah 3:1 · a strong link
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
from Zechariah 6:11
And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Shealtiel his son,
from Haggai 1:1
a thread opens
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Whom have I in heaven but you? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside you.
from Luke 14:26 · a strong link
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
from Psalms 73:25
For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
from Matthew 5:8 · a strong link
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
from I Corinthians 13:12
Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brothers in the world.
from II Corinthians 5:7
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Exodus 32:4 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