a thread opens
And I say to you, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if you refuse to let him go, look, I will slay your son, even your firstborn.
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 it happened, that at midnight the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
from Exodus 4:23 · a strong link
He struck also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
from Exodus 12:29
To him that struck Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endures for ever:
from Psalms 105:36
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
Then Jesus said to Peter, Put up your sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?
from II Samuel 16:10
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, your will be done.
from John 18:11
For we have not a high priest which is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
from Matthew 26:42
For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
from Hebrews 4:15 · 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,
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
from Jude 1:24
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing in which they dealt proudly he was above them.
from John 10:29
And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Look, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, please, take a blessing of your servant.
from Exodus 18:11
The king answered to Daniel, and said, It is true, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing you could reveal this secret.
from II Kings 5:15 · a strong link
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
from Daniel 2:47
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
Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when you came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
from II Peter 2:15
Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, so that he should curse them: however our God turned the curse into a blessing.
from Deuteronomy 23:4
Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam; but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing to you, because the LORD your God loved you.
from Nehemiah 13:2
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
I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace to his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
from Romans 5:1
And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace to the pagans: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.
from Psalms 85:8 · 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?
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great reward.
from Luke 18:7
For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.
from Hebrews 10:35 · a strong link
But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
from Galatians 6:8
And have put on the new self, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
from Romans 13:14 · a strong link
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; look, all things have become new.
from Colossians 3:10 · a strong link
At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
from II Corinthians 5:17 · a strong link
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.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
from Luke 14:26 · a strong link
And now, brothers, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
from Acts 20:24
But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
from Acts 20:32
Likewise the Spirit also helps our weaknesses: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
from Jude 1:20 · a strong link
To the director of music on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not yourself from my supplication.
from Romans 8:26
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Exodus 4:23 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