a thread opens
And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers beyond the river, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
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.
Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be far from there:
from Ezra 7:21
At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who has commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
from Ezra 6:6 · a strong link
Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.
from Ezra 5:3
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.
And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honored upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
from Leviticus 10:3
And in very deed for this cause have I raised you up, to show in you my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
from Exodus 14:4
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: to which also they were appointed.
from Exodus 9:16
For certain people have crept in unnoticed, who were long ago designated for this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into sensuality, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
from I Peter 2:8
And that because of false brothers unawares brought in, who came in secretly to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into bondage:
from Jude 1:4 · a strong link
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the pagans, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brothers;
from Galatians 2:4 · 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,
Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
from Jude 1:24
How that by revelation he made known to me the mystery; (as I wrote before in few words,
from Romans 16:25
Having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself:
from Ephesians 3:3
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
from Ephesians 1:9 · a strong link
And showing mercy to thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
from Romans 8:28 · a strong link
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
And said, O full of all deceit and all mischief, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
from II Peter 2:15
Woe to you, lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in you hindered.
from Acts 13:10
And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
from Luke 11:52
a thread opens
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
from Luke 2:14
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
from Isaiah 9:6 · a strong link
Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
from Isaiah 53:5
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
And you shall be blessed; for they cannot recompense you: for you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
from Hebrews 10:35
He that has pity upon the poor lends to the LORD; and that which he has given will he pay him again.
from Luke 14:14
And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me.
from Proverbs 19:17
And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?
from Matthew 25:40
And you shall not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
from II Samuel 9:1
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.
Who said to his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brothers, nor knew his own children: for they have observed your word, and kept your covenant.
from Luke 14:26
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
from Deuteronomy 33:9
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
from Galatians 1:10 · a strong link
But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, judge you.
from Acts 5:29 · a strong link
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;
from Acts 4:19
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Ezra 7:21 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