The Vigil

from Ezra 8:18

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.

a thread opens

Ezra 8:18

And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen;

Ezra 7:28

And has extended mercy to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

from Ezra 8:18

Ezra 5:5

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.

from Ezra 7:28

Ezra 8:22

For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

from Ezra 5:5

II Chronicles 15:2

And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while you be with him; and if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

from Ezra 8:22 · a strong link


a thread opens

Acts 20:21

Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

I John 5:11

And this is the testimony, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

from Acts 20:21

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

from I John 5:11

Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

from Romans 6:23 · a strong link

Ephesians 5:6

Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

from Galatians 6:7 · a strong link


a thread opens

Acts 13:38

Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:

II Corinthians 5:18

And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

from Acts 13:38

I Peter 3:18

For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit:

from I John 2:2

Hebrews 9:28

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation.

from I Peter 3:18 · a strong link

II Peter 3:12

Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

from Hebrews 9:28

Psalms 50:3

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous around him.

from II Peter 3:12 · a strong link


a thread opens

Acts 17:31

Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.

Psalms 9:8

And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

from Acts 17:31

Psalms 96:13

Before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

from Psalms 9:8 · a strong link

Revelation of John 19:11

And I saw heaven opened, and look, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war.

from Psalms 96:13 · a strong link


a thread opens

Acts 4:27

For truly against your holy child Jesus, whom you have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

Matthew 27:2

And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

from Acts 4:27 · a strong link

Acts 3:13

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

from Matthew 27:2 · a strong link

Acts 7:32

Saying, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and dared not look.

from Acts 3:13

Exodus 3:6

Moreover he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

from Acts 7:32 · a strong link


a thread opens

Acts 7:51

You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.

Exodus 33:5

For the LORD had said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, You are a stiff-necked people: I will come up into the midst of you in a moment, and consume you: therefore now put off your ornaments from you, so that I may know what to do to you.

from Acts 7:51 · a strong link

Lamentations 4:6

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

from Exodus 33:5

Genesis 19:25

And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

from Lamentations 4:6 · a strong link

Genesis 13:10

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.

from Psalms 107:34 · a strong link


a thread opens

Acts 22:21

And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles.

Acts 9:15

But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

from Acts 22:21 · a strong link

Acts 13:2

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

from Acts 9:15 · a strong link

I Corinthians 12:11

But all these works that one and the very same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

from Acts 13:2 · a strong link

II Corinthians 10:13

But we will not boast of things beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God has distributed to us, a measure to reach even to you.

from I Corinthians 12:11

Romans 15:20

Yes, so have I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:

from II Corinthians 10:13

That is the whole thread.

Every verse the cross-references reach from Ezra 8:18 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