a thread opens
Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
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.
In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
from Galatians 1:17
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 II Corinthians 11:32
But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took to them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
from II Corinthians 11:26
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.
No man that has a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come near to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he has a blemish; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
from Leviticus 10:3
They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
from Leviticus 21:21
And you shall not let any of your seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
from Leviticus 21:6 · a strong link
And you shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
from Leviticus 18:21 · a strong link
But above all things, my brothers, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yes be yes; and your no, no; lest you fall into condemnation.
from Leviticus 19:12
When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there should be yes yes, and no no?
from James 5:12
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 the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
from Jude 1:24
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
from Hebrews 13:20 · a strong link
And David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel that struck the people, and said, Look, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let your hand, please, be against me, and against my father’s house.
from John 10:11
And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
from II Samuel 24:17
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
from I Chronicles 21:16
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.
But I have a few things against you, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
from Jude 1:11
Nevertheless, to avoid sexual immorality, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
from I Corinthians 7:2
I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
from I Corinthians 7:9 · a strong link
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
And he has on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
from Isaiah 9:6 · a strong link
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches; To him that overcomes I will give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it.
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?
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusts in God, and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.
from Luke 18:7
Honor widows that are widows indeed.
from I Timothy 5:5 · a strong link
Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
from I Timothy 5:3
But I do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning them which are asleep, so that you may not grieve, even as others which have no hope.
from Acts 9:39
Then he said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: look, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
from I Thessalonians 4:13
At the same time, says the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.
from Ezekiel 37:11
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
But he answered and said to him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brothers?
from Deuteronomy 33:9
And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus says to him, They have no wine.
from Matthew 12:48
And wine that makes glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.
from John 2:3
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
from Psalms 104:15 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Galatians 1:17 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