a thread opens
And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
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.
You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and remained not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
from Genesis 4:2
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
from John 8:44
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
And having disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
from John 12:31 · a strong link
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the plunder with the strong; because he has poured out his soul to death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
from Colossians 2:15 · a strong link
a thread opens
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
from I Corinthians 8:4
Have we not all one father? has not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
from Ephesians 4:6
But now, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.
from Malachi 2:10
Your hands have made me and fashioned me together all around; yet you do destroy me.
from Isaiah 64:8
a thread opens
By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.
from I John 3:16
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
from John 15:12 · a strong link
Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent.
from I John 3:23 · a strong link
a thread opens
But the anointing which you have received of him remains in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall remain in him.
Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it remain in the vine; no more can you, except you remain in me.
from I John 2:27
I in them, and you in me, so that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them, as you have loved me.
from John 15:4
For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
from John 17:23 · a strong link
He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
from John 16:27
So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, love you me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs.
from Matthew 10:37
Therefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
from John 21:15
a thread opens
And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, varieties of tongues.
Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
from I Corinthians 12:28
That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior:
from Ephesians 3:5 · a strong link
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
from II Peter 3:2
(Which he had promised before by his prophets in the holy Scriptures,)
from Luke 1:70
Much every way: chiefly, because that to them were committed the utterances of God.
from Romans 1:2 · a strong link
a thread opens
I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy your people, who are present here, to offer willingly to you.
And you, Solomon my son, know you the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever.
from I Chronicles 29:17 · a strong link
Let your heart therefore be blameless before the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
from I Chronicles 28:9 · a strong link
For it happened, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not blameless before the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
from I Kings 8:61 · a strong link
And if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my judgments:
from I Kings 11:4 · a strong link
a thread opens
Clean out therefore the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he said to the Jews, Look, your King!
from I Corinthians 5:7
And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
from John 19:14
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
from Mark 15:25
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Genesis 4:2 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