a thread opens
And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
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.
For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part to the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands for their cattle and for their possessions.
from Genesis 48:5 · a strong link
Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, since he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
from Joshua 14:4
And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD has looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
from I Chronicles 5:1 · a strong link
Look upon my affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
from Genesis 29:32
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
But showed first to them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, so that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.
from Acts 20:21
Repent you therefore, and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
from Acts 26:20 · a strong link
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
from Acts 3:19
The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
from Luke 1:16
As it is written in the prophets, Look, I send my messenger before your face, which shall prepare your way before you.
from Isaiah 40:3 · a strong link
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
from Acts 13:38
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
from Acts 2:38 · a strong link
The corresponding figure to which even baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
from Acts 8:12
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
from I Peter 3:21 · a strong link
Being born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, by the word of God, which lives and remains for ever.
from I Peter 1:3 · a strong link
Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
from I Peter 1:23 · a strong link
a thread opens
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.
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
from Acts 17:31
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, who was committed to my trust.
from Romans 2:16 · a strong link
Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
from I Timothy 1:11
a thread opens
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,
By stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
from Acts 4:30
For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man has, and not according to that he has not.
from Acts 3:6
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
from II Corinthians 8:12
a thread opens
You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.
To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
from Acts 7:51
And the children of Israel said to them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of food, and when we did eat bread to the full; for you have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
from Acts 7:39
And the mixt multitude among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
from Exodus 16:3
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
from Numbers 11:4 · a strong link
Now all these things happened to them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world have come.
from I Corinthians 10:6
a thread opens
And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles.
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
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office:
from Acts 9:15
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 Romans 11:13
Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.
from Acts 13:2
While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Look, three men seek you.
from Acts 8:29
And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
from Acts 10:19
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Genesis 48:5 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