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To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
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.
That are far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that are far from you: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
from Hebrews 12:23
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
from Genesis 18:25 · a strong link
You are of purer eyes than to see evil, and cannot look on iniquity: why do you look upon them that deal treacherously, and hold your tongue when the wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he?
from Deuteronomy 32:4
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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.
Speak to Aaron, saying, Whoever he be of your seed in their generations that has any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
from Leviticus 10:3
And he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, Even tomorrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near to him: even him whom he has chosen will he cause to come near to him.
from Leviticus 21:17
And it shall happen, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the children of Israel, whereby they grumble against you.
from Numbers 16:5 · a strong link
For this reason both you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that you grumble against him?
from Numbers 17:5
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
from Numbers 16:11
Who also has made us able ministers of the new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.
from I Corinthians 3:5
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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,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
from Jude 1:24 · a strong link
According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, so that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
from Ephesians 5:27 · a strong link
With all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love;
from Ephesians 1:4
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope in you with meekness and fear:
from Ephesians 4:2
Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what you shall answer:
from I Peter 3:15 · a strong link
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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.
The look on their faces bears witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe to their soul! for they have rewarded evil to themselves.
from Jude 1:11
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
from Isaiah 3:9 · a strong link
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
from Genesis 13:13
For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is grown great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.
from Genesis 18:20
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Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
from Luke 2:14 · a strong link
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands apart.
from Luke 1:79
Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;
from Psalms 107:14
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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
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
from Hebrews 10:35
You therefore, beloved, seeing you know this beforehand, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stability.
from I Corinthians 15:58 · a strong link
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
from II Peter 3:17
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
from II Corinthians 11:13
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
from II Peter 2:1
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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.
Whom have I in heaven but you? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside you.
from Luke 14:26 · a strong link
Because your loving devotion is better than life, my lips shall praise you.
from Psalms 73:25 · a strong link
For his anger endures but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
from Psalms 63:3
You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
from Psalms 30:5
And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
from Psalms 16:11
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Hebrews 12:23 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