a thread opens
They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from there.
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.
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
from II Kings 17:33
And if it seem evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
from Luke 16:13
And I said to you, I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but you have not obeyed my voice.
from Joshua 24:15 · a strong link
Thus says the LORD, Learn not the way of the pagans, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the pagans are dismayed at them.
from Judges 6:10
After the doings of the land of Egypt, in which you dwelt, shall you not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, where I bring you, shall you not do: neither shall you walk in their ordinances.
from Jeremiah 10:2
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.
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, and he that formed you from the womb, I am the LORD that makes all things; that stretches forth the heavens alone; that spreads abroad the earth by myself;
from I Corinthians 8:4
And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
from Isaiah 44:24
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose its seals?
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
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 the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all people, even as we do toward you:
from John 15:12
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love.
from I Thessalonians 3:12
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
Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not know your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?
from John 15:4
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unfit for any good work.
from II Corinthians 13:5
Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
from Titus 1:16
For you acted hypocritically in your hearts, when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us to the LORD our God; and according to all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare to us, and we will do it.
from Isaiah 58:2
I the LORD search the heart, I try the inmost thoughts, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
from Jeremiah 42:20
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
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, See you do it not: I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
from II Peter 3:2
The twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sat on the throne, and worship him that lives for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.
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.
They that are of a perverse heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.
from I Chronicles 29:17
א ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
from Proverbs 11:20
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
from Psalms 119:1
We then, as workers together with him, beg you also that you receive not the grace of God in vain.
from Titus 2:11
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:
But God judges those outside. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
from I Corinthians 5:7
And the man that will do defiantly, and will not listen to the priest that stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die: and you shall put away the evil from Israel.
from I Corinthians 5:13
And whoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
from Deuteronomy 17:12
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from II Kings 17:33 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