a thread opens
And it happened in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
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.
Therefore shall a tumult arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be plundered, as Shalman plundered Beth-arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
from II Kings 18:9
Samaria shall become desolate; for she has rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
from Hosea 10:14 · a strong link
Then Menahem struck Tiphsah, and all that were in it, and its coasts from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he struck it; and all the women in it that were with child he ripped up.
from Hosea 13:16 · a strong link
And Hazael said, Why weeps my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: their strongholds will you set on fire, and their young men will you slay with the sword, and will dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
from II Kings 15:16 · a strong link
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
from Acts 20:21
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
from Mark 6:12
For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the pagans, says the LORD of hosts.
from Luke 24:47
That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
from Malachi 1:11
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded you, though you have not known me:
from Isaiah 45:6
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
from Acts 13:38
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
from II Corinthians 5:18
Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
from Colossians 1:20
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.
from Psalms 85:10
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever.
from Psalms 100:5 · a strong link
O give thanks to the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever.
from Psalms 107:1
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.
Before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
from Acts 17:31
Before the LORD; for he comes to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
from Psalms 96:13
Say among the pagans that the LORD reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
from Psalms 98:9
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,
And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
from Matthew 27:2 · a strong link
And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Pretorium; and they call together the whole band.
from Matthew 20:19
Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover.
from Mark 15:16
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.
And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
from Acts 7:51
And when they saw him in the distance, even before he came near to them, they conspired against him to slay him.
from Acts 7:9
And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
from Genesis 37:18
And it happened, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
from I Samuel 19:1
But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeks to kill you: now therefore, please, take heed to yourself until the morning, and remain in a secret place, and hide yourself:
from I Samuel 18:1
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
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 Acts 9:15 · a strong link
But all these works that one and the very same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
from Acts 13:2 · a strong link
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
from I Corinthians 12:11
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling;
from I Corinthians 12:4
For through him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
from Ephesians 4:4 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from II Kings 18:9 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