a thread opens
And it happened after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
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.
And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
from II Samuel 13:1
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called to this day, Absalom’s place.
from II Samuel 14:27 · a strong link
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and he set him up a place, and has gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
from II Samuel 18:18 · a strong link
And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
from I Samuel 15:12
And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
from I Samuel 25:2 · 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.
Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
from I Corinthians 8:4
And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
from Deuteronomy 4:39 · a strong link
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
from Joshua 2:11 · a strong link
She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melts, and the knees strike together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.
from Isaiah 13:7
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.
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
from I John 3:16
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
from Titus 2:13
Whereby are given to us exceedingly great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust.
from I John 3:2 · 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.
But the Helper, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.
from I John 2:27 · a strong link
But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
from John 14:26
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and to that end with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
from Jude 1:20 · a strong link
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
from Ephesians 6:18 · a strong link
To speak evil of no man, to be not quarrelsome, but gentle, showing all meekness to all men.
from I Timothy 2:1
Therefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all slander,
from Titus 3:2
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.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
from I Corinthians 12:28 · a strong link
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
from Ephesians 4:11
And said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it befitted Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
from Romans 10:14
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
from Luke 24:46
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
from Luke 24:26 · 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.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and says of him, Look, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
from I Chronicles 29:17
Not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
from John 1:47
I say then, Has God cast away his people? By no means. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
from Romans 9:6
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as for the law, a Pharisee;
from Romans 11:1 · 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:
Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
from I Corinthians 5:7
Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
from Exodus 13:6
The feast of unleavened bread shall you keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt.
from Exodus 12:15 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from II Samuel 13:1 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