a thread opens
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.
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 David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
from II Samuel 15:16
And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father’s concubines, which he has left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that you are abhorred of your father: then shall the hands of all that are with you be strong.
from II Samuel 20:3 · a strong link
Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
from II Samuel 16:21
Watch, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.
from II Samuel 2:7
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
from Acts 20:21
And now, brothers, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
from Acts 20:24
And for this cause he is the mediator of the new covenant, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
from Acts 20:32 · a strong link
Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
from Hebrews 9:15
That you would walk worthy of God, who has called you to his kingdom and glory.
from Hebrews 3:1
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
from Acts 13:38
Look, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
from Acts 5:31
But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
from Jeremiah 31:31
By so much was Jesus made a guarantor of a better covenant.
from Hebrews 8:6 · a strong link
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for an adulteress.
from Hebrews 7:22
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for an adulteress.
from Proverbs 20:16 · 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.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved to fire for the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
from Acts 17:31
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
from II Peter 3:7
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Look, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints,
from II Thessalonians 1:7
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
I give you charge in the sight of God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
from Matthew 27:2
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
from I Timothy 6:13
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have first place.
from Revelation of John 3:14 · a strong link
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.
But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
from Acts 7:51
And he said to him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
from Acts 7:27
And he said, Who made you a prince and a judge over us? intend you to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
from Luke 12:14
And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you these things? and who gave you this authority?
from Exodus 2:14
And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have you done this?
from Matthew 21:23
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
At my first defense no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
from Acts 9:15
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
from II Timothy 4:16 · a strong link
After that, he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at once; of whom the greater part remain to this present, but some have fallen asleep.
from Acts 7:60
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
from I Corinthians 15:6
But after I have risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
from Matthew 28:16 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from II Samuel 15:16 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