a thread opens
But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant until now, so will I now also be your servant: then may you for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
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 you shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king: only its plunder, and its cattle, shall you take for a prey to yourselves: lay you an ambush for the city behind it.
from II Samuel 15:34
And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which had come against Judah; and they were struck.
from Joshua 8:2
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the army: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, to Tabbath.
from II Chronicles 20:22
a thread opens
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.
They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
from Leviticus 10:3
And you shall not let any of your seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
from Leviticus 21:6 · a strong link
Again, you shall say to the children of Israel, Whoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that gives any of his seed to Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
from Leviticus 18:21 · a strong link
A man also or woman that is a medium, or that is a spiritist, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
from Leviticus 20:2
And the soul that turns after mediums, and after spiritists, to prostitute themselves after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
from Leviticus 20:27
And when they shall say to you, Seek to mediums, and to spiritists that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek to their God? for the living to the dead?
from Leviticus 20:6
a thread opens
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
Whom we preach, admonishing everyone, and teaching everyone in all wisdom; that we may present everyone mature in Christ Jesus:
from Ephesians 5:27
And we beg you, brothers, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
from Colossians 1:28
That you submit yourselves to such, and to every one that helps with us, and labors.
from I Thessalonians 5:12
Obey your leaders, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
from I Corinthians 16:16
a thread opens
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.
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
from Jude 1:11
And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were a hundred thirty-three years.
from Numbers 16:1
And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
from Exodus 6:18
And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
from Numbers 3:19
a thread opens
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
from Luke 2:14
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth was.
from Isaiah 9:6 · a strong link
But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
from Proverbs 8:23
a thread opens
And shall not God give justice to his own elect, which cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies.
from Luke 18:7
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
from Romans 8:33
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.
from Romans 8:1
Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.
from Romans 7:20
Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?
from Romans 7:17
And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? for you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
from James 4:5 · a strong link
a thread opens
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.
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 Luke 14:26 · a strong link
Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cling to the Lord.
from Acts 20:24
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
from Acts 11:23
If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature under heaven; of which I Paul am made a minister;
from Acts 14:22 · a strong link
But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.
from Colossians 1:23 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from II Samuel 15:34 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