a thread opens
They helped every one his neighbor; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
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.
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Artemis, brought no small gain to the craftsmen;
from Isaiah 41:6
And it happened, as we went to prayer, a certain young woman possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
from Acts 19:24
Then said Saul to his servants, Seek me a woman that is a medium, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Look, there is a woman that is a medium at Endor.
from Acts 16:16
Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.
from I Samuel 28:7
And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
from Psalms 83:10
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.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
from I Corinthians 8:4 · a strong link
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 Deuteronomy 6:4
It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.
from Isaiah 45:5
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our competence is from God;
from Psalms 18:32
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.
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
from I John 3:16 · 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;
For as the Father raises up the dead, and gives them life; even so the Son gives life to whom he will.
from I Timothy 6:13
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.
Being born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, by the word of God, which lives and remains for ever.
from I John 2:27
For this perishable must put on imperishability, and this mortal must put on immortality.
from I Peter 1:23
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 I Corinthians 15:53
Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may see my glory, which you have given me: for you loved me before the foundation of the world.
from I John 3:2 · a strong link
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
from John 17:24
Therefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted by him.
from II Corinthians 5:8
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.
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.
from I Corinthians 12:28
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 Timothy 5:17 · a strong link
Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.
from Hebrews 13:17 · a strong link
Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
from Acts 20:28
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God,
from Philippians 1:1
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.
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conduct in the world, and more abundantly toward you.
from I Chronicles 29:17
Who is a wise man and endowed with understanding among you? let him show by his good conduct his works with meekness of wisdom.
from II Corinthians 1:12
Therefore put away all moral filth and rampant wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
from James 3:13
By which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached to you, unless you have believed in vain.
from James 1:21 · 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:
The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
from I Corinthians 5:7
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
from John 1:29
And immediately I was in the spirit: and look, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Isaiah 41:6 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