a thread opens
Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
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.
A sword is upon the Chaldeans, says the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.
from Isaiah 45:1
O you sword of the LORD, how long will it be before you be quiet? put up yourself into your scabbard, rest, and be still.
from Jeremiah 50:35
The spoilers have come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.
from Jeremiah 47:6
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
from Jeremiah 12:12
Son of man, when the land sins against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out my hand upon it, and will break its staff of the bread, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
from Ezekiel 14:17
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
And the men of Ai struck of them about thirty-six men: for they chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them in the going down: therefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
from Joshua 2:11 · a strong link
And she said to the men, I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that your terror has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
from Joshua 7:5
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 walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a fragrant offering.
from I John 3:16 · a strong link
A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
from Ephesians 5:2 · a strong link
Let brotherly love continue.
from John 13:34 · 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.
For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which is at work also in you that believe.
from I John 2:27
And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
from I Thessalonians 2:13
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and to him shall the gathering of the people be.
from Acts 13:44
Ephraim compasses me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet rules with God, and is faithful with the saints.
from Genesis 49:10
They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
from Hosea 11:12
They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth.
from Hosea 7:16
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.
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 I Corinthians 12:28
Feed your people with your rod, the flock of your heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
from Acts 20:28
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun strike them: for he that has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
from Micah 7:14
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
from Isaiah 49:10
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
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.
I the LORD search the heart, I try the inmost thoughts, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
from I Chronicles 29:17 · a strong link
And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
from Jeremiah 17:10 · a strong link
And they prayed, and said, You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show whether of these two you have chosen,
from Romans 8:27
And God, who knows the hearts, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us;
from Acts 1:24
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
You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread: (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it you came out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
from Exodus 12:15 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Isaiah 45:1 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