a thread opens
Bel bows down, Nebo stoops, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.
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 when they of Ashdod arose early on the next day, look, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
from Isaiah 46:1
The burden of Egypt. Look, the LORD rides upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.
from I Samuel 5:3 · a strong link
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
from Isaiah 19:1
Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for you shall no more be called tender and delicate.
from Isaiah 13:1
The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword; you have slain them in the day of your anger; you have killed, and not pitied.
from Isaiah 47:1
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.
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
from I Corinthians 8:4
Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
from Mark 12:29
Neither is there any umpire between us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
from Galatians 3:20
If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall pray for him? However they listened not to the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
from Job 9:33 · a strong link
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.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
from I John 3:16 · a strong link
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
from I John 4:9 · a strong link
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
from I John 4:10 · 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 we have not followed cleverly devised myths, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
from I John 2:27
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
from II Peter 1:16 · a strong link
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
from I John 4:14
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God:
from John 1:14 · a strong link
Therefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.
from I John 4:2 · a strong link
But when the Helper has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me:
from I Corinthians 12:3
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
Take heed to yourself, and to the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this you shall both save yourself, and them that hear you.
from Acts 20:28
So you, O son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
from I Timothy 4:16
And you shall speak my words to them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
from Ezekiel 33:7
But the LORD said to me, Say not, I am a child: for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you you shall speak.
from Ezekiel 2:7
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
A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
from John 1:47
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
from Psalms 73:1
He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
from Psalms 84:11 · 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:
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: you shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
from I Corinthians 5:7
Since you know that you were not redeemed with perishable things, as silver and gold, from your futile ways received by tradition from your fathers;
from Exodus 12:5
But we will certainly do whatever thing goes forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of provisions, and were well, and saw no evil.
from I Peter 1:18
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Isaiah 46:1 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