a thread opens
For thus says the LORD, You have sold yourselves for nothing; and you shall be redeemed without money.
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.
Thus says the LORD, Where is the certificate of your mother’s divorce, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Look, for your iniquities have you sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
from Isaiah 52:3
When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it happen that she find no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a certificate of divorce, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
from Isaiah 50:1
If he take him another wife; her food, her apparel, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
from Deuteronomy 24:1
Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
from Exodus 21:10
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
from Acts 20:21
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
from Matthew 4:17 · a strong link
And there was delivered to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
from Mark 1:14
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
from Luke 4:17
For the LORD takes pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
from Isaiah 61:1 · a strong link
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
from Acts 13:38
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
from I John 2:12
And he said, It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.
from Luke 24:47
The LORD has made bore his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
from Isaiah 49:6 · a strong link
For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
from Isaiah 52:10
And it shall happen in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.
from Isaiah 66:18
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.
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
from Acts 17:31
But why do you judge your brother? or why do you set at nothing your brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
from Romans 2:16
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
from Romans 14:10
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,
By stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
from Acts 4:30
And his name through faith in his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know: yes, the faith which is by him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
from Acts 3:6 · a strong link
Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say to this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; it shall be done.
from Acts 3:16 · 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 they rebelled, and troubled his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
from Acts 7:51
When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
from Isaiah 63:10
Because all those men who have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not listened to my voice;
from Psalms 95:9 · a strong link
But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?
from Numbers 14:22
I will therefore remind you, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
from Hebrews 3:17
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
But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
from Acts 7:60 · a strong link
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into my own bosom.
from Matthew 5:44
Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?
from Psalms 35:13 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Isaiah 52:3 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