a thread opens
Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
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 therefore he sent to us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
from Jeremiah 29:5 · a strong link
Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
from Jeremiah 29:28
And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both near and far,
from Jeremiah 29:1
Now therefore write you this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, so that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
from Esther 9:20
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death.
from Acts 20:21
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.
from II Corinthians 7:10
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
from Luke 15:10
And it happened, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
from Hebrews 1:14
For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and its flower falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
from Luke 16:22
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
from Acts 13:38
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
from II Corinthians 5:18
Therefore he is able also to save them completely that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.
from Romans 5:10
For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help them that are tempted.
from Hebrews 7:25
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,
from Hebrews 2:18
Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
from Jude 1:24 · a strong link
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.
Before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
from Acts 17:31
And I saw heaven opened, and look, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war.
from Psalms 96:13 · a strong link
After this I looked, and look, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter.
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 when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have you done this?
from Acts 3:6
And say to him, By what authority do you these things? and who gave you this authority to do these things?
from Acts 4:7
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You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.
In that you have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when you offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.
from Acts 7:51
And the uncircumcised male whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.
from Ezekiel 44:7
And it happened by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
from Genesis 17:14
And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
from Exodus 4:24
And the angel of the LORD said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? look, I went out to withstand you, because your way is perverse before me:
from Numbers 22:22
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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
By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
from Acts 9:15
That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, so that he might go to his own place.
from Romans 1:5
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
from Acts 1:25
And supper having ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
from John 6:70
But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
from John 13:2
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Jeremiah 29:5 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