a thread opens
As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they have become great, and grown rich.
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.
Woe to him that covets an evil greed to his house, so that he may set his nest on high, so that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
from Jeremiah 5:27
Your terribleness has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, that hold the height of the hill: though you should make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there, says the LORD.
from Habakkuk 2:9
For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
from Jeremiah 49:16
Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD; You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
from Isaiah 14:13
And they shall take up a lamentation for you, and say to you, How are you destroyed, that were inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which were strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!
from Ezekiel 28:12
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
To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
from Mark 12:29
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
from Jude 1:25
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation.
from Titus 2:13
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
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
from Ephesians 5:2
But emptied himself, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
from Romans 8:3
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.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
from I John 2:27
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.
from I Corinthians 2:13 · a strong link
For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
from I Corinthians 1:17
You know how through weakness of the flesh I preached the gospel to you at the first.
from II Corinthians 10:10
I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ to another gospel:
from Galatians 4:13
For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another Spirit, who you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.
from Galatians 1:6 · a strong link
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.
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 Corinthians 12:28 · a strong link
Remember your leaders, who have spoken to you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conduct.
from Hebrews 13:17 · a strong link
There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
from Hebrews 13:7
O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things; your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
from I Corinthians 10:13 · a strong link
Exalt you the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
from Isaiah 25:1
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.
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
Do not fear, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
from Psalms 73:1
And there shall be no night there; and they need no lamp, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
from Luke 12:32
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:
And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover, his disciples said to him, Where will you that we go and prepare that you may eat the Passover?
from I Corinthians 5:7
Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God: for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you forth out of Egypt by night.
from Mark 14:12
This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
from Deuteronomy 16:1
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Jeremiah 5:27 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