a thread opens
They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
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.
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
from Leviticus 21:5 · a strong link
All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in which he separates himself to the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
from Ezekiel 44:20 · a strong link
And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant, and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give to your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
from Numbers 6:5 · a strong link
And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.
from I Samuel 1:11
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in me.
from Acts 20:21
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
from Acts 26:18
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are out of place;
from Ephesians 4:18
Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not know your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?
from Romans 1:28
And I have declared to them your name, and will declare it: that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.
from II Corinthians 13:5
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 that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
from Acts 13:38 · a strong link
And I will sow her to me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, You are my people; and they shall say, You are my God.
from Luke 24:47
For as you in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
from Hosea 2:23 · a strong link
In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them.
from Romans 11:30
And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
from Colossians 3:7
Put to death therefore your members upon the earth; sexual immorality, uncleanness, passion, evil greedy desire, and greed, which is idolatry:
from I Corinthians 6:11
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 to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
from Acts 17:31
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 Psalms 98:9
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
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 Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
from Acts 3:6
And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
from John 19:19 · 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.
Thus says the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger among the children of Israel.
from Acts 7:51
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 Ezekiel 44:9
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
from Ezekiel 44:7
O house of David, thus says the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is plundered out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
from Jeremiah 4:4
The just LORD is in its midst; he will not do iniquity: every morning does he bring his judgment to light, he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.
from Jeremiah 21:12
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
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
from Acts 9:15 · a strong link
To which I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
from Acts 13:2 · a strong link
To which I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
from II Timothy 1:11 · a strong link
Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of his power.
from I Timothy 2:7
If you have heard of the administration of the grace of God which is given me toward you:
from Ephesians 3:7
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Leviticus 21:5 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