The Vigil

from Matthew 21:28

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.

a thread opens

Matthew 21:28

But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard.

Matthew 17:25

He says, Yes. And when he had come into the house, Jesus spoke first to him, saying, What do you think, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

from Matthew 21:28

Luke 2:1

And it happened in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

from Matthew 22:17


a thread opens

Leviticus 10:3

Then Moses said to Aaron, This is it that the LORD spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

II Samuel 16:10

And the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Why have you done so?

from Psalms 39:9

II Samuel 3:39

And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

from II Samuel 16:10

I Kings 2:5

Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his belt that was about his loins, and in his shoes on his feet.

from II Samuel 3:39

II Samuel 18:5

And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

from I Kings 2:5

Deuteronomy 21:18

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not listen to them:

from II Samuel 18:5


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Jude 1:24

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,

John 10:29

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

from Jude 1:24

Exodus 18:11

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing in which they dealt proudly he was above them.

from John 10:29

II Kings 5:15

And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Look, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, please, take a blessing of your servant.

from Exodus 18:11

II Kings 5:8

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had tore his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Why have you torn your clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

from II Kings 5:15

I Kings 18:36

And it happened at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.

from II Kings 5:8


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Jude 1:11

Woe to them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Numbers 26:9

And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD:

from Jude 1:11

Numbers 1:16

These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

from Numbers 26:9 · a strong link

Numbers 7:2

That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered:

from Numbers 1:16 · a strong link

II Chronicles 35:8

And his princes gave willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.

from Numbers 7:2


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Luke 2:14

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 1:79

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

from Luke 2:14 · a strong link

Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now are you light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

from Luke 1:79

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

from Ephesians 5:8


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Luke 18:7

And shall not God give justice to his own elect, which cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them?

Revelation of John 6:10

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

from Luke 18:7 · a strong link

Zechariah 1:12

Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years?

from Revelation of John 6:10 · a strong link

Daniel 9:2

In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, of which the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

from Zechariah 1:12

Ezra 1:1

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

from Daniel 9:2

II Chronicles 36:22

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

from Ezra 1:1 · a strong link

Jeremiah 32:42

For thus says the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

from II Chronicles 36:22


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Luke 14:26

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Psalms 73:25

Whom have I in heaven but you? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside you.

from Luke 14:26 · a strong link

Hebrews 12:14

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

from Matthew 5:8 · a strong link

I Corinthians 13:12

For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

from Job 19:26 · a strong link

That is the whole thread.

Every verse the cross-references reach from Matthew 21:28 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