a thread opens
Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
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.
Take the millstones, and grind flour: uncover your locks, make bore the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.
from Matthew 24:41
And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sits upon his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
from Isaiah 47:2
To him that struck Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endures for ever:
from Exodus 11:5
Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
from Psalms 136:10
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
And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
from Acts 26:18
For this you know, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor greedy man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have also told you formerly, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
from Ephesians 5:5 · a strong link
For the time past of our life may suffice us to have worked the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in sensuality, lusts, excess of wine, orgies, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries:
from Galatians 5:21 · 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:
Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
from Acts 13:38
And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
from Acts 5:31
Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
from Matthew 1:21
Moreover the law entered, so that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
from Psalms 130:7
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, so that grace may abound?
from Romans 5:20
But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who takes vengeance? (I speak as a man)
from Romans 6:1
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
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
from Romans 2:16 · a strong link
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.
from Ecclesiastes 12:14
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
Then some of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.
from Acts 3:6
And John answered him, saying, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in your name, and he follows not us: and we forbade him, because he follows not us.
from Acts 19:13
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.
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 Acts 7:51
Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger come upon you.
from Jeremiah 4:4
The LORD has accomplished his fury; he has poured out his fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured its foundations.
from Zephaniah 2:2
But if you will not listen to me to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
from Lamentations 4:11
And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire.
from Jeremiah 17:27 · a strong link
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
Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his apparel, and cast lots.
from Acts 7:60
Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
from Luke 23:34
And when the centurion, which stood opposite him, saw that he so cried out, and breathed his last, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
from Luke 23:47 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Matthew 24:41 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