a thread opens
And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and immediately took his journey.
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.
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
from Matthew 25:15 · a strong link
So he called every one of his lord’s debtors to him, and said to the first, How much do you owe to my lord?
from Matthew 18:24
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
from Luke 16:5
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him a hundred denarii: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe.
from Luke 7:41
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
But showed first to them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, so that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.
from Acts 20:21
Repent you therefore, and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
from Acts 26:20 · a strong link
Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
from Acts 3:19
Canceling the record of debt that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
from Psalms 51:9
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins: return to me; for I have redeemed you.
from Colossians 2:14
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 killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; of which we are witnesses.
from Acts 5:31
As you have given him power over all flesh, so that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him.
from Acts 3:15
And I give to them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
from John 17:2
Truly, truly, I say to you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has eternal life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life.
from John 10:28 · a strong link
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes on him, may have eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
from John 5:24 · 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.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
from Acts 17:31
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Look, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints,
from Matthew 25:31
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
from Jude 1:14
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,
And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
from Matthew 27:2 · a strong link
From that time forth began Jesus to show to his disciples, how that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
from Matthew 20:19 · a strong link
But I say to you, That Elijah has come already, and they knew him not, but have done to him whatever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
from Matthew 16:21 · 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.
Yet many years did you forbear them, and testified against them by your spirit in your prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gave you them into the hand of the people of the lands.
from Acts 7:51
But they rebelled, and troubled his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
from Nehemiah 9:30
How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
from Isaiah 63:10 · a strong link
And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption.
from Psalms 78:40 · a strong link
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, namely, the redemption of our body.
from Ephesians 4:30 · 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
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
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
from I Timothy 2:7
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
from Romans 9:1
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Matthew 25:15 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