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She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melts, and the knees strike together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.
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.
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
from Nahum 2:10
All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.
from Isaiah 13:7
Therefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
from Ezekiel 7:17
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to children, My son, despise not you the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of him:
from Hebrews 12:12
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, so that we should not be condemned with the world.
from Hebrews 12:5
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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.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
from I Corinthians 8:4 · a strong link
But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to withstand his indignation.
from Deuteronomy 6:4
For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
from Jeremiah 10:10 · a strong link
The LORD is near to them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as are of a contrite spirit.
from Isaiah 57:15 · a strong link
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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.
But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
from I John 3:16 · a strong link
To the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he has made us accepted in the beloved.
from Romans 5:8 · a strong link
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
from Ephesians 1:6
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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.
For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which is at work also in you that believe.
from I John 2:27
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart.
from I Thessalonians 2:13 · a strong link
Repent; or else I will come to you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
from Hebrews 4:12 · a strong link
Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come to you quickly, and will remove your lampstand out of his place, except you repent.
from Revelation of John 2:16 · a strong link
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect before God.
And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
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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.
Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
from I Corinthians 12:28
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;
from Ephesians 3:5
This is the stone which was set at nothing of you builders, which has become the cornerstone.
from Ephesians 2:20
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, Look, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believes will not panic.
from Acts 4:11
But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
from Isaiah 28:16 · a strong link
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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.
I the LORD search the heart, I try the inmost thoughts, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
from I Chronicles 29:17 · a strong link
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
from Jeremiah 17:10
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except the rebellion comes first, and that man of lawlessness be revealed, the son of destruction;
from Galatians 6:7
And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given to him to continue forty-two months.
from II Thessalonians 2:3
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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:
The place of the Scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb mute before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
from I Corinthians 5:7
You have given us like sheep appointed for food; and have scattered us among the pagans.
from Acts 8:32
And the LORD shall scatter you among all people, from the one end of the earth even to the other; and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known, even wood and stone.
from Psalms 44:11
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Nahum 2:10 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