a thread opens
And Balaam said to Balak, Look, I have come to you: have I now any power at all to say anything? the word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.
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 the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak, and say thus.
from Numbers 22:38
And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.
from Numbers 23:16
Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, Look, I have put my words in your mouth.
from Numbers 23:5 · a strong link
But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious how or what you shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak.
from Jeremiah 1:9 · a strong link
However the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
from Matthew 10:19
a thread opens
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.
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
from I Corinthians 8:4
Have we not all one father? has not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
from Ephesians 4:6
You do the deeds of your father. Then they said to him, We be not born of sexual immorality; we have one Father, even God.
from Malachi 2:10
Do you thus repay the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he your father that has bought you? has he not made you, and established you?
from John 8:41
a thread opens
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.
This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.
from I John 3:16
A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
from John 15:12 · a strong link
For, brothers, you have been called to freedom; only do not use freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but by love serve one another.
from John 13:34 · a strong link
a thread opens
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 we have not followed cleverly devised myths, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
from I John 2:27
Look, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
from II Peter 1:16
He which testifies these things says, Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
from Revelation of John 1:7 · a strong link
From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing.
from Revelation of John 22:20 · a strong link
Fear none of those things which you shall suffer: look, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, so that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: be faithful to death, and I will give you a crown of life.
from II Timothy 4:8
And I say to you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
a thread opens
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.
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;
from I Corinthians 12:28
And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
from Ephesians 2:20 · a strong link
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
from Matthew 16:18
And going on from there, he saw other two brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
from Matthew 10:2
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
from Matthew 4:21
a thread opens
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.
And you, Solomon my son, know you the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever.
from I Chronicles 29:17 · a strong link
The LORD is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
from I Chronicles 28:9 · a strong link
And he said, It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.
from Exodus 15:2
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.
from Isaiah 49:6 · a strong link
a thread opens
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:
Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
from I Corinthians 5:7
Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
from Exodus 13:6
The feast of unleavened bread shall you keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt.
from Exodus 12:15 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Numbers 22:38 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