a thread opens
But Balaam answered Balak, Told not I you, saying, All that the LORD speaks, that I must do?
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 Balaam answered the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
from Numbers 23:26
And Micaiah said, As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that will I speak.
from Numbers 22:18 · a strong link
If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own mind; but what the LORD says, that will I speak?
from I Kings 22:14 · a strong link
And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men come to call you, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say to you, that shall you do.
from Numbers 24:13
And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
from Numbers 22:20 · a strong link
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.
Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
from I Corinthians 8:4
And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
from Deuteronomy 4:39 · a strong link
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
from Joshua 2:11 · a strong link
And it shall be, when they say to you, Why do you sigh? that you shall answer, For the tidings; because it comes: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: look, it comes, and shall be brought to pass, says the Lord GOD.
from Isaiah 13:7
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.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
from I John 3:16 · a strong link
And he said, Lay not your hand upon the lad, neither do you anything to him: for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.
from John 3:16 · a strong link
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
from Genesis 22:12
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.
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in him:
from I John 2:27
Watch yourselves, that we do not lose what we have worked for, but that we receive a full reward.
from Colossians 2:6
Look, I am coming soon: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown.
from II John 1:8 · a strong link
And if a man also competes as an athlete, yet is he not crowned, except he competes according to the rules.
Do you not know that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, so that you may obtain.
from II Timothy 2:5
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
from I Corinthians 9:24 · a strong link
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.
Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.
from I Corinthians 12:28
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
from Acts 20:28
Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of his power.
from I Corinthians 15:9
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
from Ephesians 3:7
Who also has made us able ministers of the new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.
from I Corinthians 3:5
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.
You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
from I Chronicles 29:17
But you have fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, perseverance, love, patience,
from I Thessalonians 2:10
But you, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
from II Timothy 3:10 · a strong link
Flee also youthful passions: but follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
from I Timothy 6:11 · 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:
For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
from I Corinthians 5:7
For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
from I Corinthians 10:17
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
from I Corinthians 12:12
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Numbers 23:26 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