a thread opens
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel remaining in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
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 Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
from Numbers 24:2 · a strong link
Saul also sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If you save not your life tonight, tomorrow you shall be slain.
from I Samuel 19:20
And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson has come here. And they surrounded him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
from I Samuel 19:11
a thread opens
Then Moses said to Aaron, This is it that the LORD spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
from Leviticus 10:3
And you shall not let any of your seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
from Leviticus 21:6 · a strong link
But you have profaned it, in that you say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and its fruit, even his food, is contemptible.
from Leviticus 18:21
And the mixt multitude among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
from Malachi 1:12
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
from Numbers 11:4 · a strong link
Now all these things happened to them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world have come.
from I Corinthians 10:6
a thread opens
Now to him that is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
from Jude 1:24
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
from Romans 16:25 · a strong link
God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
from Romans 2:16
That are far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that are far from you: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
from Romans 3:6
Look, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the criminals:
from Genesis 18:25 · a strong link
a thread opens
Woe to them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
Which have forsaken the right way, and have gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
from Jude 1:11 · a strong link
They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.
from II Peter 2:15
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
from Proverbs 28:4
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
from Romans 1:32
a thread opens
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moves in it.
from Luke 2:14
For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
from Psalms 69:34
And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
from Isaiah 55:12 · a strong link
a thread opens
And shall not God give justice to his own elect, which cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them?
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusts in God, and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.
from Luke 18:7
But I would have you without anxiety. He that is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
from I Timothy 5:5
Do not be anxious about anything; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
from I Corinthians 7:32
And he said to his disciples, Therefore I say to you, Do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat; neither for the body, what you shall put on.
from Philippians 4:6 · a strong link
Let your conduct be without greed; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.
from Luke 12:22
There shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with you: I will not fail you, nor forsake you.
from Hebrews 13:5 · a strong link
a thread opens
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
from Luke 14:26 · a strong link
So when they had dined, Jesus says to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, love you me more than these? He says to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He says to him, Feed my lambs.
from Matthew 10:37
Therefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
from John 21:15
Strengthen you the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
from Hebrews 12:12 · a strong link
And you shall hear what they say; and afterward shall your hands be strengthened to go down to the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant to the outside of the armed men in the host.
from Isaiah 35:3
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Numbers 24:2 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