a thread opens
They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
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.
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
from Psalms 107:4
Who is this that comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised you up under the apple tree: there your mother brought you forth: there she brought you forth that bore you.
from Deuteronomy 32:10
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
from Song of Solomon 8:5 · a strong link
And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a shelter from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
from Song of Solomon 2:3
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, says the LORD of hosts: strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.
from Isaiah 32:2
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.
Thus says the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
from I Corinthians 8:4
Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are the LORD, even you only.
from Isaiah 44:6 · a strong link
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the pagans, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the pagans shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
from Isaiah 37:20
But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
from Ezekiel 36:23
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.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
from I John 3:16 · a strong link
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
from I John 4:9
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
from John 6:51
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.
But the Helper, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.
from I John 2:27 · a strong link
And God, who knows the hearts, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us;
from John 14:26
And they prayed, and said, You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show whether of these two you have chosen,
from Acts 15:8 · a strong link
But the LORD said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.
from Acts 1:24 · a strong link
And he said to them, You are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
from I Samuel 16:7 · a strong link
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.
from Luke 16:15
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.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
from I Corinthians 12:28
As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
from Romans 12:6 · a strong link
For who makes you to differ from another? and what have you that you did not receive? now if you did receive it, why do you glory, as if you had not received it?
from I Peter 4:10
For the LORD gives wisdom: out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
from I Corinthians 4:7
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that has heard, and has learned of the Father, comes to me.
from Proverbs 2:6
a thread opens
To the church of God at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
from I Corinthians 1:2 · a strong link
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
from Romans 1:7 · a strong link
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
from Colossians 1:2
Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
from Ephesians 1:1 · 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:
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: you shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
from I Corinthians 5:7
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh:
from Exodus 12:5
And he shall take of the blood of the young bull, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
from Hebrews 9:13
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Psalms 107:4 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