a thread opens
I will also stretch out my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
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 king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the Asherah pole, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel.
from Zephaniah 1:4
For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for the Baals, and made Asherah poles, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
from II Kings 23:4
He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the Asherah poles, and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made: for to those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
from II Chronicles 33:3
But if you say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
from II Kings 18:4
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke the images in pieces, and cut down the Asherah poles, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
from II Kings 18:22
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
And there are varieties of workings, but it is the same God which works all in all.
from Ephesians 4:6
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
from I Corinthians 12:6
That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
from Colossians 3:11
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.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a fragrant offering.
from I John 3:16 · a strong link
A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
from Ephesians 5:2 · a strong link
That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, so that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.
from John 13:34
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.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
from I John 2:27
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
from I Corinthians 2:13 · a strong link
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 Corinthians 2:4
Neither give heed to myths and endless genealogies, which promote controversies, rather than godly building up in faith: so do.
from II Peter 1:16
But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase to more ungodliness.
from I Timothy 1:4
And Ezra the priest stood up, and said to them, You have transgressed, and have taken foreign wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
from II Timothy 2:16
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 he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
from I Corinthians 12:28 · a strong link
Now for a long season Israel has been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
from Ephesians 4:11
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: look, your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
from II Chronicles 15:3
And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the demons, and for the calves which he had made.
from I Kings 12:28
After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
from II Chronicles 11:15
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.
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
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the inmost thoughts and hearts: and I will give to every one of you according to your works.
from Jeremiah 17:10 · a strong link
And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more defiantly.
And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall from now on commit no more any such evil among you.
from Deuteronomy 17:13
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 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 I Corinthians 5:7
Six days you shall eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God: you shall do no work in it.
from Exodus 12:15
Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and you shall do no servile work in it.
from Deuteronomy 16:8
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Zephaniah 1:4 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