How to Read the Bible in a Year: Sample Reading Plans & Strategies

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Find the Bible reading plan that fits your lifestyle and goals

Co-authored by Mark Russell and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: September 4, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Sample Bible Reading Plan
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• Popular Bible Reading Plans
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• Bible Reading Tips for Success
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• Reading Schedule & Reflection Journal Template
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• Video
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• Expert Q&A

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With 66 books, 1,189 chapters, and over 750,000 words, reading the Bible in a year can seem like a daunting goal—but with the right attitude and study plan in place, it’s far easier to achieve than you may think. We’ve done all the research and found some study plans we think you’ll really resonate with, along with some tips and tricks to help boost your chances for a successful read-through. With a little prayer, patience, and practice, you can make diving into God’s Word a part of your daily life.

What is the best way to read the Bible in 1 year?

Find a Bible reading plan that best aligns with your schedule and spiritual goals. Some plans encourage you to read the Bible in order, while others invite you to dive into multiple parts of the Bible at once. It can also help to read from a Bible translation that you enjoy, and to find friends to read along with you.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Sample Year-Long Bible Reading Plan

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Sample Bible Reading Plan (by Month)

Day	Verses
January	Genesis, Exodus 1-26, Matthew 1-21
February	Exodus 27-40, Leviticus, Numbers 1-25, Matthew 21-28, Mark 1-8
March	Numbers 26-36, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges 1-5, Mark 8-16, Luke 1-7
April	Judges 6-21, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, Luke 8-22
May	1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 1-3, Luke 22-24, John 1-12
June	2 Chronicles 4-36, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job 1-20, John 12-21, Acts 1-9
July	Job 21-42, Psalms 1-64, Acts 10-28, Romans 1
August	Psalms 65-147, Romans 2-16, 1 Corinthians 1-11
September	Psalms 148-150, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah 1-21, 1 Corinthians 11-16, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians 1-2
October	Isaiah 22-66, Jeremiah 1-30, Ephesians 3-6, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus 1
November	Jeremiah 31-52, Lamentations, Ezekiel 1-44, Titus 2-3, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter 1-2
December	Ezekiel 45-48, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, 2 Peter 3, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation

• This Bible-reading plan was created by The Gideons International organization. Click or tap here to view and download a day-by-day breakdown of this reading schedule.

Section 2 of 3:

Popular Bible Reading Plans

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1. 1
   Page-based reading plan Take the number of pages in your edition of the Bible and divide it by 365—then, read that number of pages every day. For example, if your edition of the Bible has 1,760 pages, that’s around 4.8 pages a day (or 5, rounded up). If a daily reading plan doesn’t make sense with your schedule, try calculating a monthly page count instead. Just divide the number of pages in your Bible by 12 instead of 365.
2. 2
   Front-to-back reading plan If you’re starting your Bible-reading plan at the beginning of the month (like January), you might find a front-to-back plan to be helpful. Starting at Genesis, you’ll work your way through the Old Testament, followed by the New Testament, reading specific books of the Bible each month.

   • Month 1 (January): Genesis & Exodus
   • Month 2 (February): Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy
   • Month 3 (March): Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth & 1 Samuel
   • Month 4 (April): 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings & 2 Kings
   • Month 5 (May): 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther
   • Month 6 (June): Job & Psalms
   • Month 7 (July): Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon & Isaiah
   • Month 8 (August): Isaiah, Jeremiah & Lamentations
   • Month 9 (September): Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai & Zechariah
   • Month 10 (October): Malachi, Matthew, Mark & Luke
   • Month 11 (November): Luke, John, Acts, Romans & 1 Corinthians
   • Month 12 (December): 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude & Revelation
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3. 3
   Chronological reading plan This reading plan organizes the Bible in the chronological order that biblical events occurred, rather than the standard order of books, chapters, and verses that you’d normally see in the Bible. In this plan, you might jump between books before “officially” finishing one—for example, Day 3 of this plan has you reading Genesis 8-11, while Day 4 switches to Job 1-5.

   • Click or tap here to get a closer look at this reading plan.
4. 4
   Publication-order reading plan The standard order of books you see in most Bibles doesn’t reflect the order in which these books were written. Instead of reading the Bible from start to finish, consult this historical timeline of Bible book publications and read them in that order instead.
5. 5
   Multi-tasking reading plan Some reading plans encourage you to dive into multiple sections of the Bible at once rather than just one book at a time. For instance, this plan encourages you to read parts of the Old and New Testament simultaneously, while this plan invites you to read from the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms or Proverbs all at once.
6. 6
   Catholic reading plan The Catholic Bible includes extra books known as the Apocrypha that are otherwise excluded from Protestant Bibles. If you’d like to include these extra books in your yearly reading plan, check out this robust Catholic reading plan.
7. 7
   Extra challenging reading plan Are you a particularly fast reader, or just up for a harder challenge? You might find this plan to be a bit more invigorating, which has you reading the Bible in 6 months rather than 1 year.

   • Want a bonus challenge? Try a 90-day Bible-reading plan instead.
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Section 3 of 3:

Bible Reading Tips for Success

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1. 1
   Choose a translation that resonates with you. There isn’t just one version of the Bible—over the centuries, people have rewritten the Bible in many different ways. Choose from one of the following statements below and see which one you resonate with most.

   • I’m a total newbie and want something easy to understand. Best versions: CEV, GNB/TEV, JB, MSG, TLB, NLT, NIV
   • I want to really dive deep into the meanings of individual verses. Best versions: ESV, KJV, NKJB, NRSV
2. 2
   Start with a smaller reading plan. Tackling the entire Bible in one year is a huge and impressive goal—but there’s nothing wrong with starting out with a smaller plan first. If you’d rather just get your footing in a daily Bible-reading plan, you might enjoy:

   • Isaiah Plan: 71 days total (covers the book of Isaiah)
   • Gospel Plan: 45 days total (covers Matthew, Mark, Luke & John)
   • Psalms Plan: 150 days total (covers the book of Psalms)
   • Wisdom Plan: 60 days total (covers Psalms, Proverbs & Song of Solomon/Songs)
3. 3
   Read at a time when you’re best able to focus. Do you feel at your freshest and most alert when you first wake up, or after you’ve started to wind down at the end of the day? Whatever the case, schedule your daily Bible readings for a time that makes the most sense for you, your schedule, and your energy levels.

   • If you get up early, you might do your Bible readings while eating breakfast.
   • If you have a long commute to work, you might listen your Bible readings in audio form with plans like the Chapter-A-Day Audio Bible. (With this specific plan, you’ll need to listen to multiple chapters per day to meet your goal.)
4. 4
   Track your progress. To get through a long text without losing focus, try reading your Bible for a regular amount of time every day. You might read for twenty minutes to an hour, depending on your reading speed and attention span.

   • It can help to keep a calendar and track your progress. Tick a box every day you do your reading.
5. 5
   Get yourself a new Bible for your reading goals. Since you’re starting out with a brand-new Bible-reading plan, it makes sense to start out with a brand-new Bible (especially if you’re planning to read from a different translation than you normally would). Bibles don’t have to be expensive at all; in fact, you can easily get a Bible for under $10:

   • NIV Bible
   • MSG Bible
   • KJV Bible
   • NSRV Bible
   • NLT Bible
   • ESV Bible
6. 6
   Read the Bible with other people. Studying the Bible with fellow believers provides an even more enriching experience as you dive into the deeper meanings of God’s Word. It also helps you create firmer bonds within your faith family, which is an important aspect of being a Christian.

   • Other people can also hold you accountable to your daily reading plan, and help you stay motivated as you follow through with your goals.
7. 7
   Supplement your reading experience with commentaries. Think of Bible commentaries as in-depth analyses on different aspects of the Bible. While they certainly aren’t a requirement for reading the Bible, they can provide valuable insights that really enrich your reading experiences. Here are some commentaries that are geared toward year-long Bible-reading plans:

   • The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel
   • One Year Bible Daily Reading
   • The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble
   • The Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz
8. 8
   Pray as you read. If you are reading for purposes of devotion, include your reading in your daily faith routine. Praying as you read helps to nurture and expand upon your spiritual experience as you dive into the Bible. You might:

   • Pray for God to reveal things to you in His Word
   • Ask for mercy as you cope with the daily struggles of sin
   • Ask to be reminded of God’s grace
   • Pray to be closer with God as you study the Bible.
9. 9
   Be patient and kind to yourself as you embark on this journey. Reading the entire Bible in one year is a big challenge, especially if you aren’t used to reading the Bible each day. You might find that you don’t have the time or energy to stay on top of your daily readings—and that’s totally okay! Be prepared to be kind to yourself if you lose momentum and fall behind (or even if you take a break). What matters most is that you’re reading the Bible at your own pace, not the quantity of what you read.
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Bible Reading Schedule and Reflection Journal Template

Sample One Year Bible Reading Schedule

Sample Bible Reflection Journal Template

Expert Q&A

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• Question

  Are there any other ways to read the bible in a year?

  

  Mark Russell
  Christian Theology Expert

  Mark Russell is a Christian Theology Expert based in Bourbonnais, Illinois. He is a Senior High School Youth Pastor at Gathering Point Church of the Nazarene, and has held this post for over nine years. He is the director of the Next Gen programs at the church, managing all youth education programs. Through this role, he also leads a team of adult youth leaders and completes preaching duties. Prior to working at Gathering Point, he worked as Assistant Principal at Grove City Christian School and was a Youth Pastor at Grove City Church of the Nazarene. He received a BA in Elementary Education and Teaching from Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

  

  Mark Russell

  Christian Theology Expert

  Expert Answer

  You can also make use of the "Read the Bible in a Year" option available in the Bible App. The app will give you daily readings that will help you read the Bible completely in one year.

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• Question

  How many chapters would I have to read every day to read the Bible in a year?

  

  Community Answer

  There are close to 929 chapters in the Old Testament and 260 chapters in the New Testament. This would mean that you would need to read around 3 - 4 chapters per day to read the complete Christian Bible.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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• Question

  Is it okay if I can't study in a quiet place?

  

  Community Answer

  There are no rules about where you must study. As long as you can concentrate on what you're reading and absorb the material, it's absolutely fine.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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