To read the Bible for beginners, start with the Gospel of John, read one chapter a day, and pray for understanding. You only need an open heart. This 10-step guide offers a gentle, practical way to begin with grace and patience.
Why the Bible is worth reading
Before we talk about how
to start reading the Bible, let’s talk about why. The Bible is far more than a self-help book or a collection of ancient stories. Scripture describes itself as something alive — something that speaks, shapes, and changes us.
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
— Hebrews 4:12
That’s more than poetry. The Bible claims it can reach the deepest parts of who you are — your motivations, your fears, the things you’ve never said out loud. Millions of people across thousands of years have found comfort in its pages during grief, direction during confusion, and hope when everything felt dark. You don’t have to understand it all at once. You just have to open it.
Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
— Psalms 119:105
Think of the Bible as a lamp that shows you the next step. That is all you need right now.
What the Bible actually is (a quick overview)
The Bible can feel overwhelming because it is a library of 66 books, written over roughly 1,500 years by about 40 different authors. It’s divided into two main parts:
The Old Testament (39 books) covers creation, the history of Israel, poetry, wisdom literature, and the prophets. It points forward to the coming of Jesus.
The New Testament (27 books) tells the story of Jesus’ life, the early church, letters to believers, and the hope of what’s to come.
You’ll find history, poetry, prophecy, letters, laws, and stories all woven together by one central theme: God’s relentless love for people and His plan to restore what sin has broken. This big picture helps individual verses feel like chapters of one long, love-filled story instead of scattered puzzle pieces.
Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
— 2 Timothy 3:16-17
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10 Practical Steps to Start Reading the Bible
Here are ten clear, gentle steps forward with no pressure. You don’t need to follow every one perfectly. Just pick what fits and begin.
1. Pray Before You Read
This is the most important step, and it takes about ten seconds. Before you open your Bible, simply ask God to help you understand what you’re about to read. You don’t need fancy words. Something like, “God, please open my eyes to what You want to show me today”
is more than enough.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
— James 1:5
2. Start with the Gospel of John
Don’t start at Genesis chapter one. The best place to begin is the Gospel of Johnin the New Testament. John was written specifically so that readers would come to know who Jesus is. It’s warm, personal, and full of stories that draw you in. After John, try the Gospel of Mark (short and fast-paced) or Luke (detailed and compassionate).
but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
— John 20:31
3. Read One Chapter a Day
You don’t need to read for an hour. read the Bible daily
— sometimes just 15 or 20 verses — is a beautiful starting pace. The Gospel of John has 21 chapters, which means you’ll finish it in three weeks. Consistency matters far more than quantity. Five minutes every day will shape you more than two hours once a month.
4. Choose a translation you can understand
The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, so every English Bible is a translation. For beginners, these are excellent choices:
ESV (English Standard Version) is accurate and readable, a great all-around choice.
NIV (New International Version) is clear, modern English, widely used.
NLT (New Living Translation) is very easy to understand, uses everyday language.
Pick one that feels natural when you read it aloud. You can always explore other translations later.
5. Use a Reading Plan
A reading plan removes the daily decision of what
to read so you can focus on actually reading. Apps like YouVersion (Bible App) offer hundreds of free plans — from 7-day topical studies to read the Bible in a year. For beginners, try a plan that walks through the Gospels first, then the Psalms, then Genesis.
6. Read with a pen in hand
Keep a notebook or journal nearby. When a verse stands out to you — even if you’re not sure why — write it down. Jot questions in the margin. Underline phrases that comfort you. This is a conversation, not schoolwork. Writing helps you slow down and pay attention to what God might be saying to you personally.
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7. Ask three simple questions
After reading a passage, ask yourself these three questions:
What does this tell me about God?
What does this tell me about people?
How should I respond today?
You don’t need a commentary or a study guide to get started. These three questions will open up almost any passage and help you move from reading to understanding to living it out.
8. Do not skip the psalms
The book of Psalmsis the prayer journal of God’s people. It covers every emotion you’ve ever felt — joy, fear, anger, gratitude, despair, praise. When you don’t know how to pray, read a Psalm. When you’re hurting, Psalm 23 or Psalm 46 will meet you right where you are.
For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
— Psalms 46:1
9. Give Yourself Grace When You’re Confused
You will read things that confuse you. Good — that means you’re paying attention. Scholars have spent entire lifetimes on these texts. When something doesn’t make sense, mark it and move on. Don’t let one confusing passage stop your entire journey. Understanding grows over time, like a seed becoming a tree.
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
— Proverbs 4:18
10. Read with others
Reading the Bible doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Find a friend, join a small group, or attend a Bible study at a local church. When you read with others, you hear perspectives you’d never notice on your own, and you have people to ask when something confuses you. The Bible was meant to be lived out in community.
For more background, see when the Bible was written and by whom.
Where to start reading the Bible: a beginner’s roadmap
If you want a simple order for your first few months, here’s a gentle roadmap for how to start reading the Bible:
Month 1: Gospel of John (21 chapters) to meet Jesus.
Month 2: Psalms 1–50 to learn to pray and worship.
Month 3: Genesis 1–25 to see the beginning of God’s story.
Month 4: Gospel of Luke to see Jesus through a doctor’s eyes.
Month 5: Proverbs to gain daily practical wisdom.
Month 6: Acts to watch the early church come alive.
This roadmap gives you variety — story, poetry, wisdom, and history — while keeping you grounded in the most accessible and life-giving parts of Scripture. There’s no wrong way to do this, but this path has helped countless people fall in love with the Bible.
Helpful tools and apps for Bible reading
You can find excellent Bible study resources for free on your phone. Here are a few to try:
YouVersion Bible App — multiple translations, reading plans, audio Bible, highlights and notes. Available on any phone or tablet.
Blue Letter Bible — when you want to dig deeper into a word or verse, this free tool shows you original Greek and Hebrew meanings, commentaries, and cross-references.
Pray one day at a time.
A gentle Scripture and prayer guide for tired hearts seeking strength, peace and guidance.
Bible Project (YouTube) — animated videos that explain each book of the Bible in about 8 minutes. Watching a Bible Project video before reading a book gives you helpful context.
A physical Bible — there’s something irreplaceable about holding a Bible in your hands, turning pages, and writing in the margins. Consider a study Bible with footnotes that explain difficult passages (the ESV Study Bible and NIV Life Application Study Bible are excellent choices).
What to do when you don’t understand a passage
You are going to read passages that confuse you — every Bible reader does, no matter how long they’ve been at it. Here’s what helps:
Read the surrounding verses. Context solves most confusion. Read the full chapter, not just the single verse.
Check a different translation. Sometimes a passage in ESV becomes crystal clear in NLT, or vice versa.
Look up the book introduction. Most study Bibles include a brief introduction before each book that explains who wrote it, when, and why. This background changes everything.
Ask someone. A pastor, a trusted Christian friend, or an online community can often answer your question in a few minutes.
Give it time. Some passages make sense only after you’ve read more of the Bible. A verse in Romans might click after you’ve read Genesis. Trust the process.
The entrance of your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.
— Psalms 119:130
How long does it take to read the Bible?
Reading the entire Bible takes about 70 hours at an average reading speed. If you read one chapter a day, you’ll finish in roughly three years. If you read three chapters a day, you can finish in about a year. But there’s no rush — it’s far better to read slowly and absorb deeply than to race to the finish. The Bible isn’t a book you complete; it’s a book you return to for the rest of your life.
Should I read the Bible in order from Genesis to Revelation?
You can, but most pastors don’t recommend it for beginners. The Bible isn’t arranged chronologically, and some early books (like Leviticus and Numbers) contain detailed laws that can be difficult without context. Starting with the Gospels — especially John or Mark — gives you the foundation of the Christian faith first. Once you know Jesus, the rest of the Bible opens up in beautiful ways.
What Bible version is best for beginners?
The ESV, NIV, and NLT are all excellent for beginners. The NLT is the easiest to understand because it uses very natural, everyday English. The ESV is slightly more word-for-word and is widely used in churches. The best version is the one you’ll actually read — so pick the one that feels most natural and comfortable to you.
How much of the Bible should I read each day?
There’s no magic number. One chapter a day is a wonderful starting pace — it usually takes about five to ten minutes. Some days you might read more because you’re captivated by the story; other days, a single verse might stop you in your tracks and give you enough to think about all day. Quality matters more than quantity. Let the words sink in rather than rushing through them.
What if I don’t feel anything when I read the Bible?
That’s completely normal, especially at the beginning. Bible reading isn’t always an emotional experience — sometimes it’s an act of quiet faithfulness, like watering a garden before you see any flowers. Keep reading, keep praying, and trust that God’s Word is doing work in you even when you can’t feel it. Jesus compared God’s Word to a seed planted in soil. Seeds grow silently before they break through the surface.
If you have been putting off reading the Bible because it felt too big, too confusing, or too intimidating, today is a beautiful day to begin. You only need to open the book, ask God to meet you there, and start reading. He promises that when you seek Him, you will find Him. So grab your Bible or download an app on your phone, open the Gospel of John, chapter one, and read just one chapter. That is your next step, and it might be the most important step you take this year.
How many verses are in the Bible?
The Bible contains 31,102 verses — 23,145 in the Old Testament and 7,957 in the New Testament. It has 66 books, 1,189 chapters, and was written by more than 40 authors over roughly 1,500 years. Don’t let the size intimidate you — you don’t need to read it all at once. Start with one chapter a day and let God meet you there.
Questions people ask
Where is the best place to start reading the Bible?
The best place for beginners to start is the Gospel of John. This book focuses on the life and identity of Jesus, making it warm and personal. After John, readers can explore the Gospel of Mark for a fast-paced account or Luke for detailed compassion. Starting with the Gospels provides a solid foundation for understanding the rest of the Bible.
Which Bible translation is best for beginners?
Excellent choices include the NIV for clear English, the NLT for everyday language, or the ESV for accuracy and readability. The NLT is especially easy to understand because it uses natural, modern English. The best translation is the one you will actually read, so choose one that feels comfortable and natural to you.
How much of the Bible should I read each day?
A sustainable starting pace is reading one chapter a day, which usually takes about five to ten minutes. Consistency is far more important than the quantity read. Some days you might be captivated and read more, while other days a single verse may be enough to ponder. Quality over quantity helps the words sink in deeply.
What if I don't feel anything when I read the Bible?
It is completely normal not to feel anything, especially at the beginning. Bible reading is not always an emotional experience; sometimes it is an act of quiet faithfulness. Keep reading and praying, trusting that God's Word is working in you even when you cannot feel it. Like a seed growing silently, understanding will come in time.
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