How to read the Bible for the first time
New to the Bible? Where to start, which translation to pick, how to read a chapter, and what to do with the hard parts, in plain steps.
The best way to read the Bible for the first time is to start small and start with Jesus. Choose a translation you can understand, open one of the Gospels, such as Mark or John, and read one chapter a day. Before you read, ask God to help you understand. After you read, ask two simple questions: what does this show me about God, and what does it ask of me? Do not start at Genesis 1 with the plan of reading straight through to Revelation, because most people who try that give up somewhere in the laws of Leviticus. Do not worry about understanding everything. Write down your questions, keep going, and find other people to read with. The Bible is a big book, but it is not a locked one. God gave it so that ordinary people could know him, and a first-time reader with a humble heart is exactly the kind of reader it was written for.
What the Bible is
It helps to know what you are holding. The Bible is a collection of 66 books written over many centuries by many human authors, in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. It includes history, law, poetry, wisdom sayings, prophecy, biographies of Jesus called Gospels, and letters to early churches. The first part, the Old Testament, tells the story of creation, of humanity’s turn away from God, and of God’s dealings with the people of Israel. The second part, the New Testament, tells of the coming of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection, and the life of the first Christians.
Behind all those human authors, Christians confess one divine author.
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
— 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (BSB)
That is why the Bible can be read as one story. The many books share a single plot: God creating, rescuing, and making all things new through his Son.
Where to start
Start with a Gospel. The Gospels tell the story of Jesus, and Jesus is the key that unlocks the rest of the Bible. Mark is the shortest and moves quickly. John is slower and more reflective, and it tells you plainly why it was written.
But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
— John 20:31 (BSB)
After a Gospel, many readers go to Genesis to see where the story began, then to the Psalms for prayer, then to Acts to see what happened after Jesus rose. Our 14-day plan for beginners gives you a guided taste of the whole storyline in two weeks, and our guide to John’s Gospel explains how that book is put together.
Choosing a translation
The Bible was not written in English, so you will read a translation. Some translations stay closer to the original wording, and some aim for easier reading. For a first reading, pick one you can follow without a dictionary. A modern translation such as the Berean Standard Bible (BSB) is clear and accurate. The King James Version (KJV) has shaped the English language for four centuries, but its older words can slow a new reader down. This site quotes both, and both are free to read.
A print Bible with a table of contents and footnotes is ideal, but a Bible app works too. What matters most is that you actually open it.
How to read one chapter
Pray first. It does not need to be long. This one line from a psalm is enough.
Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law.
— Psalm 119:18 (BSB)
Read the chapter straight through at a normal pace, as you would read any other book. Do not stop at every unfamiliar name. Get the flow of the story first.
Then go back and read it again more slowly. Look for what is repeated, what surprises you, and what people say to Jesus or about him. Ask the two basic questions: what does this show me about God, and what does it ask of me?
Write one or two sentences in a notebook. Over weeks, these notes become a record of what God has been teaching you.
Close by praying about what you read. If the chapter showed you Jesus forgiving someone, thank God for his forgiveness and ask for help to forgive others. Scripture is meant to change the way we live, not only what we know.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
— James 1:22 (BSB)
What to do with the hard parts
You will meet passages that confuse you, trouble you, or bore you. Every reader does. Genealogies, detailed laws, and violent battles can feel far away from a modern life. Here are a few steps that help.
Read the context. Look at the paragraphs before and after. Many hard sayings become clearer when you see who is speaking and to whom.
Ask what kind of writing it is. Poetry uses picture language. Proverbs are wise patterns, not guarantees. Letters answer real problems in real churches. Reading each kind of writing on its own terms prevents many misunderstandings.
Let clear passages help with unclear ones. The Bible’s main teachings are stated plainly and often. When a passage is puzzling, do not build a big idea on it alone.
Ask someone. The Bible itself shows that this is normal. An official from Ethiopia was reading Isaiah in his chariot when Philip came alongside him.
30 So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
— Acts 8:30-31 (BSB)
There is nothing weak about needing help. Pastors, study groups, and good study notes exist so that no one has to read alone. Our guide on how to study a Bible passage gives a simple method for going deeper.
How to build a habit
Choose a regular time and a regular place. Keep the Bible where you will see it. Start with five or ten minutes rather than an hour, because a small habit that lasts is worth more than a big one that fades in a week.
Expect some days to feel ordinary. The value of daily reading is often seen over months, not minutes. When you miss a day, simply start again. The goal is not a perfect streak but a growing friendship with the God who speaks through his word.
Remember that understanding is a gift as well as a skill. After his resurrection, Jesus did something for his disciples that no study method can do on its own.
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
— Luke 24:45 (BSB)
So keep praying for understanding as you read. The same Lord still opens minds.
Where faithful Christians differ
Christians agree that the Bible is God’s word and the final authority for faith and life. They differ on one question a first-time reader may notice: which books belong in the Old Testament. Protestant Bibles contain 66 books. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include several additional writings from the centuries before Christ, sometimes called the deuterocanonical books or the Apocrypha. Each tradition has thoughtful reasons for its position, and all of them share the same Gospels, the same story of Jesus, and the same core message. This site follows the 66-book Protestant canon, and a first-time reader can begin with any standard Bible without worrying about the difference.
Closing
Reading the Bible for the first time is a little like arriving in a new country. At first everything is unfamiliar, but the landscape soon starts to make sense, and one day you realize you feel at home. Begin with a Gospel, pray before you read, ask simple questions, and keep going. Join a local church where the Bible is read and taught, so that you are not exploring alone. The God who gave this book wants to be known through it, and he is patient with beginners.