How Long Does It Take to Read the Entire Bible In 2024?

How long does it take to read the Bible? Does it take a long time to read through the Scriptures? 

It took me about two years to read through the Bible as a new believer. Afterwards, I tried to consistently through the Bible for one to two years. 

Sometimes, it can be daunting to read through 66 books of the Bible – with about 1200 pages – in a year.

But I hope this basic guide would assist you in reading God’s word effectively and timely.

Let’s jump into it!

Short Summary

• Discover the life-changing potential of God’s Word by reading the entire Bible in 80 hours or shorter passages in 5 minutes!
• Challenge yourself to read it faster and deeper with ESV Reader’s Bible, Six Volume Set.
• Make a plan, stay motivated & prioritize your spiritual journey for effective Bible Reading.

Determining the Time Required to Read the Entire Bible

When you read, do you read silently or out loud? 

Reading silently can help you get through the Bible in no time.

Reading out loud can help with retention, but it will be slower.

Generally speaking, reading through the entire Bible in around 80 hours is possible. Of course, I won’t suggest you to do it in one sitting. 

How did I get this number? It requires some simple calculations.

Depending on your Bible translation, the Bible contains around 781,137 words.

An average reader could read about 200 words per minute. 

So, 781,137 divided by 200 would equal to 3906 minutes. This would be around 65.1 hours. 

However, everyone’s reading speed, retention, and comprehension will differ. 

This may seem overwhelming at first. But a journey to read through the Bible begins with a single word. 

So, if you usually spend more than 15 minutes on entertainment and leisure, then you should have more time for Bible reading. No Excuse!

If you can read the Bible every day for 15 minutes, you can read about 3000 words. If you think about it, you could get through the Bible in 260 days! 

Reading Speed and Its Impact on Bible Reading

I’m not a fast reader. I’m a slow reader. 

Hence, it takes me forever to get through my backlog of books. 

I’m always amazed of others who can read more than 100 books per year. 

It is certainly possible to develop that kind of reading skill. Increasing your reading speed takes practice and skill. 

But taking your time is okay if reading is not your strong suit. 

In fact, sometimes, chapters and verses in the book of the Bible can distract you from reading further because we think chapters are a starting and stopping point.

We must remember that chapters and verses were not in the original manuscripts. They’re added to help with finding references.

Comprehending God’s Word

Reading the Bible so fast and not understanding what you’re reading is pointless.

However, an average reader that can read 200 words per minute has 70-80% of comprehension rate. 

Ultimately, it’s not about how fast you read, but how you can grow in your relationship with God through Bible reading.

It would be better to know and internalize God’s word slowly than racing to the end of the Bible.

Breaking Down the Old Testament and New Testament

You now know how long it generally takes to read the whole Bible. 

But if you do not know the structure of the Bible, here’s a brief breakdown for you.

The Bible is broken up into two testaments: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

Old Testament Reading Time

The Old Testament has 39 books.

In the Protestant Bible, the Old Testament is generally divided up into:

• Torah (the Law): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
• History: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
• Writings: Job, Psalm, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon
• Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. 

All in all, it takes about 57 hours to read the Old Testament.

Sadly, however, many Christians cannot get through Leviticus, Numbers, and the Prophets because they’re considered “boring” and “irrelevant.” 

So, regardless of how fast you read, getting through “boring” parts can slow your pace.

I would say that it is important to first read certain books of the Bible that can help you understand the overarching narrative of God’s word. 

New Testament Reading Time

The New Testament has 27 books.

The New Testament is generally divided up into:

• The Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
• Acts of the Apostles
• Pauline Letters: Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, Philemon 
• Pastoral Letters: 1-2 Timothy and Titus 
• General Letters: Hebrew, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude
• Revelation

It takes about 18 hours to read the New Testament.

So, I plan to read the New Testament out loud in one sitting on my Twitch stream in the future.

I highly recommend start your day reading some books of the New Testament.

The New Testament teaches you the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and what it means to be a Christian. 

Personal Bible Reading Plans for Different Time Frames

If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. 

You can utilize my plan if you’re ever interested. 

Most Christians generally use a 1-Year Bible reading plan.

It is generally doable if you stick with it and develop a spiritual discipline for it. 

1-Year Bible Reading Plan

There are numerous Bible reading plans that can guide you to get through the Bible in one year.

I personally prefer the Robert Murray McCheyne reading plan.  

This plan allows you to read two books of the Old Testament and New Testament. You would read one chapter for each book. 

But you can search for a one-year Bible reading plan on Google if you want something else. 

I encourage you to make it a discipline to be in God’s word as much as you can, even if you do fall behind. 

Tips for Staying on Track with Your Bible Reading Plan

It is sometimes hard to stay on track. 

I admit that I sometimes fall behind on my Bible Reading plan. 

Realistically, life happens and distract us from reading. 

We can fail to meet our own expectation. 

However, we must remember that the plan is supposed to serve us, not us trying to serve the plan. 

So, let’s consider some ways to deal with falling behind and dealing with other activities in real life.

Dealing with Falling Behind

We feel discouraged when we fall behind.

We can become so discouraged that we give up and hope to try again in the new year. 

But falling behind should not lead us to stop reading the Bible.

Rather, it is an opportunity to reset or pivot our own expectation. 

We thought we’re able to read it in one year. But what if it takes us two years? 

Either way, if you fall behind, pick up where you left off and keep reading.

Don’t try to play catch up, or else you lose the purpose of reading the Bible.

The purpose is to know God personally and intimately, and grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Balancing Daily Activities with Bible Reading

Look, life happens. 

You may be busy, spending time with school, work, and family.

The best way to counteract the busyness of life is to set a schedule or a time slot.

I recommend slotting in 15 minutes in your day.

Personally, morning is the best for me because I’m more alert and active. I get tired in the evening and I don’t want to give God my leftover energy.

Do you know how many hours I spend reading the Bible? 1–2 hours.

But it may be different for you. 

Nonetheless, the key is consistency and discipline. The more you practice them, it should develop into a transformative habit. 

At the end of the day, you want to have a meaningful relationship with God and immerse yourself into the word of God. 

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions about Bible reading, such as how often does the average person read the Bible and how to read the Bible effectively.

We hope these answers will provide additional insights and guidance for your Bible reading journey.

Can I read the Bible in 40 days?

Of course! Anything is possible.

I haven’t tried it before.

If you are committed, you should try and read 40 chapters each day.

By doing this, you are able to complete almost one book each day.

This helps with immersing yourself into God’s world. You gain an overview of Scripture.

What happens when I read the Bible 4 times a week?

That’s great!

Most read the Bible only once a week.

If you commit yourself, you should be able to read the entire New Testament in no time.

Do I need to read the Bible every day?

Ideally, you should read the Bible every day.

However, it’s not a commandment in the Bible.

No many people can read the Bible every single day consistently.

But we should ask ourselves, “Do I need to eat every day?”

Obviously, the answer is a resounding “Yes.”

So, since God’s word is our spiritual bread, we should we eat it every day.

Making a habit of daily Bible reading can help you stay connected to God.

How often does the average person read the Bible?

A survey from 2021 revealed that only 11% of Americans read the Bible daily, while 27% say they read it a few times a week, and 12% say they read it once a week.

This suggests that the average person may not be as familiar with the Bible as we thought.

Making time for regular Bible reading is a spiritual discipline.

But growing in your relationship with God demands that you read the Bible.

How to read the Bible effectively?

I would suggest you to create a plan.

Set aside dedicated time for reading.

Find a space where there is no distraction.

Use various study tools to assist in your Bible reading.

Praying and ask the Lord to illuminate His word so that He would give you understanding.

Reflect on your reading.

Apply its teachings to your life

Summary

In conclusion, it really doesn’t matter how long it takes to read the Bible.

The main point is that you are making it a habit and discipline in reading it.

Reading the Bible is an enriching and transformative journey that can deepen your faith and understanding of God’s Word. 

By determining the time required to read the Bible, breaking down the Old and New Testaments, and choosing a personal Bible reading plan that suits your needs, you can embark on this incredible journey with confidence and purpose. 

The key to successful Bible reading lies in commitment, comprehension, and consistency. It doesn’t lie on how fast you read.

So why not start your journey today and experience the life-changing power of God’s Word?