New to the Bible?
Welcome. The Bible is the most influential book in human history - 66 books written over 1,500 years that tell one connected story. Here's everything you need to start reading with confidence.
What is the Bible?
Two Parts
Old Testament (39 books) - God creates the world, chooses a people (Israel), and promises a Savior. Written ~1400-400 BC.
New Testament (27 books) - Jesus arrives, lives, dies, rises, and sends his followers to share the message. Written ~AD 45-95.
Why King James?
This site uses the King James Version (1611) - the most influential English Bible translation. Its language is beautiful but sometimes archaic. Don't worry - we highlight unfamiliar words and show their modern meaning when you hover over them.
View KJV GlossaryHow to Read
The Bible isn't meant to be read cover-to-cover like a novel. Start with the stories (Genesis, the Gospels), then explore the poetry (Psalms), wisdom (Proverbs), and letters (Romans, James).
Where to Start
These 8 chapters will give you the foundation. Each takes 5-10 minutes to read.
Written specifically so people would believe
Genesis 1 The beginning of everythingHow it all started
Psalms 23 The most famous psalmOnly 6 verses, deeply comforting
Matthew 5 Jesus' most famous teachingThe Sermon on the Mount
1 Corinthians 13 What love really meansRead at most weddings for a reason
The Bible's Story in 18 Steps
The Bible tells one connected story from creation to new creation. Here's the arc:
God creates a perfect world. Humans rebel. Everything breaks.
Humanity grows so wicked God starts over with Noah's family.
God chooses one man and promises his descendants will bless the whole world.
Abraham's descendants end up as slaves in Egypt for 400 years.
God rescues His people through Moses with dramatic plagues and parts the sea.
God gives His people rules for living - the Ten Commandments and more.
Under Joshua, Israel enters Canaan - the land God promised Abraham.
Without a king, Israel repeatedly falls into sin, suffers, cries out, and is rescued.
Israel gets kings - Saul fails, David succeeds, Solomon builds the temple.
After Solomon, the nation splits in two. Most kings are terrible.
God's patience runs out. Jerusalem is destroyed. The people are deported.
A remnant returns to rebuild. Then 400 years of silence before the Messiah.
God becomes human. Born in a stable. Teaches, heals, loves outcasts.
Three years of revolutionary teaching, impossible miracles, and growing conflict.
Jesus is executed on a cross. Three days later, He rises from the dead.
Jesus' followers receive the Holy Spirit and spread the message worldwide.
Apostles write letters explaining what Jesus' death and resurrection mean.
A vision of the future: evil defeated, death destroyed, God dwells with humanity forever.
Tips for Reading
Listen along
Every chapter has audio narration. Tap any verse to start playing from that point. Great for commutes or before bed.
Use the tooltips
Hover over dotted-underlined words to see their modern meaning. Gold-underlined names link to character profiles. Green links go to places.
Search anything
Use the search bar or press Ctrl+K to find any verse, character, place, or topic instantly.
Follow a plan
Don't know what to read next? Use a reading plan or tap "What should I read?" for a personalized suggestion.
Save favorites
Bookmark chapters and save them to collections (Favorites, Promises, Comfort, Study Later) for easy access.
Night reading
Toggle dark mode with the moon icon in the top right. Use Sepia mode for a warm parchment feel.
Reading Plans for Beginners
The Bible in 10 Chapters
The whole story in 10 key chapters. Perfect first step - takes about a week.
~1 weekPsalms in 30 Days
Poetry, prayer, and praise. 5 psalms a day for a month of comfort and worship.
30 daysBible in a Year
The full Bible in 365 daily readings. About 15 minutes a day.
365 days