The best place for most people to start reading the Bible is the Gospel of John, because it explains clearly who Jesus is and why He matters. From there you read the other three Gospels, then Acts, then the short letters, and you add a psalm or a chapter of Proverbs on the side for daily encouragement. Friend, if you have picked up a Bible before and put it down confused, that was not a failure. You just needed a doorway instead of a wall. Here is a plan you can actually follow. If you would like a gentle on-ramp, our free 5-day journey, Feel Close to God Again, walks with you ten minutes a day.
Where should a beginner start reading the Bible?
A beginner should start with one of the Gospels, and John is the most common recommendation. The Bible is a library of 66 books, not a novel you read front to back, so you get to start where it makes the most sense.
- Start with John if you want to understand who Jesus is. It was written so that you would believe.
- Start with Mark if you want the fastest overview. It is the shortest Gospel and moves quickly.
- Start with Genesis if you want to feel the whole sweep of God’s story from the beginning.
- Start with Psalms if you are hurting right now and need words for how you feel.
There is no wrong door here. The point is to walk through one.
Why start with the Gospel of John?
John is a good starting point because it was written for the express purpose of introducing you to Jesus and building your faith. Near the end John says he wrote his book “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).
It is warm, it is personal, and it slows down on the moments that matter. Watch what those moments tell you about Him. A religious leader named Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night with a pile of questions, and Jesus welcomes every one of them, so you can bring yours too. A woman with a rough history meets Him at a well at noon, and He offers her living water instead of a lecture, so your past does not disqualify you either. His friend Lazarus dies, and before Jesus does anything about it, He stands at the grave and weeps, so you know He feels the weight of your loss before He fixes it. You meet Jesus as a person before you ever meet Him as a doctrine.
What order should a beginner read the Bible in?
A simple beginner order is to read the New Testament first to meet Jesus, then go back for the Old Testament story. Here is a plan that has helped a lot of people finish their first year.
| Step | What to read | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John | Meet Jesus up close |
| 2 | Mark, then Matthew and Luke | See His life from every angle |
| 3 | Acts | Watch the church begin |
| 4 | Philippians, Ephesians, 1 John, James | Short letters full of practical help |
| 5 | Genesis and Exodus | Where the story starts |
| 6 | Psalms and Proverbs (a bit each day, alongside the rest) | Daily prayer and wisdom |
Save Leviticus, Numbers, and the long lists of names for later. They are worth reading, but they are not the place to begin.
How much of the Bible should you read each day?
Reading one chapter a day, or about ten to fifteen minutes, is plenty when you are starting out. A small amount you actually understand beats three chapters you skim and forget. Some days you will read a paragraph and need to just sit with it. That still counts.
You may be thinking you should be doing more, that real Christians read for an hour. Let that go. Jesus never handed out a quota. One chapter of John, or one Proverb a day for a month, will change more in you than a burst of reading that burns out by week two. Depth and steadiness win here, not volume.
And if you miss a day, do not start the guilt spiral. You are not behind. Open it again tomorrow and keep going.
Which Bible translation is best for beginners?
For a first-time reader, a clear modern translation like the NIV, the New Living Translation, or the CSB is the easiest place to begin. They use everyday English and are trusted by a wide range of churches.
The King James Version is beautiful, and you may grow to love it, but the older English can make a hard job harder on day one. You can always add it later. Free apps like YouVersion let you switch translations with one tap and even listen to a chapter while you drive.
What if the Bible feels confusing or boring?
If the Bible feels confusing or boring, it usually means the passage, the pace, or the plan needs a small adjustment, not that something is wrong with you. Try these.
- Pray one line first. “God, open my eyes to see something today.” He loves that prayer.
- Use a plan, not a page number. A short reading plan removes the “what now” question that ends most quiet times.
- Read it out loud. Hearing the words wakes up parts of the passage that your eyes skate past.
- Use notes. A study Bible or an app with short explanations turns a confusing verse into an interesting one.
- Write down one thing. The SOAP Bible study method gives you a simple ten-minute frame so the reading actually sticks.
Where should you start if you are coming back after a long time?
If you are coming back to the Bible after months or years away, start in the Gospel of John or the Psalms, not with a rulebook. You do not need to catch up. You need to come home.
John will remind you what Jesus is like. The Psalms will give you honest words when you do not have your own, whether you are worn out, ashamed, or just tired. Notice that David wrote some of the most loved psalms while he was hiding in a cave and running for his life. God was not waiting for him to clean up first, and He is not waiting on you either. Reading a psalm slowly is a quiet way to draw closer to God again, and if the nights are hard, these psalms to read when you cannot sleep are a good place to land.
Do you need anything besides a Bible to start?
No, all you truly need to start is a readable Bible and a few quiet minutes. Everything else is optional and can come later.
- A reading plan. Even a simple one, so you never have to decide where to go next.
- A pen and notebook. Writing one sentence about what you read helps it stay with you.
- A free Bible app. Handy for switching translations, listening on the go, and reading a verse’s short notes.
You do not need a stack of commentaries, a study group, or a theology class to begin. Those can be a gift down the road. Right now, the Bible and ten minutes are enough.
How do you make Bible reading a habit that sticks?
The way to make Bible reading stick is to attach it to something you already do every day and keep the first version small. Put the Bible by the coffee maker. Read one chapter while it brews. That is the whole plan for week one.
Pick the same time each day, morning if you can, before the phone and the noise get loud. Once you feel the difference it makes in how you think and how you carry your day, you will stop asking whether you have ten minutes and start feeling like you cannot afford to miss them.
Frequently asked questions
Where should a beginner start reading the Bible?
A beginner should start with the Gospel of John, which was written to introduce you to Jesus and help you believe. If you want something shorter, the Gospel of Mark works well. If you are in pain right now, start in the Psalms. Add a chapter of Proverbs or a psalm each day alongside whatever else you are reading.
What is the proper order to read the Bible?
There is no single proper order, but a helpful one for beginners is to read the New Testament first, then the Old Testament. Start with John, then Mark, Matthew, and Luke, then Acts, then short letters like Philippians and 1 John, and then go back to Genesis and Exodus for the start of the story.
Should I read the Bible front to back?
You do not have to read the Bible front to back, and most people who try that stall out in Leviticus. The Bible is a collection of 66 books in different styles, so it is fine to read them in an order that builds understanding. Many people read straight through later, once the big picture is in place.
How long does it take to read the whole Bible?
Reading the whole Bible takes about seventy to eighty hours of total reading time, which works out to roughly fifteen minutes a day over a year. Plenty of one-year plans break it into daily portions for you. If a year feels like a lot, a New Testament plan takes about a third of that.
Feel close to God again in 5 days
Ten minutes a day. A short passage, a simple prayer, one small step. No pressure and no guilt, just a gentle way back to His presence. I believe that if you give Him those few minutes, you are going to be amazed at what He does with them.