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How long does it take to read the Bible?
At four chapters a day, every day, you finish in under ten months. At one chapter on weekdays it takes four and a half years. Set your own pace below, or pick the date you want to finish by and see what it asks of you.
Finishing the Bible and understanding a chapter are different goals
We make Wayfold, an iPhone Bible study app for the second one. You read a chapter, answer a few questions about what actually happened, and see the exact verse that proves each answer.
- Start free with the Ruth and Jonah studies, including printable small-group leader guides.
- The complete Bible reader, with read-aloud and search, is free and works offline.
- A map of 64 places and a timeline, so you know where and when you are.
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The numbers behind it
| Whole Bible | 66 books, 1,189 chapters |
|---|---|
| Old Testament | 39 books, 929 chapters |
| New Testament | 27 books, 260 chapters |
| Four Gospels | Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 21: 89 chapters |
Complete audio Bibles run to roughly 70 to 75 hours, which works out at a little under four minutes a chapter on average. The calculator uses 3.7 minutes. Chapters vary a great deal: Psalm 117 is two verses and Psalm 119 is 176, so some days will be two minutes and some fifteen.
Chapter counts are for the 66-book Protestant canon. Reading time is an average at read-aloud pace; silent reading is usually faster.
Common paces
| 1 a day | Whole Bible in about 3 years 3 months |
|---|---|
| 3 a day | About 13 months |
| 4 a day | About 10 months, or a year with a day off each week |
| 10 a day | About 4 months |
| 1 a day, New Testament | Under 9 months |
Choosing a pace you’ll keep
- Build in days off. A plan with six reading days survives a bad week. A seven-day plan is behind by Tuesday.
- Shorter and finished beats longer and abandoned. The New Testament at one chapter a day is done before the year is out.
- Mix Old and New if Leviticus has stopped you before. Many plans pair a few Old Testament chapters with a Psalm or a Gospel chapter.
- Don’t “catch up”. If you miss days, move the finish date instead of doubling the load.
Not sure whether you want to read or study? See Bible reading vs Bible study.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to read the whole Bible?
Reading aloud straight through takes roughly 70 to 75 hours. Spread out, that is about a year at three to four chapters a day, or about three years and three months at one chapter a day.
How many chapters a day to read the Bible in a year?
There are 1,189 chapters, so about 3.26 a day. Four chapters a day gets you there with roughly a day off each week.
How many chapters are in the Bible?
The 66-book Protestant Bible has 1,189 chapters: 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament.
How long does it take to read the New Testament?
At one chapter a day, 260 days, which is under nine months. At three a day, about three months.
Related
- Advent Bible reading plan 2026A free Advent Bible reading plan for 2026: one short passage a day from November 29 to Christmas Eve, with a question for each day. Tick days off or print it.
- Dwell alternative for Bible studyDwell is a beautiful audio Bible. If you want to study a chapter, answer questions and see the verse behind each answer, offline and private, compare Wayfold.
- Jonah timeline: put the events in orderTest how well you know Jonah: tap the twelve events in order and see the exact verse that proves each one. Free, with the full timeline and study questions.
- Put the Book of Ruth in orderTap the events of the Book of Ruth in the order they happened. Each one is tied to its verses, with instant feedback and a score. A free Bible study game.