Bible Reading Programs

If you print these schedules, print them in landscape mode.

• Bible Reading Schedule for 2017 starting January 1, 2017
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2017 starting January 1, 2017 in CVV format (comma delimited) suitable for downloading into spreadsheets etc.
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2017 closer to a Jewish calendar and starting September 1, 2016.
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2017 closer to a Jewish calendar and starting September 1, 2016 in CVV format (comma dilimted) suitable for downloading into spreadsheets etc.
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2017 starting in April 2017 - approximating starting near Passover.
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2017 starting in March 2017
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2017 starting in April and with NT 4 times, OT once, Psalms twice, Proverbs once
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2017 starting in April and with Gospels 4 times, Remainder of NT once, OT once, Psalms twice, Proverbs once
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2017 starting March 20 and with Gospels 4 times, Remainder of NT once, OT once, Psalms twice, Proverbs once
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2018 - Old Testament History only, Psalms/Proverbs and New Testament.
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2018
• Bible Reading Schedule for 2018 in CVV format (comma delimited suitable for downloading into spreadsheets etc.

Note: These versions have Daniel and Ezekial read in a somewhat chronological order rather than sequentially. Also, the 2015 versions and newer have a slightly different order of reading books than the older versions.

About the Reading Schedules

Bible reading programs show Bible readings for every day. The program was computer generated to attempt to balance the number of words in each day's readings. This program has been refined through a number of years to meet varying needs of Bible readers. The goal is to encourage readers to read entire books of the Bible and ultimately the entire Bible in order to gain the perspective which comes only from a complete reading. For example, there are many things which the Bible, or a particular book of the Bible, clearly state which are not in any one, single verse. Also, some concepts are taught by their absence, and a reader cannot know that the Bible never says something without having read the entire Bible!

This program has these design traits:

• Each day's reading is approximately the same length. There is a small bias to make easier reading like historical passages somewhat longer than more difficult readings like prophecies.
• The entire Bible is read in one year. The Proverbs are read 4 times.
• Each day's reading has a reading from the Psalms or Proverbs, an Old Testament passage, and a New Testament passage. This avoids the heaviness of spending most of the year reading just the Old Testament before getting to the New Testament!
• Books are read in roughly the order they are believed to have been written. An exception is that the 4 gospels are intentionally spread out over the year rather than clustered at the beginning.
• The boundaries of each day's passages are either chapter boundaries or the paragraph boundaries of the New American Standard Bible.

Hints for Bible Readers

• You can start anytime, not just on Jan 1!
• If you fall behind, it is OK to skip and pick up with the current day. Do not feel guilty. Jesus died that we can be free. Our human tendency is get behind, and then tell ourselves we will "catch up" one day and fall further behind because there is so much reading to do to "catch up". And then we eventually just quit. It is much better to just skip some and pick up with the current day!
• Many readers find that it helps to set aside a certain time of each day to read. This is different for different people! Some read first thing in the morning, some before going to bed, some at a certain break time in the day. Some read the different passages at different times.
• One delightful way to read at least one of the passages is to organize a small group and read that passage out loud, each person reading 1 or 2 verses in turn.