Bible Reading Plans

There are many different Bible reading plans available.

• Some take a chronological approach. Since many different books cover the same time period, this method tends to break up the books a lot. For instance, you'll read a few verses in Kings and then a few verses in Chronicles, then back to Kings. On the positive side, it helps give an understanding of how biblical history flowed chronologically. On the negative side, the reader looses the literary context by constantly switching between books. If one wants to go this route I suggest buying the book which arranges the readings for you.
• Other plans break up the reading into Old and New Testament portions. This method helps the reader correlate the Old and New Testaments better, as well as providing some variety.
• Others try to split up the readings between the Psalms, the rest of the OT, and the NT.
• Continuing the trend of the two previous plans, others split up the readings even more. This way the reader can taste of the law, the history books, the Psalms, poetry, prophecy, the gospels, and the epistles each day. It is a kind of a la carte.
• Finally, the approach I would recommend for beginning is one that Sproul sets forth in his book Knowing Scripture. This method does not go through all the books in 1 year, so it is a more modest approach and thus less daunting. It aims to provide a structure that can be added onto at a later time. For instance, it starts off in Genesis and Exodus, but then skips Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The last three are (for the most part) a more in depth account of the instructions that Moses received from God in Exodus.
  This method maintains the literary context of each book, goes in chronological order, and then fills in a bit with other literary genre and themes.

Beginning Reading Plan

Genesis - History of Creation, Fall, and Covenant in Patriarchal history.

Exodus - History of Israel's liberation and formation as a people of God.

Joshua - History of military conquest of promised land.

Judges - History of transition from tribal federation to monarchy.

1 Samuel - History of emerging monarchy with Samuel, Saul, an David.

2 Samuel - The reign of David, golden age of Israel.

1 Kings - History of Solomon and the division of the kingdom.

2 Kings - History of the fall of Israel and beginning of the prophets.

Ezra - History of the return from exile.

Nehemiah - History of the restoration of Jerusalem.

Amos and Hosea - Examples of Minor Prophets.

Jerhemiah - Example of Major Prophets.

Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon - Examples of Wisdom Literature.

Psalms and Proverbs - Examples of Hebrew Poetry.

Luke - Life and teaching of Jesus.

Acts - History of early church.

Ephesians - Introduction to teaching of Paul.

1 Corinthians - Teaching in the life of the church.

1 Peter - Introduction to Peter.

1 Timothy - Introduction to Pastoral Epistles.

Hebrews - Theology of Christ.

Romans - Paul's theology.

1 Year Bible Reading

	The Law	History	Psalms	Poetry	Prophecy	Gospels	Epistles
Wk	Mon.	Tues.	Wed.	Thur.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun.
1	Gen 1-3	Josh 1-5	Ps 1-2	Job 1-2	Isa 1-6	Matt 1-2	Rom 1-2
2	Gen 4-7	Josh 6-10	Ps 3-5	Job 3-4	Isa 7-11	Matt 3-4	Rom 3-4
3	Gen 8-11	Josh 11-15	Ps 6-8	Job 5-6	Isa 12-17	Matt 5-7	Rom 5-6
4	Gen 12-15	Josh 16-20	Ps 9-11	Job 7-8	Isa 18-22	Matt 8-10	Rom 7-8
5	Gen 16-19	Josh 21-24	Ps 12-14	Job 9-10	Isa 23-28	Matt 11-13	Rom 9-10
6	Gen 20-23	Judg 1-6	Ps 15-17	Job 11-12	Isa 29-33	Matt 14-16	Rom 11-12
7	Gen 24-27	Judg 7-11	Ps 18-20	Job 13-14	Isa 34-39	Matt 17-19	Rom 13-14
8	Gen 28-31	Judg 12-16	Ps 21-23	Job 15-16	Isa 40-44	Matt 20-22	Rom 15-16
9	Gen 32-35	Judg 17-21	Ps 24-26	Job17-18	Isa 45-50	Matt 23-25	I Cor 1-2
10	Gen 36-39	Ruth	Ps 27-29	Job 19-20	Isa 51-55	Matt 26-28	I Cor 3-4
11	Gen 40-43	I Sam 1-5	Ps 30-32	Job 21-22	Isa 56-61	Mark 1-2	I Cor 5-6
12	Gen 44-47	I Sam 6-10	Ps 33-35	Job 23-24	Isa 62-66	Mark 3-4	I Cor 7-8
13	Gen 48-50	I Sam 11-15	Ps 36-38	Job 25-26	Jer 1-6	Mark 5-6	I Cor 9-10
14	Ex 1-4	I Sam 16-20	Ps 39-41	Job 27-28	Jer 7-11	Mark 7-8	I Cor 11-12
15	Ex 5-8	I Sam 21-25	Ps 42-44	Job 29-30	Jer 12-16	Mark 9-10	I Cor 13-14
16	Ex 9-12	I Sam 26-31	Ps 45-47	Job 31-32	Jer 17-21	Mark 11-12	I Cor 15-16
17	Ex 13-16	II Sam 1-4	Ps 48-50	Job 33-34	Jer 22-26	Mark 13-14	II Cor 1-3
18	Ex 17-20	II Sam 5-9	Ps 51-53	Job 35-36	Jer 27-31	Mark 15-16	II Cor 4-5
19	Ex 21-24	II Sam 10-14	Ps 54-56	Job 37-38	Jer 32-36	Luke 1-2	II Cor 6-8
20	Ex 25-28	II Sam 15-19	Ps 57-59	Job 39-40	Jer 37-41	Luke 3-4	II Cor 9-10
21	Ex 29-32	II Sam 20-24	Ps 60-62	Job 41-42	Jer 42-46	Luke 5-6	II Cor 11-13
22	Ex 33-36	I Kings 1-4	Ps 63-65	Prov 1	Jer 47-52	Luke 7-8	Gal 1-3
23	Ex 37-40	I Ki 5-9	Ps 66-68	Prov 2-3	Lam	Luke 9-10	Gal 4-6
24	Lev 1-3	I Ki 10-13	Ps 69-71	Prov 4	Eze 1-6	Luke 11-12	Eph 1-3
25	Lev 4-6	I Ki 14-18	Ps 72-74	Prov 5-6	Eze 7-12	Luke 13-14	Eph 4-6
26	Lev 7-9	I Ki 19-22	Ps 75-77	Prov 7	Eze 13-18	Luke 15-16	Phil 1-2
27	Lev 10-12	II Kings 1-5	Ps 78-80	Prov 8-9	Eze 19-24	Luke 17-18	Phil 3-4
28	Lev 13-15	II Ki 6-10	Ps 81-83	Prov 10	Eze 25-30	Luke 19-20	Col 1-2
29	Lev 16-18	II Ki 11-15	Ps 84-86	Prov 11-12	Eze 31-36	Luke 21-22	Col 3-4
30	Lev 19-21	II Ki 16-20	Ps 87-89	Prov 13	Eze 37-42	Luke 23-24	I Thes 1-3
31	Lev 22-24	II Ki 21-25	Ps 90-92	Prov 14-15	Eze 43-48	John 1-2	I Thes 4-5
32	Lev 25-27	I Chr 1-4	Ps 93-95	Prov 16	Dan 1-6	John 3-4	II Thes
33	Num 1-4	I Chr 5-9	Ps 96-98	Prov 17-18	Dan 7-12	John 5-6	I Tim 1-3
34	Num 5-8	I Chr 10-14	Ps 99-101	Prov 19	Hos 1-7	John 7-9	I Tim 4-6
35	Num 9-12	I Chr 15-19	Ps 102-104	Prov 20-21	Hos 8-14	John 10-12	II Tim 1-2
36	Num 13-16	I Chr 20-24	Ps 105-107	Prov 22	Joel	John 13-15	II Tim 3-4
37	Num 17-20	I Chr 25-29	Ps 108-110	Prov 23-24	Amos 1-4	John 16-18	Titus
38	Num 21-24	II Chr 1-5	Ps 111-113	Prov 25	Amos 5-9	John 19-21	Phile
39	Num 25-28	II Chr 6-10	Ps 114-116	Prov 26-27	Obad	Acts 1-2	Heb 1-4
40	Num 29-32	II Chr 11-15	Ps 117-118	Prov 28	Jonah	Acts 3-4	Heb 5-7
41	Num 33-36	II Chr 16-20	Ps 119	Prov 29-30	Micah	Acts 5-6	Heb 8-10
42	Deut 1-3	II Chr 21-24	Ps 120-121	Prov 31	Nahum	Acts 7-8	Heb 11-13
43	Deut 4-6	II Chr 25-28	Ps 122-124	Ecc 1-2	Hab	Acts 9-10	James 1-3
44	Deut 7-9	II Chr 29-32	Ps 125-127	Ecc 3-4	Zeph	Acts 11-12	James 4-5
45	Deut 10-12	II Chr 33-36	Ps 128-130	Ecc 5-6	Hag	Acts 13-14	I Pet 1-3
46	Deut 13-15	Ezra 1-5	Ps 131-133	Ecc 7-8	Zech 1-7	Acts 15-16	I Pet 4-5
47	Deut 16-19	Ezra 6-10	Ps 134-136	Ecc 9-10	Zech 8-14	Acts 17-18	II Pet
48	Deut 20-22	Neh 1-4	Ps 137-139	Ecc 11-12	Mal	Acts 19-20	I John 1-3
49	Deut 23-25	Neh 5-9	Ps 140-142	Song 1-2	Rev 1-6	Acts 21-22	I John 4-5
50	Deut 26-28	Neh 10-13	Ps 143-145	Song 3-4	Rev 7-11	Acts 23-24	II John
51	Deut 29-31	Est 1-5	Ps 146-148	Song 5-6	Rev 12-17	Acts 25-26	III John
52	Deut 32-34	Est 6-10	Ps 149-150	Song 7-8	Rev 18-22	Acts 27-28	Jude