The Bible for First-Timers

Good News! Bible sales are soaring in America. In 2025, a record high 19 million bibles were sold. Surprisingly, it’s young men and women that are driving these sales. That means that millions of Americans are reading the bible for the very first time. That’s wonderful, but be warned – reading the Bible is not easy. You need to have a plan. So, to any first-timers out there, may I suggest the following:

(1) Get a Readable Translation. There are many excellent translations, but some are hard to read. The King James Version (KJV) is truly beautiful, but it reads like Shakespeare and the English Standard Version (ESV) is excellent, but it can feel a bit stiff. I have found the New Living Translation (NLT) to be the easiest to read while still maintaining accuracy. I highly recommend the NLT for first-timers.

(2) Read the Story of the Bible First. Most first-timers start off well in Genesis, but lose steam and give up completely when they hit the rules and regulations and ceremonial instructions in Exodus and Leviticus. That’s when first-timers lose the plot and reading feels like work. That’s why, I encourage you to read for the overarching story of the Bible first and then go back and study the other books. Here is a reading schedule that will take about 5 hours of reading a week for 5 weeks:

Week 1: Read Genesis, Exodus 1-20, 32-34 and Numbers 10-14, 20-25. The Bible begins with Creation and the Fall of Man. It continues through the stories of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Israel). After 400 years in bondage, God sends Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt and bring them through the wilderness to the Promised Land of Canaan.

Week 2: Read Joshua 1-12, Judges, Ruth and 1 Samuel. This section begins with Israel’s conquest of Canaan under Joshua and then tells the inspiring and disturbing stories of the Judges and how God gave Israel their first King – Saul.

Week 3: Read 2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings. Saul has died and David, the man after God’s own heart, takes the throne. His son, Solomon, builds the Temple in Jerusalem, but then the kingdom is divided in two: Israel (North) and Judah (South). Israel eventually falls to the Assyrians and then Judah falls to the Babylonians. The Temple is destroyed and the Jews are sent into exile.

Week 4: Read Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. While in exile, God does wonderous things for his people. Saving them from certain death and then bringing them back into the land to rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem.

Week 5: Read Luke and Acts After over 400 years of waiting, the King and Savior of Israel finally arrives – Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. He will perform many signs and wonders and then give his life for the sins of the world. He will rise again, ascend back to heaven and then send His disciples to bring Good News of forgiveness, peace with God and eternal life to all people everywhere…including you!

(3) Read to Know God. When you read, don’t look first for instructions or tips for living. Rather, try to learn all you can about God as He reveals Himself in these stories. What is God like? What does He want? What pleases and displeases Him? How does He want me to respond to him?

(4) Read with Friends. The most helpful advice that I have found is to read the Bible with friends. It’s meant to be read and talked about in a community of faith. This is why you will need to become a firsttimer at church as well…but that’s an article for another time.