Bible in a Year · Guided Insights · Word Study
Read the Bible in a year.
Understand every chapter.
By The Water pairs a gentle daily reading plan with guided insights for all 1,189 chapters and a Greek & Hebrew word-study library that works offline — so Scripture is not just read, but understood.
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season.”Psalm 1:3
How it works
Fifteen minutes a day, by the water
The whole Bible is smaller than it looks: 1,189 chapters over 365 days is three or four a day. The app carries the plan; you bring the minutes.
Pick your path
Bible in a Year pairs Old and New Testament daily readings; At Your Own Pace walks the canon one chapter at a time, no dates and no guilt. Switch whenever life changes.
Read & understand
The full Bible is bundled offline (KJV & WEB), and every chapter carries a guided insight — summary, key verse, context, and how it points to Christ.
Go deeper & pray
Open any word in the Greek & Hebrew lexicon, study with seven guided methods, and end in the prayer journal — reading that finishes as prayer.
Word studies
The words underneath your Bible
English flattens what Greek and Hebrew distinguish. These free guides open the original words — each one studied deeper in the app's offline lexicon.
Agape
Shalom
Hesed
Selah
Logos
Charis
Hallelujah
Amen
EbenezerFeatures
Built for understanding, not just reading
Word study, in action
Type “agape” — or ἀγάπη, or just “love” — and the lexicon opens the word: definition, pronunciation, morphology, every verse where it appears, and deep scholarly analysis on demand. All 20,000+ Greek and Hebrew entries live on your device and work offline.
- Search English, transliteration, or original script
- Strong's numbers on every entry
- Your own notes saved per word
Read Scripture word by word
Textual Analysis lays out any passage interlinear-style — every Greek or Hebrew word tagged with its Strong's number and meaning. John 3:16 stops being a memory verse and becomes a sentence you can watch being built.
- Interlinear view for any passage
- Morphology, syntax, and discourse tabs
- Guided insights on the passage, on demand
Seven ways to study
Word, Topical, Character, Devotional, Textual, Inductive, and Historical-Cultural — each method walks you step by step, auto-saves your session, and keeps your study history. Premium members export finished studies as PDFs for sermons and small groups.
A journal that prays
Prayer cards with a linked verse, tags, photos, and a status you update as God answers — plus free-form reflections. Over months it becomes your own book of remembrance: hitherto hath the LORD helped us.
Free guides
Guides for the journey
Plain answers to the questions every Bible reader asks — plans, pacing, methods, and the Greek and Hebrew words worth knowing.
How to Read the Bible in a Year
The 15-minutes-a-day math, the plan shapes that work, and five habits that reach Revelation 22.
Read the guide → Getting startedA Bible Reading Plan for Beginners
Why not to start at Genesis 1, and the four-step on-ramp that actually sticks.
Read the guide → Reading plansWhat Order Should I Read the Bible In?
Canonical, chronological, or Gospels-first — honestly compared, with a recommendation.
Read the guide → Reading plansHow Long Does It Take to Read the Bible?
About 70–75 hours cover to cover — the pace table for one year, six months, or 90 days.
Read the guide → Reading plansBehind on Your Plan? How to Catch Up
Three honest ways back — none of which involve guilt or a 17-chapter Saturday.
Read the guide → Bible studyHow to Study the Bible: 7 Methods
Word, topical, character, devotional, textual, inductive, historical-cultural — and when to use each.
Read the guide → ReferenceThe Books of the Bible in Order
All 66 books by section — Law, History, Wisdom, Prophets, Gospels, and Letters.
Read the guide → App guideHow to Use By The Water
The five tabs, both reading plans, and what's free versus Premium — the full walkthrough.
Read the guide → Greek word studyAgape: The Greek Word for God's Love
Why the apostles passed over eros and philia — and what agape demands that feelings can't supply.
Read the guide → Hebrew word studyShalom: More Than Peace
Nothing missing, nothing broken — the wholeness the priests prayed and the Messiah carries as a title.
Read the guide → Hebrew word studyHesed: God's Steadfast Love
The covenant word English keeps surrendering to — lovingkindness, mercy, loyalty, all at once.
Read the guide → Hebrew word studyWhat Does Selah Mean?
The Bible's most mysterious word, 74 occurrences, and the three scholarly proposals.
Read the guide → Greek word studyLogos: Why John Calls Jesus 'the Word'
A word Greece and Jerusalem both understood — and the logos-versus-rhema question, handled honestly.
Read the guide → Greek word studyCharis: The Greek Word for Grace
The greeting Paul baptized — unearned favor that also funds the obedience it never demands as payment.
Read the guide → Hebrew word studyHallelujah: What the Hebrew Says
A plural command with God's name inside it — from Psalm 104 to the shout of Revelation 19.
Read the guide → Word studyWhat Does Amen Mean?
The little word that signs your name — and why Jesus alone put it at the front of his sentences.
Read the guide → Hebrew word studyEbenezer: The Stone of Help
1 Samuel 7:12, the hymn line it explains, and the Bible's memory technology of raised stones.
Read the guide →Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is By The Water free?
Yes. The complete offline Bible (KJV and World English Bible), both reading plans, progress tracking, streaks, daily reminders, the full Greek & Hebrew lexicon, seven study methods, and the prayer journal are free. Guided insights are free for the first chapter of every book, plus four generated insights each month; Premium unlocks every chapter, unlimited generated insights, and PDF export. Learn more
How long does it take to read the Bible in a year?
About 12–15 minutes a day. The Bible's 1,189 chapters divided across 365 days come to three to four chapters daily, and an average chapter takes 3–5 minutes to read. Learn more
What order should I read the Bible in?
For a first read-through, canonical order with a New Testament track alongside works best — the pattern the Bible in a Year plan uses, pairing Old and New Testament chapters each day. Chronological suits a second pass; complete beginners do well starting with John. Learn more
Where should a beginner start reading the Bible?
Start with the Gospel of John — 21 chapters, one a day — then Genesis with a daily Psalm, then Luke and Acts, and then a balanced one-year plan once the habit holds. Learn more
What happens if I fall behind on the reading plan?
Nothing punitive — the plan simply serves your next unfinished reading. Spread missed chapters thin, resume at today, or switch to At Your Own Pace, where “behind” doesn't exist. Learn more
Do I need to know Greek or Hebrew to use Word Study?
No. Search in plain English (“love”), transliteration (“agape”), or the original script — Strong's numbers link every English word to its original entry, with definitions and every occurrence, fully offline. Learn more
How is By The Water different from other Bible apps?
Most Bible apps focus on reading; By The Water focuses on understanding — a guided insight for every chapter, an offline word-study lexicon, and seven study methods living beside the text itself. Learn more
Like a tree planted by the water
Begin today's reading in the next two minutes: pick a plan, open the chapter, and let the guided insight walk you through it. Free on iPhone and Android.