By The Water
Reading aloud-pace, the whole Bible takes roughly 70 to 75 hours — about 52–55 hours for the Old Testament and 18–20 for the New. At 15 minutes a day you finish in one year; 30 minutes a day finishes in about six months; and an hour a day reads the entire Bible in under three months.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”Psalm 90:12 (KJV)
The full accounting
The Bible is 66 books, 1,189 chapters, and a little over 31,000 verses. At a comfortable reading pace (roughly the speed of reading aloud), that comes to about 70–75 hours — the Old Testament near 52–55 hours, the New Testament 18–20. For perspective: the average American spends more time than that on streaming video every two months. The whole counsel of God costs one season of restraint.
Pace table
- 10 minutes/day — finishes in about 18 months.
- 15 minutes/day (3–4 chapters) — the classic one-year pace. See how to read the Bible in a year.
- 30 minutes/day — about 6 months.
- 1 hour/day — 10–11 weeks.
How long is each part?
- Psalms is the longest book — about 5 hours on its own; Genesis and Jeremiah run 3½–4 hours each.
- The four Gospels together are about 8½ hours; you can meet the whole life of Christ in a week of half-hours.
- Twelve books — Obadiah, Philemon, 2 & 3 John, Jude among them — are single chapters or a few pages: minutes each.
- A chapter averages 3–5 minutes; even Psalm 119, the longest chapter, is only about 15.
Reading time is not the real cost
Be honest about what actually stops read-throughs: it is rarely the minutes; it is comprehension and momentum. Fifteen dutiful minutes in Ezekiel's temple vision with no idea what is happening will end a plan faster than any busy week. Two remedies:
- Read with explanations at hand. A guided summary of each chapter — context, themes, key verse — keeps the hard chapters moving. (By The Water carries one for all 1,189.)
- Watch your progress accumulate. A visible “chapters read / chapters left” and an estimated finish date convert an intimidating book into a walkable path — the app shows both, with separate Old and New Testament progress bars.
“Number your days” cuts both ways: the Bible is far shorter than we fear, and our years are shorter than we assume. Either way the arithmetic argues for starting today. If you're behind an existing plan, here's how to catch up.
Open the word, not just a definition
By The Water does the numbering for you: a 365-day plan with today's chapters chosen, minutes estimated, and an estimated finish date that updates as you read — plus a guided insight for every chapter so the hard hours never go dark.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to read the Bible in a year, per day?
About 12–15 minutes: 1,189 chapters ÷ 365 days ≈ 3.3 chapters, at 3–5 minutes per chapter. Longer Old Testament days balance out shorter New Testament ones in a good plan.
How long does the New Testament alone take?
Roughly 18–20 hours — 260 chapters. At one chapter a day it takes under nine months; at 15 minutes a day, about 10 weeks.
Can I really read the whole Bible in 90 days?
Yes — it needs about 45–50 minutes daily (roughly 13 chapters). It's a rewarding immersion if you have the season for it, but the one-year pace survives ordinary life far better.
Does listening to an audio Bible count?
Scripture was written to be heard — most of its first audiences received it read aloud (Nehemiah 8:8, Revelation 1:3). Audio at ordinary speed takes about the same 70–75 hours; many readers pair listening for coverage with reading for study.