3 Chapters a Day Bible Reading Plan (Plus 2, 4 and 5)

Reading 3 chapters of the Bible a day finishes all 1,189 chapters in 397 days, about 13 months, at roughly 8 minutes a day. Reading 2 chapters a day takes 595 days, 4 chapters takes 298 days, and 5 chapters takes 238 days, under eight months. To finish in exactly one year, read 3 chapters on weekdays and 4 on weekends.

This page gives you all four paces in one schedule. Find any book in the table below and you'll see the day you start and finish it at 2, 3, 4 or 5 chapters a day. Those are the same paces you can set in the Bible Academy reading plan, so you can follow along on paper, in the app, or both.

People often say "three chapters a day gets you through the Bible in a year." It's close, but not quite: 3 × 365 is 1,095, so you'd still have 94 chapters left on December 31. The fix is easy, and it's in the first table.

How long does each pace take?

The Bible has 66 books, 1,189 chapters and 31,102 verses in the King James Version. By our count the KJV text is 790,892 words, so the average chapter is about 665 words. A 2019 review of 190 reading-speed studies by Marc Brysbaert found adults read nonfiction silently at about 238 words per minute on average (British Psychological Society summary). That gives these estimates:

Chapters per day	Days to finish	About	Words per day (avg)	Minutes per day (approx.)
1	1,189	3 years, 3 months	665	3
2	595	1 year, 7.5 months	1,330	6
3	397	13 months	1,995	8
3 weekdays, 4 weekends	363	52 weeks	2,180	9
4	298	10 months	2,660	11
5	238	8 months	3,325	14

The King James Version reads more slowly than modern English for most people, so add a few minutes the first weeks. For the full breakdown, see how many chapters a day to read the Bible in a year.

If you'd rather not track days by hand, the app's reading plan works at exactly these paces, 1 to 5 chapters a day, with a calendar and streak.

Which pace should you pick?

2 chapters a day is the comfortable middle between the very slow one chapter a day plan and the classic three. About 6 minutes. Good for a first full read-through, for busy parents, or for reading with a journal.

3 chapters a day is the classic pace, and the one most people mean by "Bible in a year." About 8 minutes. Add one chapter on weekends and you finish in 52 weeks.

4 chapters a day finishes in about 10 months, a good fit if you like to start in January and want a buffer for missed days before December.

5 chapters a day finishes in about 8 months, around 14 minutes a day. It's the top setting in the app, and a strong pace for a second read-through. For an even faster sprint, see our 90-day Bible reading plan at about 13 chapters a day.

A simple test: read 3 chapters of Genesis today and time yourself. If it took under 10 minutes and you wanted more, try 4 or 5. If it felt rushed, start at 2. You can always change pace without losing your place.

The schedule: when you read each book at 2, 3, 4 or 5 chapters a day

This table follows the usual order of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation. Read the chapters in sequence at your chosen pace; the columns show the day you start and the day you finish each book. When a book ends mid-day, finish it and start the next book the same day.

Book	Chapters	2 a day	3 a day	4 a day	5 a day
Genesis	50	1–25	1–17	1–13	1–10
Exodus	40	26–45	17–30	13–23	11–18
Leviticus	27	46–59	31–39	23–30	19–24
Numbers	36	59–77	40–51	30–39	24–31
Deuteronomy	34	77–94	52–63	39–47	31–38
Joshua	24	94–106	63–71	47–53	38–43
Judges	21	106–116	71–78	53–58	43–47
Ruth	4	117–118	78–79	59	47–48
1 Samuel	31	119–134	79–89	60–67	48–54
2 Samuel	24	134–146	90–97	67–73	54–59
1 Kings	22	146–157	98–105	73–79	59–63
2 Kings	25	157–169	105–113	79–85	63–68
1 Chronicles	29	170–184	113–123	85–92	68–74
2 Chronicles	36	184–202	123–135	92–101	74–81
Ezra	10	202–207	135–138	101–104	81–83
Nehemiah	13	207–213	138–142	104–107	83–86
Esther	10	214–218	143–146	107–109	86–88
Job	42	219–239	146–160	110–120	88–96
Psalms	150	240–314	160–210	120–157	96–126
Proverbs	31	315–330	210–220	158–165	126–132
Ecclesiastes	12	330–336	220–224	165–168	132–135
Song of Songs	8	336–340	224–227	168–170	135–136
Isaiah	66	340–373	227–249	170–187	136–149
Jeremiah	52	373–399	249–266	187–200	150–160
Lamentations	5	399–401	266–268	200–201	160–161
Ezekiel	48	402–425	268–284	201–213	161–170
Daniel	12	426–431	284–288	213–216	171–173
Hosea	14	432–438	288–292	216–219	173–176
Joel	3	439–440	293	220	176
Amos	9	440–444	294–296	220–222	176–178
Obadiah	1	445	297	223	178
Jonah	4	445–447	297–298	223–224	178–179
Micah	7	447–450	298–300	224–225	179–180
Nahum	3	451–452	301	226	181
Habakkuk	3	452–453	302	226–227	181–182
Zephaniah	3	454–455	303	227–228	182
Haggai	2	455–456	304	228	182–183
Zechariah	14	456–463	304–309	228–232	183–185
Malachi	4	463–465	309–310	232–233	186
Matthew	28	465–479	310–319	233–240	186–192
Mark	16	479–487	320–325	240–244	192–195
Luke	24	487–499	325–333	244–250	195–200
John	21	499–509	333–340	250–255	200–204
Acts	28	510–523	340–349	255–262	204–210
Romans	16	524–531	349–354	262–266	210–213
1 Corinthians	16	532–539	355–360	266–270	213–216
2 Corinthians	13	540–546	360–364	270–273	216–219
Galatians	6	546–549	364–366	273–275	219–220
Ephesians	6	549–552	366–368	275–276	220–221
Philippians	4	552–554	368–369	276–277	221–222
Colossians	4	554–556	370–371	277–278	222–223
1 Thessalonians	5	556–558	371–372	278–279	223–224
2 Thessalonians	3	559–560	373	280	224
1 Timothy	6	560–563	374–375	280–282	224–225
2 Timothy	4	563–565	376–377	282–283	226
Titus	3	565–566	377–378	283	226–227
Philemon	1	567	378	284	227
Hebrews	13	567–573	378–382	284–287	227–230
James	5	574–576	383–384	287–288	230–231
1 Peter	5	576–578	384–386	288–289	231–232
2 Peter	3	579–580	386–387	290	232
1 John	5	580–582	387–388	290–291	232–233
2 John	1	583	389	292	233
3 John	1	583	389	292	234
Jude	1	584	389	292	234
Revelation	22	584–595	390–397	292–298	234–238

A few examples at 3 chapters a day: you reach Leviticus on day 31, Psalms on day 160, Isaiah on day 227, Matthew on day 310, and Revelation on day 390. If you'd rather tick chapters off on paper, our printable Bible reading tracker lists all 1,189 chapters by book.

The mixed version: 2 Old Testament + 1 New Testament a day

Reading straight through at 3 chapters a day means about ten months in the Old Testament before you open Matthew. Many readers prefer to read both testaments side by side. Here's a version that keeps the same 397-day total:

Days	Old Testament	New Testament
1–260	2 chapters a day: Genesis 1 to Psalm 42	1 chapter a day: Matthew 1 to Revelation 22
261–397	3 chapters a day: Psalm 43 to Malachi 4	(finished)

The New Testament has exactly 260 chapters, so the one-a-day track ends on day 260. From then on, you read three Old Testament chapters a day and finish Malachi on day 397. Day 1 is Genesis 1–2 and Matthew 1. Day 100 is Joshua 12–13 and Acts 11.

Why this works: on the heavy Old Testament days (genealogies in Chronicles, laws in Leviticus), the New Testament chapter keeps the reading alive. And you see connections sooner. Reading Genesis 22 (Abraham offering Isaac) in the same month as the Gospels' account of the cross is the kind of overlap that makes the Bible feel like one story.

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Psalms 19:7–8 (KJV)

How to stay on a 3 chapters a day plan

Read at the same time every day. Eight minutes is short enough to fit before work, at lunch or before bed. The fixed time matters more than the time of day.

Know the slow stretches. At 3 a day, Leviticus and Numbers run from day 31 to day 51, and 1 and 2 Chronicles from day 113 to day 135. Before those stretches, read a two-minute overview: the Numbers book summary and the 1 Chronicles book summary explain what each book is doing, so the lists and laws make more sense.

Use the weekend for catch-up. If you miss a weekday, read the missed chapters on Saturday instead of doubling up on Tuesday. With the 3-plus-4 version, your weekend already has an extra chapter, so a missed day is easy to absorb.

Write one sentence. At the end of each reading, write one line: what happened, or what it shows about God. It turns reading into remembering.

Change pace without restarting. All four paces read the same order. If 3 a day is too much in March, switch to 2 at the chapter where you are. If it's too little, move to 4.

Nehemiah describes the kind of reading that helps a passage land:

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

Nehemiah 8:8 (KJV)

Doing a 3 chapters a day plan with Bible Academy

Bible Academy's reading plan covers all 66 books and 1,189 chapters at your choice of 1 to 5 chapters a day, with a calendar, a daily streak and progress through the whole Bible. After each reading there's a short quiz, and every answer is explained with the verse it comes from, so you can tell whether today's three chapters stuck.

The built-in reader has the KJV and the ASV, works offline, and lets you highlight and keep notes. Each book also has the free BibleProject overview video, which is a good way to start a new book on the day the table says you reach it. If you're comparing tools, our guide to the best Bible reading plan app explains what to look for.

Starting on day 1? Try three questions on Genesis:

Quick quiz: Genesis

How long did the rain of the flood fall on the earth?

What did the LORD count to Abram as righteousness?

What new name does Jacob receive after his wrestling at the ford of the Jabbok?

Continue the quiz

There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start free, no card needed.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to read the Bible at 3 chapters a day?

It takes 397 days, about 13 months, because the Bible has 1,189 chapters and 1,189 divided by 3 is just over 396. Each day takes about 8 minutes at an average reading speed. To finish in one year instead, read 4 chapters on Saturdays and Sundays and 3 on weekdays.

How many chapters a day to read the Bible in a year?

You need about 3.26 chapters a day to read all 1,189 chapters in 365 days. The easiest way to do that is 3 chapters on weekdays and 4 on weekends, which is 23 chapters a week and finishes in 52 weeks. That's around 9 minutes of reading a day.

How long does it take to read the Bible at 5 chapters a day?

At 5 chapters a day you finish the Bible in 238 days, just under eight months. That's about 3,300 KJV words, or about 14 minutes of reading a day at an average pace. It's a good choice for a second read-through, or for anyone who wants to finish well within a calendar year.

Is 2 chapters a day enough to read the Bible?

Yes. At 2 chapters a day you finish the whole Bible in 595 days, about 19.5 months, with about 6 minutes of reading daily. It's a good pace for a first read-through or a busy season, and you can step up to 3 chapters a day at any point without changing the order.

Should I read 3 chapters a day in order or mixed?

Both work. Reading in order keeps you on one bookmark. The mixed version (2 Old Testament chapters plus 1 New Testament chapter a day) gives you variety and finishes in the same 397 days: the New Testament ends on day 260, then you read 3 Old Testament chapters a day until Malachi.

How many minutes does 3 chapters of the Bible take?

Three average KJV chapters are about 2,000 words, which takes about 8 minutes at an average adult reading speed of about 238 words per minute. Chapters vary a lot: three short psalms can take 3 or 4 minutes, and three long chapters of Numbers or Luke can take 15 or more.