Chronological Bible reading plan: read the Bible in the order events happened (52 weeks)
A free chronological Bible reading plan for one year: 52 weekly readings in historical order, with a note on what's happening in the story each week.
In this article
- What is a chronological Bible reading plan?
- How this chronological plan is ordered
- The 52-week chronological Bible reading plan
- How long the plan takes each day
- Tips for reading the Bible in chronological order
- Chronological vs. canonical: which should you pick?
- Reading chronologically with Bible Academy
- Frequently asked questions
A chronological Bible reading plan takes you through all 1,189 chapters of the Bible in the order the events happened, not the order the books appear. Job is read with the patriarchs, the Psalms sit beside David's life, the prophets appear during the kings they spoke to, and Paul's letters are slotted into Acts. In one year that is about 23 chapters a week, or 9 minutes a day.
The plan below is complete. It covers every chapter of the Bible exactly once in 52 weekly readings, balanced by word count so no week is much heavier than another. Next to each week you'll find a short note on what's happening in the story at that point, which is the part most chronological plans leave out.
One honest caveat before you start. No two chronological plans agree on every placement, because the Bible doesn't date every book. We tell you where our choices come from and where Christians and scholars read the evidence differently.
What is a chronological Bible reading plan?
A chronological Bible reading plan is a schedule that rearranges the books and chapters of the Bible into the order of the events they describe or the time they were written. Your printed Bible is arranged by type of book: law, history, poetry, prophets, Gospels, letters. That's useful for finding things, but it means you read about King Hezekiah in 2 Kings and only meet his prophet Isaiah dozens of books later.
Reading chronologically puts those pieces back together. When Hezekiah faces the Assyrian army in 2 Kings 18–19, you read Isaiah's messages to him in the same week. When Paul reaches Corinth in Acts 18, you read the letters he wrote around that time. The story stops feeling like 66 separate books and starts reading like one long history.
If you're not sure this is the right order for you, our guide on what order to read the Bible in compares canonical, chronological and blended approaches side by side.
If you'd like this plan split into daily readings with reminders and a streak, the app does it for you.
How this chronological plan is ordered
Every chronological plan makes judgment calls, because the Bible doesn't give precise dates for every book. Here are ours, and why. For a visual sense of the big story first, BibleProject's free overview videos are a good companion.
- Job after Genesis 11. The book of Job never dates itself, but many chronological plans set Job in the age of the patriarchs. Clues often cited: Job offers sacrifices himself as head of his family (Job 1:5), with no priesthood or temple in view, and he lives another 140 years after his trials (Job 42:16), a patriarch-length life. Some scholars think the book was written much later, even if the events are early.
- Psalms in three blocks. Psalms 1–72 sit with David, because these first two "books" of the Psalter are mostly titled as his and end with "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended" (Psalm 72:20). Psalms 73–106 come after the fall of Jerusalem, since several of them mourn a burned temple (Psalm 74:7, Psalm 79:1) and ask God to "gather us from among the heathen" (Psalm 106:47). Psalms 107–150 come with the return from exile (Psalm 126:1, Psalm 137:1). Individual psalms come from many eras, from Moses (Psalm 90) to the exile, so this is a practical grouping, not a claim about every psalm.
- Wisdom books with Solomon. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs follow Solomon's reign because their opening lines connect them to him (Proverbs 1:1, Ecclesiastes 1:1, Song of Songs 1:1).
- Prophets in the reigns they name. Many prophets date themselves. Amos and Hosea prophesied under Jeroboam II (Amos 1:1, Hosea 1:1), Micah and Isaiah under Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (Micah 1:1, Isaiah 1:1), Zephaniah and Jeremiah under Josiah (Zephaniah 1:1, Jeremiah 1:2). Jonah is placed by 2 Kings 14:25. Joel and Obadiah don't name a king, so their placement is the least certain in the plan.
- Isaiah 40–66 with Hezekiah's era. We keep Isaiah in one sequence, the traditional view. Many scholars date chapters 40–66 to the exile or after. If you hold that view, read those chapters in week 34 instead.
- Chronicles beside Kings. First and Second Chronicles retell the history of Samuel and Kings from a priestly angle. We read each Chronicles section right after the matching Kings section.
- Gospels whole, letters inside Acts. We keep each Gospel intact instead of cutting all four into a harmony, so you follow one writer's portrait at a time. Paul's letters sit where Acts places him when he likely wrote them. Galatians and James are placed early; both dates are debated.
The 52-week chronological Bible reading plan
Each week is about 15,200 words of KJV text. Weeks with short chapters (Psalms) have more chapters, weeks with long chapters (Leviticus, Jeremiah) have fewer, but the reading time stays close to the same. Split each week across seven days, or read five days and keep two as catch-up days.
| Week | Read | Chapters | What's happening |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 1–11; Job 1–20 | 31 | Creation, the fall, the flood and Babel. Then Job loses everything and argues with his friends. |
| 2 | Job 21–42; Genesis 12–20 | 31 | God answers Job "out of the whirlwind" (Job 38:1). God calls Abram and makes a covenant with him. |
| 3 | Genesis 21–37 | 17 | Isaac is born and nearly sacrificed. Jacob tricks Esau, wrestles with God, and his son Joseph is sold. |
| 4 | Genesis 38–50; Exodus 1–6 | 19 | Joseph rises in Egypt and saves his family. Generations later Israel is enslaved and Moses meets God at the bush. |
| 5 | Exodus 7–25 | 19 | Ten plagues, the Passover, the Red Sea, manna, the Ten Commandments at Sinai. |
| 6 | Exodus 26–40; Leviticus 1–3 | 18 | The golden calf, then the tabernacle is built and God's glory fills it (Exodus 40:34). |
| 7 | Leviticus 4–19 | 16 | Sacrifices, priests, clean and unclean, the Day of Atonement, "love thy neighbour as thyself" (Leviticus 19:18). |
| 8 | Leviticus 20–27; Numbers 1–6 | 14 | Feasts and the year of jubilee. Israel is counted at Sinai and receives the priestly blessing. |
| 9 | Numbers 7–22 | 16 | Israel leaves Sinai, refuses to enter Canaan after the spies' report, and is sentenced to 40 years in the wilderness. |
| 10 | Numbers 23–36; Deuteronomy 1–4 | 18 | Balaam blesses instead of cursing. A new generation is counted, and Moses begins his farewell speeches. |
| 11 | Deuteronomy 5–25 | 21 | The commandments repeated and the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5): how to live in the land. |
| 12 | Deuteronomy 26–34; Joshua 1–9 | 18 | "Choose life" (Deuteronomy 30:19). Moses dies; Joshua crosses the Jordan and Jericho falls. |
| 13 | Joshua 10–24; Judges 1–4 | 19 | The land is divided. "As for me and my house" (Joshua 24:15). Then the cycle of the judges begins. |
| 14 | Judges 5–20 | 16 | Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, and a nation where "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6). |
| 15 | Judges 21; Ruth 1–4; 1 Samuel 1–15 | 20 | Ruth's loyalty in the days of the judges. Hannah, Samuel, and Israel's first king, Saul. |
| 16 | 1 Samuel 16–31; 2 Samuel 1–2 | 18 | David is anointed, defeats Goliath, runs from Saul, and becomes king of Judah. |
| 17 | 2 Samuel 3–20 | 18 | David rules all Israel, brings the ark to Jerusalem, receives God's covenant, sins with Bathsheba, and faces Absalom. |
| 18 | 2 Samuel 21–24; 1 Chronicles 1–16 | 20 | David's last years. Chronicles starts again from Adam and retells David's story with worship at the center. |
| 19 | 1 Chronicles 17–29; Psalms 1–25 | 38 | David prepares for the temple and crowns Solomon. The Psalter opens with David's prayers. |
| 20 | Psalms 26–72; 1 Kings 1 | 48 | Psalm 51 after Nathan's rebuke. "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended" (Psalm 72:20). |
| 21 | 1 Kings 2–11; 2 Chronicles 1–6 | 16 | Solomon asks for wisdom, builds the temple, then turns to other gods late in life. |
| 22 | 2 Chronicles 7–9; Proverbs 1–27 | 30 | Fire falls at the temple dedication (2 Chronicles 7:1). Proverbs: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." |
| 23 | Proverbs 28–31; Ecclesiastes 1–12; Song of Songs 1–8; 1 Kings 12–16 | 29 | Solomon's wisdom books. Then the kingdom splits in two: Israel in the north, Judah in the south. |
| 24 | 1 Kings 17–22; 2 Chronicles 10–20; 2 Kings 1–2 | 19 | Elijah confronts Ahab on Mount Carmel. Jehoshaphat reigns in Judah. Elijah is taken up. |
| 25 | 2 Kings 3–8; Obadiah; 2 Kings 9–14; 2 Chronicles 21–24 | 17 | Elisha's miracles and Naaman. Obadiah against Edom. Jehu's revolt and the boy king Joash. |
| 26 | 2 Chronicles 25; Joel 1–3; Jonah 1–4; Amos 1–9; Hosea 1–14; 2 Kings 15–16 | 33 | Joel (date debated), then Jonah in Nineveh, and Amos and Hosea warning the northern kingdom. |
| 27 | 2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 26–28; Micah 1–7; Isaiah 1–16 | 27 | Assyria takes Samaria (2 Kings 17:6). Isaiah sees the Lord and promises Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). |
| 28 | Isaiah 17–39; 2 Kings 18–20 | 26 | Isaiah's messages to the nations. Hezekiah trusts God when Assyria surrounds Jerusalem. |
| 29 | 2 Chronicles 29–32; Isaiah 40–58 | 23 | Hezekiah's reforms. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people" (Isaiah 40:1) and the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. |
| 30 | Isaiah 59–66; 2 Kings 21–23; 2 Chronicles 33–35; Nahum; Zephaniah; Habakkuk; Jeremiah 1 | 24 | New heavens and a new earth. Manasseh's evil, Josiah finds the book of the law, and Jeremiah is called. |
| 31 | Jeremiah 2–22 | 21 | Jeremiah warns Judah for decades. The potter's house (Jeremiah 18). |
| 32 | Jeremiah 23–40 | 18 | Seventy years of exile foretold (Jeremiah 25:11), the letter to the exiles, the new covenant, Jerusalem falls. |
| 33 | Jeremiah 41–52; 2 Kings 24–25; 2 Chronicles 36; Lamentations 1–2 | 17 | The aftermath of the fall, told three ways, and Cyrus's decree that ends Chronicles. Lamentations weeps over the city. |
| 34 | Lamentations 3–5; Psalms 73–106; Ezekiel 1–3 | 40 | "Great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23). Psalms of a ruined temple. Ezekiel's vision by the river Chebar. |
| 35 | Ezekiel 4–22 | 19 | Ezekiel acts out the siege. God's glory leaves the temple (Ezekiel 10:18). |
| 36 | Ezekiel 23–40 | 18 | The watchman, God as the shepherd of his flock, the valley of dry bones, and the vision of a new temple begins. |
| 37 | Ezekiel 41–48; Daniel 1–8 | 16 | The temple vision ends. Daniel in Babylon: the furnace, the writing on the wall, the lions' den. |
| 38 | Daniel 9–12; Ezra 1–6; Haggai; Zechariah | 26 | Daniel prays about the seventy years. The exiles return, and Haggai and Zechariah push them to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:1). |
| 39 | Psalms 107–150; Esther 1–7 | 51 | Songs of ascent and "By the rivers of Babylon." Esther becomes queen in Persia. |
| 40 | Esther 8–10; Ezra 7–10; Nehemiah 1–13 | 20 | Purim. Ezra teaches the law, and Nehemiah rebuilds the wall in 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15). |
| 41 | Malachi 1–4; Matthew 1–17 | 21 | The last Old Testament prophet. Then Jesus's birth, the Sermon on the Mount, and Peter's confession. |
| 42 | Matthew 18–28; Mark 1–5 | 16 | The final week in Jerusalem, the cross, the empty tomb, the Great Commission. Mark begins at full speed. |
| 43 | Mark 6–16; Luke 1–4 | 15 | Mark's fast-moving account reaches the empty tomb. Luke opens with the births of John and Jesus. |
| 44 | Luke 5–18 | 14 | Luke's parables: the Good Samaritan, the prodigal son, the Pharisee and the tax collector. |
| 45 | Luke 19–24; John 1–9 | 15 | Zacchaeus and the road to Emmaus. John begins: "In the beginning was the Word." |
| 46 | John 10–21; Acts 1–6 | 18 | Lazarus, the upper room, the resurrection, Peter restored. Then Pentecost and the first church. |
| 47 | Acts 7–14; James 1–5; Acts 15; Galatians 1–6; Acts 16 | 21 | Stephen's death, Saul's conversion, Paul's first journey, the Jerusalem council, early letters. |
| 48 | Acts 17–18; 1 Thessalonians 1–5; 2 Thessalonians 1–3; Acts 19; 1 Corinthians 1–16; Acts 20 | 28 | Athens and Corinth, letters to Thessalonica, the riot at Ephesus, and Paul's letter to Corinth. |
| 49 | 2 Corinthians 1–13; Romans 1–16 | 29 | Paul defends his ministry, then writes his fullest explanation of the gospel to Rome. |
| 50 | Acts 21–28; Ephesians 1–6; Philippians 1–4; Colossians 1–4; Philemon; 1 Timothy 1–3 | 26 | Arrest, trials, shipwreck and Rome. Paul's prison letters, then 1 Timothy begins. |
| 51 | 1 Timothy 4–6; Titus 1–3; 2 Timothy 1–4; 1 Peter 1–5; 2 Peter 1–3; Hebrews 1–13; Jude | 32 | Paul's last letters: "the time of my departure is at hand" (2 Timothy 4:6). Peter, Hebrews and Jude. |
| 52 | 1 John 1–5; 2 John; 3 John; Revelation 1–22 | 29 | John's letters, then Revelation's vision of the slain Lamb and the new Jerusalem. |
Total: 1,189 chapters. Every chapter of the Bible appears once. We checked the list against the KJV chapter counts with a script, so nothing is skipped or doubled.
How long the plan takes each day
The KJV text in the Bible Academy reader is about 790,900 words by our count. Spread over 365 days, that's about 2,170 words a day. A large review of reading-speed studies found an average silent reading rate of about 238 words per minute for adults (summary from the British Psychological Society), which puts the daily reading at roughly 9 minutes.
| Pace | Days | Chapters per day (avg) | Minutes per day (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52 weeks, 7 days a week | 364 | 3.3 | 9 |
| 52 weeks, 5 days a week | 260 | 4.6 | 13 |
| 2 years (one week of the table every 2 weeks) | 728 | 1.6 | 5 |
KJV English is slower than a novel for most people, so treat these as a floor. If you read aloud or pause to look things up, plan on 15 minutes. Our article on how many chapters a day to read the Bible in a year shows other paces.
Tips for reading the Bible in chronological order
Expect the hard weeks. Weeks 7 to 10 (Leviticus and Numbers) and weeks 31 to 36 (Jeremiah and Ezekiel) are where most people stall. Knowing that in advance helps. These sections reward a quick overview before you start: the Leviticus summary and Ezekiel summary explain the structure in a few minutes.
Read Chronicles as a second camera angle. In weeks 18 to 33 you'll read many events twice, once in Samuel or Kings and once in Chronicles. Don't skim the second telling. Notice what Chronicles adds (the temple, the Levites, the prayers of kings) and what it leaves out. David's sin with Bathsheba, for example, is told in 2 Samuel 11 but not in Chronicles.
Let the prophets talk to the kings. When you reach week 28, keep 2 Kings 18–20 and Isaiah 36–39 side by side. They tell the same story, often in the same words. Moments like this are the whole point of a chronological plan.
Use a short weekly check. At the end of each week, write one sentence: who is in charge, where God's people are living, and what God has promised. By week 40 you'll have a timeline of the whole Old Testament in your own words.
Plan for missed days. You will miss some. Our guide for when you've fallen behind on a Bible reading plan explains how to catch up without guilt. The short version: skip ahead to the current week rather than trying to read three weeks at once.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
If you prefer checking boxes on paper, use our printable Bible reading tracker, which lists every book and chapter.
Chronological vs. canonical: which should you pick?
A chronological plan is a strong choice for a second or third time through the Bible, or for anyone who has read the Bible in pieces and wants to see how the pieces connect. It's also good if you love history and timelines.
It's a weaker choice for a first-time reader who has never read a Gospel. You won't meet Jesus until week 41. If that's you, start with a shorter plan from our Bible reading plan for beginners, or use a canonical Bible in a year reading plan that mixes Old and New Testament readings each day.
| Chronological | Canonical (Genesis to Revelation) | Mixed (OT + NT daily) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order | Historical events | Order of books in your Bible | Two or three tracks at once |
| First Gospel | Week 41 | About week 41 | Day 1 |
| Best for | Seeing the big story and timeline | Simplicity, one book at a time | Variety, first-timers |
| Main difficulty | Placement debates; jumping between books | Long stretch of law and prophets | Keeping several bookmarks |
Reading chronologically with Bible Academy
The app's reading plan lets you read the whole Bible at 1 to 5 chapters a day, with a calendar, a streak and your progress through all 66 books. After each reading you can take a short quiz, and every answer is explained with the verse it comes from. That quiz step is a good fit for a chronological plan, because it checks whether you can keep the kings, prophets and events straight.
You can also read the KJV or ASV offline, highlight, and add notes, and watch the free BibleProject overview video for each book before you start it.
To test yourself on where the story begins, try three quick questions on Genesis:
Quick quiz: Genesis
How long did the rain of the flood fall on the earth?
“The rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” The hundred and fifty days are the time the waters prevailed upon the earth (7:24). Genesis 7:12
What did the LORD count to Abram as righteousness?
“He believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” This comes before circumcision, which does not appear until chapter 17. Genesis 15:6
What new name does Jacob receive after his wrestling at the ford of the Jabbok?
“Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for thou hast struggled with God and with men.” Edom is Esau’s nickname (36:1). Genesis 32:28
There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start free, no card needed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best chronological Bible reading plan?
The best chronological plan is one that covers every chapter, explains its placement choices, and fits your schedule. The 52-week plan on this page covers all 1,189 chapters once, balances each week to about 15,200 words, and notes what's happening in the story. Many ministries and Bible apps publish their own chronological plans; compare their placement notes before you choose.
Where does Job go in a chronological Bible?
Many chronological plans place Job early, after Genesis 11 or alongside the patriarchs, because Job acts as priest for his own family (Job 1:5) and lives 140 more years after his trials (Job 42:16). The book never names a date, and some scholars believe it was written much later than the events it describes.
How long does it take to read the Bible chronologically?
At one week of this plan per calendar week, it takes one year: about 3.3 chapters or 9 minutes of reading a day. Reading five days a week instead of seven raises that to about 13 minutes a day. Doing one week of the table every two weeks turns it into a relaxed two-year plan.
Is a chronological Bible plan good for beginners?
It can be, but many beginners do better starting with a Gospel, because a chronological plan doesn't reach Jesus until about week 41. If you've already read Mark or John and want to understand how the Old Testament story fits together, a chronological plan is an excellent next step.
Why are the Psalms split up in a chronological plan?
The Psalms were written over many centuries. Some are by David, one is titled a prayer of Moses (Psalm 90), and others describe the exile in Babylon (Psalm 137). Chronological plans split them up so each psalm is read near its likely setting. This plan groups them by the Psalter's own book divisions (Psalms 1–72, 73–106 and 107–150) as a practical compromise.
Can I read the chronological plan in the KJV?
Yes. The chapter totals and word counts on this page are calculated from the King James Version, and the plan works with any translation because it uses whole chapters. The Bible Academy reader includes both the KJV and the ASV, offline.