New Testament reading plan: four complete schedules (30, 60, 90 and 260 days)
Four complete New Testament reading plans on one page: 30, 60, 90 and 260 days, with every day listed and the real reading time from the KJV text.
In this article
- Which New Testament reading plan fits you?
- The 30-day New Testament reading plan
- The 60-day New Testament reading plan
- The 90-day New Testament reading plan
- The 260-day New Testament reading plan (one chapter a weekday)
- How long each New Testament book takes to read
- Tips for finishing a New Testament reading plan
- Reading the New Testament with Bible Academy
- Frequently asked questions
A New Testament reading plan takes you through all 27 books, 260 chapters and 7,957 verses (KJV) from Matthew to Revelation. Read it in 30 days at about 9 chapters a day (25 minutes), in 60 days at about 4 a day (13 minutes), in 90 days at about 3 a day (8 minutes), or in 260 days at one chapter each weekday (3 minutes).
All four schedules are on this page, complete, with every day listed. Pick the one that matches the time you actually have, not the time you wish you had. You can switch to a slower one at any point because they all read the books in the same order.
The New Testament is a good place to build a reading habit. It's about 180,600 words in the KJV, less than a quarter of the whole Bible, and it begins with the life of Jesus.
Which New Testament reading plan fits you?
| Plan | Chapters per day (avg) | Words per day (avg) | Minutes per day (approx.) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 8.7 | 6,020 | 25 | A focused month, Lent, a group challenge |
| 60 days | 4.3 | 3,010 | 13 | A strong pace that still fits a workday |
| 90 days | 2.9 | 2,010 | 8 | Most people: steady, with room to think |
| 260 days | 1 (weekdays only) | 690 | 3 | Very busy schedules, or reading slowly with notes |
Minutes are based on an average adult silent reading rate of about 238 words per minute, from Marc Brysbaert's 2019 review of reading-speed studies (British Psychological Society summary). The word counts are from the KJV itself; if its older English slows you down, allow a few extra minutes. For book-by-book times, see how long it takes to read the New Testament.
If you'd like a plan that sends you today's reading, keeps a streak and shows your progress, the app does that.
The 30-day New Testament reading plan
Thirty days is a sprint: about 25 minutes a day, closer to 30 if you read slowly. It works well when you read in one sitting, because you'll feel the flow of each book.
| Day | Reading | Day | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew 1–9 | 16 | Acts 9–15 |
| 2 | Matthew 10–16 | 17 | Acts 16–22 |
| 3 | Matthew 17–23 | 18 | Acts 23–28; Romans 1–2 |
| 4 | Matthew 24–28; Mark 1 | 19 | Romans 3–12 |
| 5 | Mark 2–8 | 20 | Romans 13–16; 1 Corinthians 1–7 |
| 6 | Mark 9–14 | 21 | 1 Corinthians 8–16 |
| 7 | Mark 15–16; Luke 1–4 | 22 | 2 Corinthians 1–13 |
| 8 | Luke 5–9 | 23 | Galatians; Ephesians |
| 9 | Luke 10–15 | 24 | Philippians; Colossians; 1 Thessalonians |
| 10 | Luke 16–21 | 25 | 2 Thessalonians; 1 Timothy; 2 Timothy; Titus |
| 11 | Luke 22–24; John 1–3 | 26 | Philemon; Hebrews 1–11 |
| 12 | John 4–8 | 27 | Hebrews 12–13; James; 1 Peter 1–4 |
| 13 | John 9–15 | 28 | 1 Peter 5; 2 Peter; 1 John; 2 John; 3 John; Jude |
| 14 | John 16–21; Acts 1 | 29 | Revelation 1–11 |
| 15 | Acts 2–8 | 30 | Revelation 12–22 |
A name alone (like "Galatians") means the whole book. The longest day is about 6,600 words, the shortest about 5,300.
The 60-day New Testament reading plan
Sixty days asks for about 13 minutes a day. For many people it still fits before work without rushing.
| Day | Reading | Day | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew 1–5 | 31 | Acts 8–10 |
| 2 | Matthew 6–9 | 32 | Acts 11–14 |
| 3 | Matthew 10–12 | 33 | Acts 15–17 |
| 4 | Matthew 13–15 | 34 | Acts 18–20 |
| 5 | Matthew 16–19 | 35 | Acts 21–23 |
| 6 | Matthew 20–22 | 36 | Acts 24–27 |
| 7 | Matthew 23–25 | 37 | Acts 28; Romans 1–4 |
| 8 | Matthew 26–27 | 38 | Romans 5–9 |
| 9 | Matthew 28; Mark 1–3 | 39 | Romans 10–15 |
| 10 | Mark 4–6 | 40 | Romans 16; 1 Corinthians 1–5 |
| 11 | Mark 7–9 | 41 | 1 Corinthians 6–10 |
| 12 | Mark 10–12 | 42 | 1 Corinthians 11–14 |
| 13 | Mark 13–15 | 43 | 1 Corinthians 15–16; 2 Corinthians 1–3 |
| 14 | Mark 16; Luke 1–2 | 44 | 2 Corinthians 4–10 |
| 15 | Luke 3–5 | 45 | 2 Corinthians 11–13; Galatians 1–3 |
| 16 | Luke 6–7 | 46 | Galatians 4–6; Ephesians 1–3 |
| 17 | Luke 8–9 | 47 | Ephesians 4–6; Philippians 1–2 |
| 18 | Luke 10–12 | 48 | Philippians 3–4; Colossians; 1 Thessalonians 1 |
| 19 | Luke 13–16 | 49 | 1 Thessalonians 2–5; 2 Thessalonians; 1 Timothy 1 |
| 20 | Luke 17–19 | 50 | 1 Timothy 2–6; 2 Timothy 1–3 |
| 21 | Luke 20–22 | 51 | 2 Timothy 4; Titus; Philemon; Hebrews 1–3 |
| 22 | Luke 23–24; John 1 | 52 | Hebrews 4–9 |
| 23 | John 2–5 | 53 | Hebrews 10–13 |
| 24 | John 6–7 | 54 | James; 1 Peter 1 |
| 25 | John 8–10 | 55 | 1 Peter 2–5; 2 Peter |
| 26 | John 11–13 | 56 | 1 John; 2 John; 3 John |
| 27 | John 14–17 | 57 | Jude; Revelation 1–4 |
| 28 | John 18–20 | 58 | Revelation 5–11 |
| 29 | John 21; Acts 1–3 | 59 | Revelation 12–17 |
| 30 | Acts 4–7 | 60 | Revelation 18–22 |
The 90-day New Testament reading plan
Ninety days is about 8 minutes a day, roughly two to three chapters. It's a pace many people can keep for three months, with enough breathing room to look up a cross-reference or write a note.
| Day | Reading | Day | Reading | Day | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew 1–4 | 31 | Luke 19–20 | 61 | 1 Corinthians 7–9 |
| 2 | Matthew 5–6 | 32 | Luke 21–22 | 62 | 1 Corinthians 10–12 |
| 3 | Matthew 7–9 | 33 | Luke 23–24 | 63 | 1 Corinthians 13–15 |
| 4 | Matthew 10–11 | 34 | John 1–3 | 64 | 1 Corinthians 16; 2 Corinthians 1–3 |
| 5 | Matthew 12–13 | 35 | John 4–5 | 65 | 2 Corinthians 4–8 |
| 6 | Matthew 14–16 | 36 | John 6–7 | 66 | 2 Corinthians 9–12 |
| 7 | Matthew 17–19 | 37 | John 8–9 | 67 | 2 Corinthians 13; Galatians 1–3 |
| 8 | Matthew 20–21 | 38 | John 10–11 | 68 | Galatians 4–6; Ephesians 1 |
| 9 | Matthew 22–23 | 39 | John 12–13 | 69 | Ephesians 2–5 |
| 10 | Matthew 24–25 | 40 | John 14–16 | 70 | Ephesians 6; Philippians 1–3 |
| 11 | Matthew 26 | 41 | John 17–18 | 71 | Philippians 4; Colossians 1–3 |
| 12 | Matthew 27–28 | 42 | John 19–20 | 72 | Colossians 4; 1 Thessalonians 1–4 |
| 13 | Mark 1–3 | 43 | John 21; Acts 1–2 | 73 | 1 Thessalonians 5; 2 Thessalonians; 1 Timothy 1 |
| 14 | Mark 4–5 | 44 | Acts 3–5 | 74 | 1 Timothy 2–6 |
| 15 | Mark 6–7 | 45 | Acts 6–7 | 75 | 2 Timothy; Titus 1 |
| 16 | Mark 8–9 | 46 | Acts 8–9 | 76 | Titus 2–3; Philemon; Hebrews 1–2 |
| 17 | Mark 10–11 | 47 | Acts 10–11 | 77 | Hebrews 3–7 |
| 18 | Mark 12–13 | 48 | Acts 12–13 | 78 | Hebrews 8–10 |
| 19 | Mark 14 | 49 | Acts 14–16 | 79 | Hebrews 11–13 |
| 20 | Mark 15–16 | 50 | Acts 17–19 | 80 | James 1–4 |
| 21 | Luke 1 | 51 | Acts 20–21 | 81 | James 5; 1 Peter 1–3 |
| 22 | Luke 2–3 | 52 | Acts 22–23 | 82 | 1 Peter 4–5; 2 Peter 1–2 |
| 23 | Luke 4–5 | 53 | Acts 24–26 | 83 | 2 Peter 3; 1 John 1–3 |
| 24 | Luke 6–7 | 54 | Acts 27–28 | 84 | 1 John 4–5; 2 John; 3 John; Jude |
| 25 | Luke 8 | 55 | Romans 1–3 | 85 | Revelation 1–3 |
| 26 | Luke 9–10 | 56 | Romans 4–7 | 86 | Revelation 4–7 |
| 27 | Luke 11 | 57 | Romans 8–10 | 87 | Revelation 8–11 |
| 28 | Luke 12–13 | 58 | Romans 11–14 | 88 | Revelation 12–15 |
| 29 | Luke 14–16 | 59 | Romans 15–16; 1 Corinthians 1 | 89 | Revelation 16–18 |
| 30 | Luke 17–18 | 60 | 1 Corinthians 2–6 | 90 | Revelation 19–22 |
The 260-day New Testament reading plan (one chapter a weekday)
The New Testament has exactly 260 chapters, and a year has 52 weeks of five weekdays: 260 days. That neat fit is the whole idea behind the "New Testament in 260 days" pattern. Read one chapter Monday to Friday, keep weekends free for catching up or rest, and you finish in a year.
Here is where each book falls. Day 1 is your first Monday.
| Book | Chapters | Days | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | 28 | 1–28 | 1–6 |
| Mark | 16 | 29–44 | 6–9 |
| Luke | 24 | 45–68 | 9–14 |
| John | 21 | 69–89 | 14–18 |
| Acts | 28 | 90–117 | 18–24 |
| Romans | 16 | 118–133 | 24–27 |
| 1 Corinthians | 16 | 134–149 | 27–30 |
| 2 Corinthians | 13 | 150–162 | 30–33 |
| Galatians | 6 | 163–168 | 33–34 |
| Ephesians | 6 | 169–174 | 34–35 |
| Philippians | 4 | 175–178 | 35–36 |
| Colossians | 4 | 179–182 | 36–37 |
| 1 Thessalonians | 5 | 183–187 | 37–38 |
| 2 Thessalonians | 3 | 188–190 | 38 |
| 1 Timothy | 6 | 191–196 | 39–40 |
| 2 Timothy | 4 | 197–200 | 40 |
| Titus | 3 | 201–203 | 41 |
| Philemon | 1 | 204 | 41 |
| Hebrews | 13 | 205–217 | 41–44 |
| James | 5 | 218–222 | 44–45 |
| 1 Peter | 5 | 223–227 | 45–46 |
| 2 Peter | 3 | 228–230 | 46 |
| 1 John | 5 | 231–235 | 47 |
| 2 John | 1 | 236 | 48 |
| 3 John | 1 | 237 | 48 |
| Jude | 1 | 238 | 48 |
| Revelation | 22 | 239–260 | 48–52 |
To find any day's chapter, count from the start of the book. Day 100, for example, is Acts 11 (Acts starts on day 90). If you like ticking boxes on paper, our printable Bible reading tracker has every New Testament chapter listed.
How long each New Testament book takes to read
This table helps if you'd rather build your own plan, or if you just want to know what you're getting into. Minutes are at about 238 words per minute and are rounded.
| Book | Chapters | KJV words (approx.) | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | 28 | 23,700 | 100 |
| Mark | 16 | 15,200 | 64 |
| Luke | 24 | 25,900 | 109 |
| John | 21 | 19,100 | 80 |
| Acts | 28 | 24,200 | 102 |
| Romans | 16 | 9,400 | 40 |
| 1 Corinthians | 16 | 9,500 | 40 |
| 2 Corinthians | 13 | 6,100 | 26 |
| Galatians to Philemon (10 letters) | 42 | 18,500 | 78 |
| Hebrews | 13 | 6,900 | 29 |
| James to Jude (7 letters) | 21 | 10,100 | 42 |
| Revelation | 22 | 12,000 | 50 |
The Gospels and Acts are about 108,000 words, nearly 60 percent of the New Testament. Once you're through Acts, the letters go fast.
Tips for finishing a New Testament reading plan
Know the three-part shape. The New Testament has four Gospels (the life of Jesus), Acts (the first church), and 22 letters and visions (Romans to Revelation). Luke says plainly why he wrote:
It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
Expect the Gospels to overlap. Matthew, Mark and Luke tell many of the same events. Rather than skimming the repeats, notice what each writer adds. Matthew often quotes the Old Testament, Mark moves quickly, Luke includes parables found nowhere else, like the Good Samaritan and the prodigal son. The Matthew book summary and Acts book summary are good two-minute previews.
Slow down for the letters. A letter like Ephesians takes about 13 minutes, but it was written to be read aloud to a whole church. Read it in one sitting the first time, then reread the chapter that stuck with you.
Don't let Revelation scare you. Revelation opens with a promise for its readers:
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Read it as a book of visions and hope rather than a puzzle to solve on the first pass. The Revelation book summary gives you its outline before you start. Christians hold several views on how to interpret it, and you don't need to settle them to receive its main message: the Lamb wins, and God makes all things new.
Choose your switching rule in advance. If you fall behind on the 30-day plan, move to the 60-day plan at the matching book. All four plans use the same order, so switching costs nothing.
Reading the New Testament with Bible Academy
The app's reading plan covers the whole Bible at 1 to 5 chapters a day, with a calendar, streak and progress, and you can read the KJV or ASV offline with highlights and notes. The app's plan covers the whole Bible rather than the New Testament alone, but its 1-chapter and 3-chapter settings match the pace of the 260-day and 90-day plans above.
After each reading, a short quiz checks what you remember, and every answer is explained with the verse it comes from. When you finish, our New Testament trivia questions are a good way to test the whole thing.
Here are three questions on Romans to try now:
Quick quiz: Romans
According to Paul, what is “the wages of sin”?
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Which Old Testament figure does Paul develop in chapter 4 as the model of justification by faith?
Paul quotes Scripture: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness,” apart from works. Romans 4:3
Complete: “I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the … of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”
The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
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 New Testament?
The New Testament is about 180,600 words in the KJV. At an average reading speed of about 238 words per minute, that's about 12.6 hours of reading. Spread over 30 days it's 25 minutes a day, over 90 days about 8 minutes a day, and over 260 weekdays about 3 minutes a day.
How many chapters are in the New Testament?
The New Testament has 260 chapters in 27 books, with 7,957 verses in the King James Version. The longest book by chapters is a tie between Matthew and Acts at 28 each, though Luke has the most words. Philemon, 2 John, 3 John and Jude each have a single chapter.
Can you read the New Testament in 30 days?
Yes. You need about 8.7 chapters, or about 6,000 words, a day: roughly 25 minutes at an average reading speed, or about 30 at a slower pace. The 30-day plan on this page splits the 260 chapters into days of 5,300 to 6,600 words so the load stays even.
What is the 260-day New Testament reading plan?
It's a plan that reads one New Testament chapter every weekday for a year. The New Testament has exactly 260 chapters, and 52 weeks of five weekdays is 260 days. Weekends stay free for rest or catching up. It takes about 3 minutes a day.
Should I read the New Testament in order?
Reading in the usual order (Matthew to Revelation) works well and keeps you on one bookmark. Some readers start with Mark, the shortest Gospel, or read Luke and Acts together because they share an author and are both addressed to Theophilus (Luke 1:3, Acts 1:1). Any order that covers all 260 chapters is fine.
What should I read after the New Testament?
A good next step is a full-Bible plan at 1 to 3 chapters a day, or a chronological plan that shows how the Old Testament story leads to Jesus. The Psalms and Genesis are also natural next books. Our chronological Bible reading plan and one chapter a day plan both cover all 1,189 chapters.