What Is the Bible and How Do You Read It?
The Bible is a collection of many books written across different centuries. For first-time readers, both its length and its distinctive structure can be confusing. This page briefly explains what the Bible is made of, how it is divided and where you might begin reading; afterward you can read the whole text here on this site, free and ad-free.
What is the Bible?
The Bible is the central sacred text of Christianity and consists of a total of 66 books. These books were written not by a single person but by many authors over roughly fifteen centuries. It contains a wide range of literary forms — historical narratives, laws, poetry, wisdom sayings, prophetic messages and letters. Judaism shares only its first part (the Old Testament), while Christianity regards both parts as sacred.
Its two parts: Old and New Testament
The Bible is divided into two main parts. The Old Testament comprises 39 books spanning from the creation of the world to the history of the people of Israel; it includes the Torah, the historical books, poetry such as the Psalms, and the prophets. The New Testament opens with the four Gospels recounting the life of Jesus Christ and continues with the story of the early church, the letters of the apostles and the book of Revelation — 27 books in all. You can explore each part on its own page.
Where should you start reading?
You do not have to read the Bible straight through from beginning to end. First-time readers are often encouraged to start with the Gospel of John, which directly recounts the life and teaching of Jesus. For everyday reflection, the Psalms and Proverbs are helpful; for the creation and earliest narratives, the book of Genesis is a good entry point. You can also find highlighted chapters on each book's page.
How do chapter-and-verse references work?
Each book in the Bible is divided into chapters, and each chapter into verses. In a reference like "John 3:16," the first word is the book's name, the first number is the chapter, and the number after the colon is the verse. Verse ranges are written with a hyphen, as in "1 Corinthians 13:4-7." This standard notation lets you reach any verse you are looking for quickly.
How to read the Bible on this site
On this site you can read all the books of the Bible, chapter by chapter, free and ad-free. Choose a book from the index and browse its chapters, use the search page to find a verse by a word or phrase, or click a reference in a blog article to see the verse in a pop-up. To begin reading, go to the main Bible page.
Start here
Guides
- What Is the Gospel (İncil)?
- What Are the Torah, Psalms (Zebur) and Gospel?
- The Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
- Who Wrote the Bible? When Was It Written?
- How Many Books Are There in the Bible?
- Chapters and Verses: How to Read a Reference Like "John 3:16"
- Who Is Jesus Christ?
- What Is the Zebur (Book of Psalms)?
- What Is Baptism?
- How Did the Bible Reach Us? (Manuscripts and Translation)
- What Is Prayer and How Do You Pray?
- What Are the Ten Commandments?
- What Are the Parables of Jesus?
- What Are the Old and New Testaments?
- What Is Christmas? When and Where Was Jesus Born?
- What Are Easter and the Resurrection?
- Who or What Is the Holy Spirit?
- What Is a Church (Kilise)?
- What Is Christianity?
- What Is Sin (Günah)?
- What Are Angels?
- What Are Heaven and Hell?
- What Is a Prophet?
- What Is the Trinity?
- Satan and Evil According to the Bible
- How Do You Memorize Bible Verses?
- Kadıköy Kilise Translation (KKR): Sources and Revision Notes
How many books are in the Bible?
The Bible contains a total of 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
Are 'the Gospel' and 'the Bible' the same thing?
Although often used interchangeably in everyday speech, 'the Gospel' (İncil) technically refers to the New Testament — especially the four books recounting Jesus' life — while 'the Bible' (Kutsal Kitap) is the name of the whole, covering both the Old and New Testament.
Can I read the Bible online for free?
Yes. On this site you can read the Bible chapter by chapter, free and ad-free, and you can also search for verses by a word or phrase.
Where should I start reading the Bible?
First-time readers are usually encouraged to begin with the Gospel of John, which recounts the life of Jesus. The Psalms are good for daily reading, and Genesis is a good start for those curious about the earliest narratives.
What is the difference between the Old and New Testament?
The Old Testament is the 39 books, shared with Judaism, that run from creation to the history of Israel. The New Testament is the 27 books, distinctive to Christianity, covering the life of Jesus Christ, the early church and the letters of the apostles.
What does a reference like 'John 3:16' mean?
In this notation the first word is the book's name (John), the first number is the chapter (3), and the number after the colon is the verse (16). So it refers to the 16th verse of the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of John.