The Message is a very different translation. It's of the form typically called a "paraphrase" and not a strict translation and interpretation. It's great for getting "the gist" of things but weaker on accuracy from original manuscripts.

The NLT is a kind of translation with a hint of paraphrase. The language is meant to be much more readable for modern audiences. But also sacrifices accuracy as a result.

I used read the NIV. Now I use the ESV. Both are similar.

Having all of those is actually good because you can check one against the other. Various online tools help with that too.

Most importantly of all though: What did you get out of it? What was your "take" on it?
Too much to summarize, so I won’t. — Derek

Nice project. I know a few people who’ve done this in recent years. As a theology grad the question that strikes is the trade-off between a translation that focuses on “bringing the story to life” or one that tries to be “grammatically accurate.” The KIng James Version is credited with being so influential because of its grammar. But, I’m not sure about that. It certainly isn’t a very accurate translation. And I feel like it did a lot of make the stories dramatically vivid in their time.

I was just thinking the other day, has Derek Sivers read the Bible?

I recently purchased and started to read the Bible (first time for both). Became obsessed in trying to understand what is it I am reading. Reading and re reading pages, lines, words, listening to a narrator while reading... While fascinating and enlightening, it is frustrating. Intimidating really.

I watched a few of their into video, and this appears to be what I was looking for. I am excited to venture further into this.

Well, now I know Derek Sivers has read the Bible. Thank you for this post, and thank you for being you. This post came, as many of your post do, at the right time.

Derek,

Being an intellectual man's man, why not delve into the language of your ancestors a bit and just take the bite stick and actually read the KJV? I'm not a bigot towards the KJV but your post made me think of lace hankies and tea sipping in the NLT.

"But it was *so* tough to get through"

It was the only book a lot of households of the country of your origin had until the 1900s.

I’m glad to hear someone I look up to would read the Bible. I’m curious how you became interested in the Bible. I’m with you, it’s frustrating in places and also so rich in others. Do you think that it’s claims about God are true? Did you have a favorite book or challenging chapter?
Man, I have so many questions but I’ll stop here.
Thanks for your work. It has helped me see things in life and at work more clearly and positively.

-Jordan

I'm reading the ESV study guide version. I chose it because it was supposed to be fairly accurate but easier to read. I grew up on the KJV version but didn't get too far in the old testament. I just got to Ezra.

My favorite book so far is Ruth. After reading through Judges it was such a relief to read such a beautiful story of a woman redeemed.

I have a newfound respect for the bible now, even though I haven't finished it. I can see a lot of wisdom in it. It's already made me a better person. And it has helped me understand human nature and political turmoil better - humanity has been through political turmoil and we will continue to go through it.

If you enjoyed that and want more, I highly recommend you give it a second go, this time using 14minutesaday.com. It's not start to finish, it's a book at a time but skips around in an intentional and thoughtful way that keeps things interesting and really pulls the whole story together in a way I never understood before.

The Ten Minute Bible Hour Podcast is worth sampling - Matt Whitman spent 800 episodes going through one book (Matthew - finished in December) and now he's doing the entire Bible one book per ten-ish minute episode before deep diving into another book. It's clear he works hard to understand the text and its historical perspective and work though it conversationally with a broad audience.

Very cool! I’ve been reading it regularly, although not all the way through, for over 25 years. What were some of your favorite books?

I started reading the Bible back in the '90s. I was getting into debates with a couple of Bible-literalist friends and wanted to go to the source. It took three years for me to get through it and ended up making me even less amenable to being a believer than I had been.

Did it change your beliefs at all?

Hi Derek, I read King James cover to cover. I couldn't put it down. And I felt enlightened, empowered, and so at peace when I finished. I've not read other versions, KJV just flows for me. Thank you for sharing the Bible Project video resource.

I just finished teaching a lay class on Exodus and Leviticus in my church. (Fairly heavy going, tbh).

I found one tool very useful https://bibleproject.com/explore/

It has brief overview videos both on specific themes and individual books. These are helpful in getting the "big picture" before delving deeper into individual chapters and verses.

I am a Christian, but I suggest to anyone (even those with no faith commitment) studying the book that they say a brief prayer before starting as the Bible is, by its own claim, the "Word of God", and the Spirit of God can best reveal its meaning and applications.

I had to read and know the bible for History of Art degree. It’s impossible to understand the vast amount of Western painting without it. The father of a friend of mine who was the Professor of Divinity at a leading UK university. A devout atheist, he always reminded that the bible was probably a library, not a single book (“biblios”) and to understand each historical and geographical culture / art / morality you need to go back to the original translations of each (Aramaic, Hebrew, Latin, English). We are left with a cultural relic really, with nuance from our own time.

Christians make up 25% of the world’s population. Ever considered reading the sacred texts of the others ?

And now that you have done that, Derek: to understand the bible, you need to know it as something that was TOLD, not written. It has a history as something shared between people face to face, not in a manuscript for silent, solo, personal reading. This is what my friend, Sandhya does (and our whole community of biblical storytellers). And it changes everything. This is why you should meet her in Chennai.

Great read and sparked my curiosity to start a longer self-study research project. I admire your dedication to pull through Derek and read the entire bible from cover to cover.

Also interesting to see how different interpretations and sources leading to different experiences when reading them. Thank you for sharing!

As a Christian doing my best to read it at the mo from a “what is water?” perspective, it’s cool to see others come at it with fresh eyes.

I can't find your notes on your reading of the bible. Am I missing the link? Thanks.

Wow I love that you read the bible...The Bible isn't a story book though and yes translations can be tricky... KJV is the most accurate one but can be read alongside other translations.

There is a website called PCDL(Pastor Chris Digital Library) that is very useful for understanding the bible and teachings within it.

What did you learn. Do you know what the mystery of christ is? Do you now know who Jesus is ?
Do you believe what you have read?
Do you know what the Ministry of reconciliation is.

Have you heard of the Rhapsody of Realities?

Hi Derek,
Funnily enough I’m also reading through the Bible and am trying to wade through all the warring tribes. I discovered The Bible Project awhile ago and am still in awe of their team’s teaching ability visually and in narrative. Are you reading a chronological version?
Also have you looked into this book regarding Christianity’s influence on the West? (“Dominion” by Tom Holland)
All the best to you,
Nancy

Super idea... The ancient book is fascinating.. interpretations abound yes... And then there are own personal revelations, which are just as valid -- why not?
& how about the original ancient Greek translations? Reveals much about the ultimate damnation for poisoning the body, and earth!
& don't forget what's left out and still in the vatican vaults: the Gospel of the Essenes...to me, at the end of the day, the most essential and that it's been left out, is typical of man's 'mistakes' ha!

Thank you, Derek, I always wanted to read the bible from start to finish, and I end up reading some of it.

Now I will start with the BibleProject videos, thank you for the recommendation.

You don't have time to talk to me for 15 minutes and you do this? As if this book weren't talked about enough already?

What's next? Looking at more hidden gems like watching the wizard of OZ or a biography of someone who has 50 biographies already?

It's your life so I hope you had fun. (to a degree)

Oh, Derek, I love this. It's been my plan and still is, to read the Bible from start to end. I bought the King James Version but as you said I am finding it difficult to understand. It's old English.
I will buy the version you suggested and will read it.
I love your dedication, you're an inspiration.

My "bible" is How To Win Friends And Influence People. Reading it makes me a better, happier, and nicer person. I re-read it most years and it's at my bedside just now so I can read a couple of pages each day. Dale Carnegie's book is a classic and been copied many times so just read the original which he wrote in 1936. The best £5.99 you will ever spend...https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/938787320X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1675157292&sr=8-1

Thank you for the link to the Bible Project. Want to understand more; Listen to Tim Kellers Questioning Christianity Podcast.

I recommend The Language of Creation by Pageau and Psychology and Alchemy by Jung. And speaking of going to the source, Hermes was the original that started it all, as far we know. The Emerald Tablet and the Kybalion are good. Also recommend A History of Consciousness and Evolution by Neumann. And any books by Edward Edinger or the Inner City Books company. Oh and ask chatgpt to let you know what symbology in it means. The numerology code might interest you too.eg Chaldean numbers. And perhaps you have heard of the missing scriptures from naghamadi etc. Eg gospel of Thomas, Mary, Philip...

I have not read the Bible but this resonates with me because I am on a personal mission to read the Bhagwad Gita. I’m looking for a good easy to read translation in English , as this will be a sense experience. Your tips are very helpful, especially going to a video explanation makes the learning far more complete. Thank you Derek

Nick Cave wrote an intro for the book of Mark. Link is below. https://www.nickcave.it/extra.php?IdExtra=78

He draws on biblical references for much of his thinking and songwriting.

As others have noted there are different levels of understanding. One thing I have found helpful is understanding the historical context. We miss a lot of that now. There are jokes, tall stories, allegories and metaphors. The big mistake in my view is taking a literal translation when the context might tell us otherwise.

When I started I asked my Dad where Abel & Cain's wives came from. Even though my Dad was quite fundamental in his approach he understood that sections of the bible employed literary devices that might not be obvious on first view which is why commentary and other translations can be helpful.

For anyone tackling the Bible as a reading project, I'd recommend Vaughan Roberts work elucidating the consistent story (Christian perspective) he wrote a book "God's Big Picture" but there's also a study series of videos (9, 10 minutes each). It's a good, bird's eye view that gives a useful glimpse of the books of the Bible as parts of a whole, without having to spend years studying it...

Loved the idea Derek! It would be worth reading the Quran as well 🙂

Hey Derek,

Thank you so much for the link to Bible Project. I am currently studying the Kings of Israel and the visuals shall really help; its not been easy as the Bible is not fully chronological in the order of events. Congratulations on reading the Bible from start to finish, its no mean feat.

What a fascinating project. I would love to read about what you learned from this endeavour.

I listened to Jordan Peterson’s lecture series: The Psychological Significance of the Bible Stories and was blown away. I struggled to grasp the meaning of the stories when I read them on my own, but with some interpretation they came to life.

I’ve bookmarked the Bible Project!

Thanks Derek.

I wholeheartedly disagree with using resources to "understand" the bible. You're outsourcing your intelligence, and what you will get in return is narrative spin. It astounds me how anyone can read the bible and pray to the psychopathic Yahweh. I believe it's because they either dip in or out.... or they go to someone else to tell them what it means.

You should read Not in His Image by John Lamb Lash.

OH... and read all the other sacred texts, so you can see how thoroughly the bible is plagiarized.

As someone else commented below, I recommend reading original language versions of the bible. Hebrew, Greek, etc. A lot of more modern interpretations and translations have changed, omitted, or altered meanings and messages. Going back to the root is always a great way to not only get the message in that way, but also to learn something about that original language, which is fascinating in and of itself.

I have read the KJV of the Bible for spiritual reasons. I have read the New Testament three times, and am now in the middle of my third reading of the Old Testament.
Reading the Bible has brought me closer to an understanding of GOD, and what He expects from us. GOD IS LOVE, AND JESUS IS LOVE.
We need to follow GOD's WORD, the BIBLE, which draws us closer to Him.

I encourage you to read "A Violent God-Image: An Introduction to the Work of Eugen Drewermann" by Matthias Beier. - Mr. Eugen Drewermann is a critic of the Vatikan, a Theologist himself, and he is a practising Psychologist as well. His books are unfortunately mostly published in the German language, but they all deal with the deep-psychological images of the Bible and the message of Jesus Christ and the healing potential of it, and with the distorted message the Vatikan made out of it to maintain power. In the end you'd have a perspective from a deep believer in the message of Jesus Christ who is the most versatile critic of institutionalised power of the Vatikan and the catholic version of the gospels as they are preached in Germany today. It is very liberating, and I have deep respect for Eugen Drewermann, who also is an activist in the pacifist movement for peace, and gives me goosebumps when I listen to interviews where he tells from his perspective what Jesus really wanted, and how the catholics used their distorted version of that for 1700 years in connection with worldly powers (Kings in Europe) to keep people in check, burn so called "witches" and insult Mary Magdalena and put her gospel on the list of the "apokryphia" (the list of gospels that did not make it into the Bible as we know it). - You'll enrich your understanding by reading from and about Eugen Drewermann. That is a promise. - ;)

Derek, The books you’ve written contain much instruction that has helped me and countless others, however the Bible, particularly The King James, is one where we have to ask God to give us understanding, and it’s the only book where you must know the author (God) to understand it.

Yes, but it was written by men, right? NOW WAIT! Don’t let these and 10 other ideas steer you way from this message. Ask God for understanding this moment in reading through the rest of this…

For he has written a book for us and want to communicate with you and it show you the only way that you can know that you have a home in heaven after you die? How?

By first admitting we’ve sinned and can’t get to heaven by ourselves:
Romans 3:23 KJV
[23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 5:12 KJV
[12] Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:23 KJV
[23] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is not only a physical death, but a spiritual death, meaning total, eternal separation from God.

Christ gave himself for us:
Romans 5:8 KJV
[8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

How do we accept this “gift”?
By simply calling on Gods son, Jesus, admitting we’ve sinned and cannot get to heaven on our own, and taking the next step to ask him into your heart to be you personal Savior.

Romans 10:13 KJV
[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Pray this simple prayer and mean business with God, Derek: “Dear Lord, i know I’m a sinner and i can’t do anything to get to heaven on my own, so right now i accept you as my personal savior to come into my heart and take me to heaven when i die. On your word you promised to do this. In Jesus name.”

By trusting God you can know that you have a home in heaven:
1 John 5:13 KJV
[13] These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Mark

Thanks for sharing. As host of the BibleHax podcast I have ALL the questions! Let me know if I can interview you :-)
One of my fave videos as an overview of a bible book is this one on Acts - the scoreboard really amuses me for some reason - I think you'll chuckle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2t2tXVzIsg

When I was a freshperson in college--i was at Vassar College in New York--I took a yearlong religious studies course from a young gentleman who was chaplain at the college and a Bible scholar. I took it because he lived in my dorm (it was a thing that a faculty person was housed in each dorm) and i had met him and he was just wonderful. So we studied (& read) the Old Testament for a semester and the New Testament for a semester--all aspects: the historical/cultural contexts, the written antecedents, the historicity of Jesus--the works. It was for sure one of the formative experiences of my life and I have appreciated it, relied upon it, referred to it throughout my life, activities, and interests.
Very happy (not surprised) to see your focus Derek, yes indeed such a worthy venture, and thanks for the video suggestions.

"Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise"
-Larry Bird

That's awesome. I've tried this before when I was much younger. I think I used the New International Version. I never made it through the whole thing, but I covered significant swathes of it. Always loved Habbakuk, the shortest book (I think). Still, such profound questioning. One thing I got during my studies in Religion and Culture was a book called Gospel Parallels, which prints Matthew Mark and Luke side by side. Also pretty cool, as the three contain most of the same events, but order them differently.

The thinking, at least at the time, was that because early Christians were persecuted, each member of the community would have fragments of the story, as a form of distributed risk - that way if a key member were captured they wouldn't lose the entirety of their holy text. And then each community grew in relative isolation over time, and by the time the books were actually codified between 2 and 4 generations after the death of Jesus, each one had a different, yet logical order. It's also interesting to see the advancement of I guess what you could call mythological or fantastical writings - I recall Luke, which at the time was thought to be developed shortly after, with Mark being the first, was a bit heavier on language like 'and the sky opened and a chorus of angels sang' as Jesus was baptized. It's a while back for me now, so I bit hazy, but these were the impressions I had. Would suggest you try it, an interesting way to read through it too.

I also liked going to source texts of religious traditions to Tempt to gain more understanding. It's crazy how for granted we take the availability of these - for almost 1500 years, like 95%+, if not even higher, of believers has to rely on someone else's impressions and takes. The free thinker in me would find that ...difficult. Or like, Buddhist or Sufi texts or teachings that you would literally have to uproot your life to go and pursue and dedicate yourself for years to earn enough clout in the community to even be able to see the text. And all of this and more, such a deluge of availability, right at our fingertips. God, what a time to be alive!

Though, the whole Postman Entertaining ourselves to Death does apply. Who has time for these pursuits, which would have occupied a good amount (not all) of time on the upper strata of thousands of years of history when we have cheap dopamine available through online entertainment etc etc. Too much struggle involved with grappling with such deep things, and so many efforts to redirect our attention to things that earn someone something. God, what a time to be alive.

My son is just getting to an age where he is getting curious about the bible, and these traditions. We haven't raised him in the Church, but I've got quite a few different books from across world traditions downstairs - part of cultural fluency and gaining perspective for me - and so we've been reading through a children's illustrated Bible, which has been reasonably good. It glosses over a lot, but contains the basic story elements and tries to take a reasonable interpretation for most things - e.g. less emphasis on the vengeful God of the old testament. He enjoys it though and they are short enough to get through a couple each night. He loves YouTube though - who doesn't? - and will be stoked to learn about the videos you mentioned. Thanks for sharing!

Cheers

Jamie

That's amazing! I did the same to read ancient Chinese context this year. My first choice is Dao De Jing, also widely recognized in western society.
I wonder whether you have watched any videos on Jordan B. Peterson's site. He has dedicated many hours to doing a Bible series, and I found the materials are very insightful.

Hi Derek

I read The Bible since a was a child.

So, My prefer version is Reina Valera 1960 ( spanish)

Best Regards

Luis

The Bible has been the single most grounding force throughout my life. I read it through every year and something new pops out at me every single year. When I was a teenager getting ready to leave home verses like you will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way, walk ye in it and although I never heard an audible voice He has guided my steps for decades. When my Dad passed suddenly in an accident Scripture was there to assure me I had an Abba Father and that I would see him again. So many verses I couldn’t put them all here. When we couldn’t have children verses and confirmations through the Word that He was going to still do it and did. I just sold my house last spring and on the way back home the weekend of the showing I prayed you know it would be nice for once in my life not to have to play on an inferior instrument. I know this is asking a lot and it’s not a need but God I think if I got 10k above my asking price I could get a decent Yamaha. If I didn’t get home and have two offers 10k above and one cash offer exactly what I asked for. I’m enjoying your books by the way. :). I’d like to hear what you thought after reading it through. I’m doing a study on Acts with my Methodist church people in town so am interested to watch these videos you recommend. :). Always enjoy your posts. Take care!

While I have not read it from start to finish like you have, I have read the New Testament and major stories of the Old Testament. It's been an evolution for me, because I read it for instructions for life, and my life, like many others', has changed from decade to decade, year to year, month to month. I find new meaning in it all the time.

The Bible Project is indeed amazing, and we watch it as a family sometimes. Very informative and makes everything clear. My husband and I also listen to their podcasts. Tim Mackie speak Hebrew, so he understands and can very articulately explain so much, as you know.

One of your commenters asked to give your take or what you got out of it, and you replied about it being 'too much', so you aren't, but it could be another book for you. :)

Take care!

I read the Bible when I was at school, but definitely reading it now would give me a whole new perspective. Will do! Thanks!

I love your openness!

I always say that even a skeptic should read the Bible to be an informed critic. It is clear to me, as an educated Christian, that most of the people I interact with-both skeptics and believers-know so little about the Bible that they should be embarrassed by their statements. Ignorance parading as wisdom. Or hot takes. Or whatever.

You describe the challenges and pleasures of traveling the road intriguingly but how was the destination? Did you get as much out of your reading as you put in to doing it? What are your insights? Why was it worth the investment of your time?

Hey old friend -

My favorite part of the bible, is how almost everything in the old testament points to a story in the new testament regarding Christ. Just for an example - Abraham was sacrificing his only son (on the same mountain), the son carried the wood/cross, and especially the son ultimately survived the sacrifice - sound familiar?

Were you able to connect any old testament stories to Christ?

Derek:

Way to go. Reading the Bible and growing in my relationship with God has been absolutely life changing--right now, today... and forever.

I hope being introduced or reintroduced to Jesus through reading the Bible is a connection where everyone feels deeply loved and known as it has been for me.

Thanks for sharing this.

Best,

Don

I will ask a personal question and of course you have the right to unanswer or disclose. They were claims that you converted to Muslim in the past. Is this true and still the case? Thank you.

A very worthwhile project, even if just intellectually. I don't mind the KJV for study and memorization, but for reading I use the KJ3, a literal translation that is hard to find, but clearer for my 20th century mind.

Anything religious makes my stomuch turn.

I hate the thought of preconcieved ideas and people being righteous and judgemental of others.

So like a psycopath I went to Jeruselum a few years ago and was absolutley fascinated around the history, the rulers, the kingdoms.

I left thinking that religion was weaponised against the public throughout history.

I can appreciate the effort and time you put into going so deep into the bible and keeping your thoughts and notes for yourself.

As someone raised in a heavily Christian household and at church every time the doors were open as a child, I went back and read the Bible as I got older. I now believe that ALL religions should start and end with "Do unto others as you would have done unto you."

I would love to read the book notes! Maybe they are too personal?

Way to go, Derek! Great accomplishment! I have yet to read the Bible completely. I’ve been getting closer to God thanks to my wife who is very encouraging and way further along her journey, so the Bible is part of my daily life now. What I’m most fascinated by is the fact that the message is different every time you go back into the word. Depending on where you’re at in life, one verse can, and will, give you something different. Because of this, I’ve come to realize the Bible is really never complete. There is always something new in there no matter how many times I go back in.

What did you think? And yes the Bible is not meant to be read from start to finish except maybe the New Testament. I didn’t realize this myself until this year. The Catholic Bible has all original books and the other Bible has missing books that were taken out by the Protestant movement. I recommend reading a Catholic Bible as the Catholic Church is the original Christian church founded by Jesus himself. Just some interesting history! I grew up Baptist and was surprised there were books I’ve never heard of like Ben Shira, Wisdom and a few others! Father Mike also read the Bible on a podcast called “Bible in a year” he reads every line and then doors a brief explanation after. I tried reading it on my own and it is frustrating! I’m going to check out that Bible project video website. Thank you for sharing!

Oou I did the same last year. It was the best decision to read for myself & make my own notes. Did you do a soft or hard copy?

I have read the Bible three times; the Revised Standard version twice, and King James version once (I agree, that one is pretty tough.) I will check out your recommended videos at BibleProject.com. Thanks for the info!

Interesting Derek.

I use BibleGateway for casual reading. I prefer the Amplified version, but grew up with KJV.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2031&version=AMP;KJV

Two quick things about gateway, you can do two versions side-by-side on the screen, and if like in the king James version there’s audio, you’ll see a little speaker and you can have the passage read to you. Not available on very many translations, but it is on the KJV.
.
Thanks for sharing,
—ski

All religious books re-package the wisdom that is already there which could be a good thing, if this can help some or most people to understand certain concepts in a story/drama version .

But there are also very dangerous ideas included in these packages that can be harmful .

If you need it go for it , otherwise the good parts are already there in so Many other sources.

There ARE contradictions. And passages WERE altered (or possibly even added!) Mistranslated... Bart Ehrman - he's doing a blog right now focusing on the book of Mark. You could just go with what my mother says: "Listen to the Holy Spirit." Easier said than done for some.

My main experience with the bible is hate groups quoting it to me with passages they say condemn LGBT people. Even Liberal « LGBT-inclusive » religious groups admit the bible itself condemns us, so as an act of self-protection from mental and spiritual distress I don’t recommend LGBT people read it. We’re hated enough in this world, why read another book telling us that the « holy truth » is that we’re intrinsically sick or evil, need to be « saved » from our true nature, or « loved despite the sin » of our being? My mate Austin spent his life torn between bible pages and being « saved » and died by his own hand because of it. so it’s not a book i want to sit through.

Hey Derek - Thank you!!! The bibleproject.com is amazing. Never heard of it. Had a bible in my house for 20 years and have rarely opened it. Maybe the time has come. These videos are gold. Thank you for always making us think and discover. You are the man! Joe

PS - You are tied with Seth for people coming randomly coming up to me and asking “How the heck did you interview Derek Sivers?” LOL. Appreciate you!

Thanks for sharing your bible reading experience with us. Actually the Bible is an interesting book but more than that its the creators message to humans. I find this website www.jw.org very useful and quite simple in explaining the relevance of the bible to our daily lives.

It is a wonderful project. Getting people know this holy scriptures will enable them to understand and enjoy best part of human life

If you come across any ideas, characters, or concepts that you want to dive deeper into - I highly recommend checking out the Counterpoints series by Zondervan. They cover almost every important theological concept from multiple sides by domain experts.

Otherwise, good luck on your read! (I have an MA in Biblical Studies).

Your essay is so on point with my experience - thank you. I am going to share it with our group. I am going through the Bible now for the second time. I find the message to be an awesome reading experience - but if I am trying to dig into the text - I like ESV. I have a parallel Bible with 4 translation that I go to as well.

One thing I am doing differently this time through the Bible is use the Audio Book feature when I am struggling. Thus far I have only used that in the OT- but really helped me survive through Jeremiah!

Thanks again

Fantastic idea.

I intend to read the bible through thrice this year myself, and I'm on course.

Hi Derek,
How can I find your Bible book notes? I try the newest and title view, by B and T ( the Bible) and couldn‘t find anything. Thanks for the help. Anne

I’m wondering is this article is just supposed to be a tutorial on how to read this book. The title lead me to believe there would be a small recap of your thoughts on the value for the effort. I appreciate the guide on how to do it, but that wasn’t what I expected :).

That's so helpful, Derek!

30 years ago when I was studying History and I saw the topic I wanted to choose as a thesis, African-American identity in the urban areas in the U.S.A., my thesis director recommended I study the Bible to understand the cultural environment where this identity was/is created.
I think it is a basic book to understand western civilization.

thank you for the tips!

I thought about doing this many times, but it's quite time-consuming. I was Christian most of my life, and I read parts of the Bible already, but not from start to end.

Christianity is not for me anymore, so I'm wondering if it would really make sense to read it. I would love to hear from you what motivated you to do that. Did you know parts of the bible before? Are you into that religion, or it was some other motivation?

Omg I’m currently actually reading the Bible from start to finish. I started last year September and now I’m in Joel! And OMG YOU ARE SO RIGHT about the Bible Project videos. They’ve been so absolutely instrumental to me really understanding what’s going on. I’m also reading in different versions. My favorite right now is Amplified (AMP) and NLT. How would you say reading it from start to end has changed you?

I've read it so that believers can't accuse me of not having read it. As an atheist it is in parts entertaining, harrowing and immensely tedious. I don't deny it's power but it just one of many "sacred" texts. Each of them seeks to coerce and control.

Hi Derek,

So cool that you read the Bible through.

I first read the Bible through when I was 12 and it was the New Living Translation. Since then, now 55, I've read it many times through and have tried to be consistent in studying it daily. Over those 40 + years there has been one consistent theme required in my reading and understanding of the Bible and that is faith.

Hope you're doing well.

Hi Derek
It makes my day to hear about your complete Bible reading experiences. I still haven’t read it all. I use the Bible app called Youversion on a daily basis. There are many translations. That alone fascinates me. There was commentary once that explained the reason and perspective of each one. For example, one is literal word for word, one goes for general meaning. I wish I could remember more about this. I grew up on the KJV and found the language of it difficult as well. In high school I discovered the Good News Bible and loved the simple, every day language of it that made the meaning of it accessible in ways I hadn’t known before. I was given a paperback copy of the New Testament and actually used yellow highlighter in it. Later I began to become fascinated and distracted with why I’d highlighted certain things and stopped so each time I read a passage I could read it fresh, like not marking my piano music. I’m all about making roadmaps personal so I understand and remember in a flow like state, but that was rather jarring at the time. Since Youversion, I found that translation and put all my highlights in that translation. And now I highlight everything I read in that translation so I can see how much of it I have read, and how many passages keep coming up. If I’ve read it once, highlight in lilac. Twice, deep lilac, the original-yellow, many times-light green, don’t miss it-hot pink, and love it live it-aqua.

The app is great for comparing passages in the different versions. There is a commentary also which describes who wrote the book and more about the setting. I’m not sure if I remember this right, but I think Luke wrote Hebrews. I loved learning that. For version ease of understanding I love the wordy Amplified. The original Amplified. It gives expression to those original word meanings. It’s like having a dictionary in the Bible. There are also devotional and Bible-reading plans like read the Bible in a year, for example.

I also have a comparison Bible on my side table under Grandpa and Grandma’s antique mirror. It is open all the time as an expression of my faith [belief, clinging to it]. It brings life to my home. In it is the KJV, NIV, NASB, and one more. It’s fun to have it in physical book form for immediate comparison of any amount of verses.

Did you set a daily reminder, read a chapter a day, or what was your Bible reading structure? I’d love to read it all and hear/read just how you did that.

Take care.

Wow, what a coincidence! I have been listening to the “Bible in a. Year” podcast recently. I have been getting into faith more and more but never explored the entire Bible. Anyway, I was thinking about you yesterday while exploring it. I was thinking about your speech about the meaning of life. I found myself wondering if you have ever explored the Bible much since I was finding great meaning in it myself. Then I get this email. I feel as if this is a challenging thing to write about. I appreciate you taking the time to do so. THANK YOU!

Coincidentally, the question of "should you read the Bible in order?" recently came up on my social media feed. Nearly everyone answered "no." Make that "NO!"

As for the King James version, for me it is like reading the original Shakespeare: Hard for beginners, but ultimately the best.
Surely other translations, so pedestrian, will never be quoted the way the KJ is, nor become part of our culture.

The KJ version, and Shakespeare, influenced the writing of Abraham Lincoln.

In my early 20's, I used to go to Bible study with my NIV while others had KJ. My Bible was the "children's version": same words, but with pictures, and the cover was a pretty yellow instead of black, complete with a picture of Jesus and children on the front.

I carried it partly as a test, to see if any nice older Christians would criticize me, but nobody ever did. Also, for certain words, they would ask what my NIV translation said.

Today I prefer the KJ version.

It is amazing when a person studies Joseph Campbell and compares the themes of indigenous people with the Bible the story is the same. Look inward, find your true self, fast from the world (commerce and pop culture) and know the reality of your relationship with the Great spirit. Ezekiel 18 is my favorite verse.

Listen to the Hopi prophecy and realize the true message of the Bible.

Thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing this inspirational and undoubtedly tough feat. May be one day I’ll get myself to do at least half of the work that You did :)

There is also a podcast called Bible in a year.

Hi Derek,
You know what I think is more enlightening than anything is understanding what God did through the Holy Spirit. It’s His way of renewing the worldly mind to even understand what He wants us to know. Very underrated power that lives within us. Ask Him for that filling and read again. Boom!!!!!!
Praying for you❤️

Your method of going to the source and finding a helpful guide, in this case the bibleproject, is a great way to approach learning. I’m encouraged by hearing about your undertaking and methods used for your Bible reading.

A good bridge from KJV is the NAS (New American Standard).
Also a great resource www.bible.com also has an app. OH yea its FREE.
Download 30+ diff versions. Look at side by side. reads to you etc.

Genesis -cool
exodus -coool
Leviticus - not so bad
Numbers - What?
Deuteronomy -arggg
Most people stop (I know I have)

Here is a fun read through. Proverbs in 31 days. Read a proverb every day for a month.

After 3 times thru the bible.
I understand a great deal more.

Hi Derek, well some on tackling this not small, project.
I would love to know whether you ‘got’ anything from it spiritually as well as intellectually? I’d be fascinated to learn about your thoughts on the different interpretations.
You may well be interested in Apologetics too for a deeper insight - there are some hugely interesting and informative people on You Tube such as Mike Winger, Alisa Childers, Sean M Dowell, Frank Turek, David Wood and Ray Comfort.
There’s also a fascinating film called American Gospel that is very much worth watching as it shows how the rise of the movements like Word Of Faith and Prosperity Gospel are distorting people’s perception of the Gospel.

What did you learn? Do you see western culture any differently now vs before you started this project? Will this experience change how you live or what you do in the future? Thanks!

I think it’s great that you took on that task. I grew up reading the KJV so I’m rather comfortable with it though the New King James might be easier for you, if you want to stick with that.

Every translation has its strengths and weaknesses. As another person stated, paraphrases (such as The Message) can give you the main idea, but they are often inaccurate and often biased towards their particular denominational beliefs.

It’s better to read a translation and interpret it for yourself.

I’ve heard and read from many people that the NASB is the most accurate translation of the New Testament, at least it was several years ago anyway.

Thanks Derek.

Perfect timing as I've actually started reading the Bible from start also and am currently on 2 Samuel.

I will definitely check out Bible Project. Up to this point I've actually been using ChatGPT to spit me out summaries and key points of each book, which I read before and after each book for review, and it's helped a lot as well.

Take care and appreciate your wisdom as always.

So glad to hear about your adventure in reading God’s Word. I started reading through the Bible every year starting back in 1988. I continue this discipline still. Most recently I have been using an app called “Bible in one year “ It includes comments by Nicky Gumbel who also is part of a world wide Bible study called “Alpha”
May the Lord continue to reveal Himself to you and me as we seek Him in His Word.
In His service,
Vern Baardson

You may find it interesting to look at the text produced by the recent Septuagint project for the scriptures that were in use at Jesus’s time but which were later discarded by the reformers: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

Hey Derek,

Always nice to hear from you. I indeed have been soaking up the Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz podcast. He is amazing at explaining the Bible and it is easy to listen to. I love it.
Kim

Anyone can excel in life after hearing and putting into practice the principles of the Bible, which are summed up in loving God and others as ourselves. But the greatest gift given to sinful mankind is that everyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ will be saved into eternal life. As a young man I put my hope in God, and my empty life was transformed to one with lasting purpose, direction and power. He is my strength and song, as the Psalms quote, and his mercies are new every morning. I read the Bible daily, and I think you did well to take the time to do it. I have prayed for you and will continue, that you grow to know and love our creator, the God of love.

I love the Passion Translation. A friend turned me onto it and I’ve never looked back. Having been raised on the King James Version it was hard to read a translation that strayed so far that it didn’t sound like a Bible anymore. The passion translation really takes the King James and makes it understandable without changing it to unrecognizable.
I haven’t seen the videos you suggested, but I’m excited too.

I hope you will share more of what you have taken away from your Bible reading/study experience. Has it impacted your life in any way?

Hey Derek! You might enjoy a podcast called "The Ten Minute Bible Hour Podcast." The host is currently taking a 10-15 episode per book of the bible and approaching it as "tabula rasa" as he can.

The goal of the series is for the listener to get a sense of the Bible as one big cohesive story.

Just googling the name will get you the website and podcast. I hope you enjoy!

Derek:
Wow! You really go deep with your seeking of knowledge! You said you like to understand the roots of how cultures evolve and beliefs are formed. Humans attempt to overcome uncertainty by associating what they observe with what they internalize. They/we also love to communicate via storytelling using our imagination. Each book of the Bible has stories first spoken to each other, then written from interpretation. We all know that 3rd person sharing of events are distorted by the fog of interpretation which can be slightly misinterpreted. Adding all those distortions renders sometimes fantastic stories, yet fictional as rationalization is a way to interpret & understand. Culture is built on this framework from what I can gather. I hope you share your notes on your readings, as your interpretations are usually quite insightful! Thank you for sharing your wisdom…

This has been on my mind to do. Thank you for the resources and reminder to do it!

Thank you Derek for sharing your reason for reading the Bible cover to cover and your experiences. It's certainly a unique book and worth the effort. As others have said, I would like to hear your unbiased impressions and conclusions of what you read / learned from this journey. But also understand why that may not be a path you want to pursue. In any case, thank you for your ever openmindedness and wilingness to lean. To me, that's the heart of a truth seeker.

My thoughts - Old Testament, is a lovely history book on the Jewish nation.
New Testament - a sad story about Christianity and how Jesus gave his life to save his people and they typically turned against him.
Result - Take the Bible seriously - no, too many holes but an awesome guide to living a spiritual life. I accept Jesus was a Prophet, here for the good of us all...

A friend of mine intended to try to find original text of the Bible and make a new translation of it. He believed all the versions that are out are incorrect and written to influence people politically rather than impart the original ideas. I wonder if he ever did anything about it…

For something fun, "Whats in the Bible" by Phil Visher is alongside the same lines as the bible project, but for kids. lts older, but probably more fun and just as informative.

I would also recommend the The Imitation of Christ, bedside book of many saints.

comment as per your request : )

Long attention span paying off! Congratulations on making it through.
Great framework and thanks for sharing the resource videos as well.

curiosity spikes:

1. Thought process around NOT sharing extensive notes?
2. What's the "TLDR? version? (joking, but I have two kids and 2 businesses, so kinda not joking too.)

I have done this, using the Revised Standard Version, (which a Congregational Minister told me was the most accurate translation of the original Greek and Hebrew texts) and it's an eye-opener for sure. Seems to me what you can get out of reading the Bible hugely depends on which parts you pay attention to. Like Isaiah's "here a little, there a little" message. It makes reading the Bible sort of like a treasure hunt.

As a Christian, I struggled to read the entire Bible. What finally got me over the hump and through the Bible in about a year was following along with The Bible Recap Podcast. You read chronologically, and the host, Tara Lee Cobble, gives you much context and thoughts about the day's reading. They also have additional resources in their show notes if you want to dive into a specific topic and I feel they do a very fair job of discussing theology where there is different takes. (She explains multiple points of view and offers extra resources if you want to dig in further). This podcast also sent me to the Bible Project and suggested to watch their intro videos to each book of the Bible to help with general understanding. Plus Tara Lee is hilarious and I felt like I had a friend with me each day helping me. As someone who has ADHD, the podcast in effect was a way to body double and get through the Bible for the first time start to finish.

Fascinating. I always like to become knowledgeable on the Bible. I read Bart Ehrmans Biblical history books. Eye opening. None of the Bibles in existence today are originals. I wish we could truly go back to the source...the first drafts. "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why" is a good follow up to the Bible itself: https://amzn.to/40j9iug.

https://www.wordonfire.org/bible/

Thank you for your suggestions here!

I Highly recommend digging into the Bible series from the link above.

A cathedral in print. So well done.

Bishop Barron is an amazing leader.

I am most interested in the “hidden message” of the Bible - Personally it makes most sense to me that certain humans have developed ways of developing “higher states of consciousness” —> easier to grasp in a Buddhist / Hindu / Yoga concept with their understanding of “enlightenment” however there are tons of parallels between the story of Jesus and other “enlightened beings”. The issue with the Bible (IMO)- over the centuries between different translations as well omissions and alterations - a lot of the subtle messages get lost - especially with these new age translations.

Matthew 6:22 is a good example of this.

King James Bible
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

New International Version
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light

These two translations give me a totally different message. King James makes me think of the concept of the third eye —> and if completely focused on that spot - something mystical could happen like filling my body with light.

New International Version is two contradictory sentences. Starts with a single eye - switches to eyes - leaves me thinking this is some basic statement about how we process the world through our eyes. Not a lot of wisdom.

I enjoyed Resurrecting Jesus by the zen meditation master Adyashanti - I think folks who have explored the depths of their own consciousness as well studied mystical traditions can pick up the “hidden message”.

Lastly - I would say I am a follower of Jesus but not a Christian. Makes the most sense to me Jesus would be appalled by the modern day church just as he was with the money lenders and the high priests back in the day.

Most interesting aspect of the Old Testament is connection to ice age / younger dryas. Maybe tale of Noah has some thread -

What an awesome project idea! There are so many Bible references in society (even in the last 50 years): in Contemporary Music, Movies, TV, Books... We can finally know where these references come from AND what they mean. I love it!

Hi Derek,
I became a believer in Jesus after reading the bible. I grew up in a Jewish home and never read the bible until I was 20 years old. I also started at the beginning and read through and was deeply moved by the words of Jesus.
After a few weeks of praying and asking lots of questions, I recognized that I was a sinner in need of God's forgiveness.
I confessed my sin to God and asked the Messiah Jesus to be my Messiah.
35 years later and I am still walking in faith.
Thank you for sharing your journey and I know that God will reveal Himself to you through His word.
Best Wishes,
Jeff Silverman

Matthew 7:7-11 (NIV)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

What conclusions have you come to after reading this? I must admit that I am not a fan of the Bible. For it it is like the Iliad or the Odessy. Fantasy tales.

When I read the title I was going to suggest not reading it in order front to back. I was also going to suggest pairing it with the Bible Project. But you already did both! I'm impressed! It's rare to find even Christians who have read it this way. Sure, they've read the whole thing, but not in order. It can be a discouraging slog in places, and only after they have read it OUT of order will they venture to read it IN order, because now they have more context.

For those in this thread looking to do the same, don't overlook Derek's advice to pair it with the Bible Project!

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. ~ Isaiah 55:10-11

Were you surprised at the Bibles sense of justice, given our present day all talk and no action approach in the west?
A servant girl is murdered and when the tribe of Benjamin refuse to hand over the perpetrators the other tribes slaughter the tribe of Benjamin down to about the last five hundred men because of outrage over the manner of her death.
When a woman was caught in adultery and brought to Jesus,(where was the man, because the law applied to him too?) Jesus got rid of those who wanted to stone her by saying, "Let you who are without sin cast the first stone.)
Every case different and principles applied judiciously, thoughtfully and with prayer to God for guidance.
But I'm getting going, I'd better stop. I hope you enjoyed the reading. I found it lifted the burden of modern injustice from my mind, as pompous/ conceited/hypocritical/useless as modern lawmakers/lawkeepers are

Impressive bro

I've grown up around scripture -- and its application to daily life.

My folks were practical, New Testament Christians.

The private school I attended was frighteningly fundamentalist -- a precursor of American Evangelicalism.

12 years ago, I discovered the Sermon on the Mount -- and a community of humans who have chosen to live Jesus' teachings. It's not perfect, but the intent and dedication matter mightily.

During the past 12 years, I have learned to forgive more quickly (with a few exceptions), to recognize & relinquish control that which I cannot control, and to embrace the one thing I do control fully. That's my actions and, in varying degrees of success, emotion.

I no longer believe the Bible is to be taken literally. Actually, I never really swallowed that pill. Something didn't make sense.

When a mentor and theologian gave me permission to read segments of scripture as literature, the Bible started to make some semblance of sense -- except for Revelations & the Song of Solomon.

My theologian and mentor friend is an existentialist follower of Christ. His teachings, then, are far different from anything I have heard -- and it has changed the way I see my Creator, my relationships, myself, and the world around me.

For the past 7 or so years, I've studied the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7) over and over and through the eyes of the culture as Jesus spoke these teachings.

Also, this community of humans practicing the Sermon on the Mount in real life? They are part of a faith-based 12-step group that provides a safe space for hurting people to heal.

Turns out, Alcoholics Anonymous' 12 steps are grounded in.....

The Sermon on the Mount.

I started reading it a few years back. Got through 2 Kings but then my dad died and I didn't have brain space for the project anymore. I do want to get back to it.

I kept my notes on a blogspot blog. LOL http://humanistbible.blogspot.com/

It was definitely NOT what I thought it would be. The stories were so much more interesting then I thought they would be. I started with my old King James but then moved to an online version that allowed me to highlight passages so I could return to them for further study. I think it was a NIV but I don't think I have the link anymore.

I do hope to get back to it.

Besides people recommending it, Why did you want to read it?

I don't have 2 religious bones in my body, BUT the hypnotic (BLIND FAITH) state of religion fascinates me.

Why not share the notes? I feel like you are always about sharing everything!

I respect the ability to grind through and read it, but GOD BLESS that must have taken 40 days and 40 nights! (was that a pun?)

PS. Ive been reading "Anything you want" and I txted my friend last night saying "Sivers is a mental reset." So as always thank you for being weirdly you!

What an experiment, sounds great. I've always wanted to do this.

Can you share any epiphanies or insights? What were you surprised by?

I’m not religious. But I requested a nice leather bound bible for my birthday from a religious friend and he sent it to me. Now I have to read it lol. He sent me the NIV version. I appreciate your suggestion of the videos

Yes I have read the Bible through. King James version. I will say key passages have informed my writing and worked their way into my new novel The Man from Tuskegee which I invite you to read on Amazon Kindle.A Daughters of Charity sister plays a key role in guiding my protagonist with quotes from the Bible. Cheers!

Hey Derek,
I’d love to hear more of a review…your thoughts on what you got from doing the reading? I know that could be possibly controversial (part of the reason you aren’t publishing your notes I’m assuming?). But as an atheist, I’m curious to hear your thoughts.

It's a Living Word. What you seek, you'll get out of it. If you're truly seeking the God of Israel, His Spirit will open your eyes and ears to it. I've invested my life into seeking and study... https://hopeishereblog.wordpress.com/2-cents/

Talking about translations...An old Greek professor of mine encouraged his students to make their own translations. I'm glad I followed his advice for I still spot unexpected discoveries and nuances that don't show up in the varied translations. The original holds it's own linguistic secrets. Just this week, I compared an English translation of the first Beatitude (Matthew) with its Greek original and discovered a new way of understanding its meaning. "Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven", originated in the Greek as "Blessed are the poor in spirit, of them is the Kingdom of heavens". The old professor was right. It's worthwhile translating from the original Greek text and savour its blessedness.

Greetings Derek!

We corresponded over a startup I'm working for a while back building a web-based OS to store all data and install micro apps to work with it.

Anywho, just a thought... you may not be interested in tackling a full Bible read-through again, but just in case you are: I prefer reading through it chronologically. It helps my more linear brain make sense of things in the order they happened.

https://biblehub.com/timeline/ is a pretty good one. This also takes a fair amount of work, because you end up jumping around a good bit, but I find it worthwhile.

The other thing that's helpful for me is the ESV Study Bible, because it also contains LOTS of maps, book intro's, and other items to provide visual and historical context for events. Again, it helps me brain make sense of things!

Hope all's well!
Erich

This is great. I actually set out to do the same while I was in college. I took two bible courses to help guide me through the process. It was a very enlightening and fulfilling experience. I hadn't really thought back to that experience in a while so this was a nice reminder.

I have read the Bible twice cover to cover I used the ESV English Standard Version I prefer it to others because of the adherence to the original text . The Bible is an amazing book just the History of it is fascinating . I recommend it to everyone read the Bible at least once in your Life . Reading the Bible is a big task that is wonderful in places and dreadful in other . I recommend skipping over Leviticus and reading it last it is the one book that can potentially stop you from finishing reading the Bible.

Nice project Derek. It’s on my todo list as well.

As Greek is my mother tongue, I grew up reading the Greek versions of the bible. Over the years I went from the Ancient Greek to modern Greek versions and the meaning was different. Words were added for improving coherence that altered the meaning.

When I moved to the Uk, I realised that the English speaking world had the King James Version as their bible. That was also different from the Greek version.

So I downloaded the Bible app on my iPhone years ago and when I come across a passage I open the bible and switch between 6 versions, 2 Greek and 3 English.

The meaning is somewhere in between. The Greek versions use words that are more harsh and fearsome. The English versions and especially the newer translations I’ve noticed that they beautify things and use kinder words.

I’ve also been watching Jordan Pererson’s psychological interpretations of the bible on YouTube.

Hope that helps.

I've read the Bible many times. As a Christian myself, I've been reading it once per year for a long time. I'm 56 now. Every time I learn something new.
If I could summarize I now realize that much of it is the same story over and over.

Derek - thanks for sharing and congratulations on achieving your goal.
You share lots of good information on how to best accomplish this, but I am curious as to what you got out of this and why you were really glad to have accomplished this large investment of time?

Take care!

Jaime

I read about 1 page of the Bible every morning.

It's an absolute game changer. I can't explain except there is a supernatural change, a calmness in my life when I ready just a little Bible consistently compared to when I don't.

I don't even have to fully understand all scripture, there is still benefit in reading it.

It's the reason I became a Christian in my 20s. My family upbringing was not religious at all, even kinda atheist.

It's kind of a 'knowing' that what you're reading is Truth and is impacting you greatly. That's the best way I can explain it.

Derek, your true open-mindedness is one of the reasons you're a Hero of mine. We need more people like you leading the way out of siloed, arrogant, intolerant cyber spaces.

Congratulations. Whether you know it or not, you are changed. May God's truth continue to root its way into your soul and grow with patient attendance.

I find listening to sermons, as well as various pastors and priests to accompany the journey, illuminates the messages.

God Bless -
JG

I *highly* recommend the CEB study bible. It provides important academic context and translation notes all throughout the text. I find that understanding historical context of when each section of the bible was written is so important to understanding the text itself.

I also recommend reading the other types of spiritual thoughts that were arising in the first through third century C.E. Especially the thought of Middle Platonists like Plutarch, Neoplatonists like Plotinus, and Hermeticism which were surrounding the authors of the New Testament and had formed the thought of Hellenistic Jews who made up the early Christians.

I have read the Bible, Qweran, Book of Mormon and investigated the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg (spelling??). I find that humans explain life via mystery/ magic or logic/observation. We want to feel safe, each of these is a way to make us feel that way.
If it makes you feel safe, encourages tolerance, I endorse it. If you think it makes you "right" and feel only your beliefs are correct I reject it. If I am in your home and you bless your food before eating and kneel down as a family to pray each evening, I will fully support you. If reading the bible makes you a wiser, tolerant, forgiving person I support reading it. If you want to force me to do the same in my home, you need to stay in yours and leave me alone.
The effort to understand a book that influenced your culture is a good thing to do. I commend your intense effort Derek.

It's ALL fiction anyway.

Glad you did this. I have been a Christian for over thirty years but only in the past few years have really started reading for myself. Here are some tools that I have found helpful:

1. Bible project is amazing. Incredibly helpful - taught a class where I covered one book of the Bible each week and these videos were gold.

2. ESV Study Bible. ESV is a great combo of readability and accuracy. The Study Bible is fantastic, and the book summaries and information before each book of the Bible pairs well with the Bible Project info.

3. M'Cheyne ESV Daily Bible Podcast. I've used this for 5 years now to listen to the Bible each year (NT twice, OT once each year). Four readings a day, no more than 20 minutes max if you listen at 1x speed, and delivered to my phone each morning. My rule is that I listen to this before listening to anything else.

I did this last year as well (KJV), with a few Great Courses for my assist. Who knew that there were so many badgers in the bible? It was fascinating to be sure. It was also interesting to connect so many literary roots, as well sourcing some of the most memorable song lyrics in English language.

Cheers!

This is wonderful, and I'm happy to see you post about it... and sharing about the Bible Project, too, which is an incredible resource! They have a really great podcast as well.

A couple other resources I might recommend:

Unlocking The Bible: A Unique Overview of the Whole Bible
by David Pawson
A commentary that takes a higher level view over each chapter and goes through the entire Bible. Easy to read and navigate, it's one of my favorite resources of this type. It's also done by a UK-based scholar, which I appreciate, as American Evangelicalism tends to have a particular lens, particularly when it comes to end times text speculation.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1943852650/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2nd, which you may find useful is a Parralel Bible, which has different translations side by side in the same Bible so you can compare.
Here's one that has 3 of the 4 that you prefer:
https://www.amazon.com/Message-Contemporary-Comparative-Parallel-Burgundy/dp/0310436931

Have a wonderful day, and thank you again for sharing!

David

I decided to try reading it all the way through 30 years ago. I started at Page 1 and by page 2 it contradicted itself and I quit trying. For something to be an infallible truth, it has to be internally consistent and this clearly wasn’t.

Wow Derek! What a huge task you took on! I too took on this task in 2016. And that's when Tim Mackie and Jonathan came up with the Bible Project, and their videos were a game changer. I have watched all their videos, and you are right to recommend them. I know the effect of their videos.
Given that you always make these intelligent observations, I am sure you have made interesting notes on all the 1189 chapters!
I hope you one day make the decision to publish those notes. I am sure we would find them interesting to read. All my books are a product of my study notes.
When it comes to the New Testament, I think you will find Dallas Jenkins' The Chosen series quite interesting.
Thank you for this post.

Such a cool project and great idea, Derek. Your love of learning and curiosity is inspiring. I'm sure you're also learning so much from the comments. I am. The responses are fascinating.

So here's my input for you to be curious about.

There's the Old Testament and the New Testament, and now that you're familiar with those, it's worthwhile to also read Another Testament of Jesus Christ, called The Book of Mormon. I'm sure you've heard about it. You've probably seen those Mormon Missionaries in all the places you've been in around the world. As a curious exercise, I encourage you to stop and talk to them sometime. They are just young men, from all over (many from Utah) who just want to talk to people. I'm sure you could give them an experience to remember.

The Book of Mormon is a companion to the Bible, where the Bible was written by prophets in ancient Israel, the Book of Mormon was written by prophets in the Americas during a similar time frame from 600 BC to 400 AD. They prophesied of Christ before he was born, and he actually visited them after he was resurrected and taught them the same gospel. The Native Americans are the descendants of the people written about in the Book of Mormon. That's why when Columbus came, the people worshipped him because they thought he was the 'great white God' who would return someday.

The Book of Mormon is meant to prove the truthfulness of the Bible, as another witness, from another people, about the divinity of Christ, the plan for the world and our purpose as children of a loving Heavenly Father.

I hope your curiosity will continue to take you to wonderful new insights throughout your life. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

Http://www.churchofjesuschrist.org

Im curious what your thoughts were on the actual material.

If it is not too intrusive to ask, did it invoke any religious beliefs or thoughts?

Challenge Accepted! Sivers, my man, what a great challenge, and I'm in, thanks for the share. I barely graduated high school cause I really didn't think I'd need it in my chosen career of music. But I also didn't want to be an idiot, so when I decided not to go to college, I made a commitment to be well read. So I started with War & Peace. I would carve out a few hours a week to plunk myself down in the local library and began consumption of that fat historical fiction. Just like reading the bible in church when I was a kid, the language made me confused and disinterested. I persisted and after about 300 pages I was enthralled. I told my very religious mom that it reminded me a lot of reading the bible and challenged her to read it. She too had a similar experience reading War & Peace. As a semi-retired semi-successful Musician/Lyft driver, I find a lot of free time and still get back into War & Peace every few years. Just like I hear about bible readers, I find new and interesting interpretations about life each time I open the greatest novel ever written. And it's worth mentioning that it was written in Russian and I read the english translation, so while reading, as a songwriter, I found myself asking if the translator or Tolstoy was a poet... A line from the book is always in my mind, I'll never forget it, I want to include it in one of my future songs someday, it reads - "She smoothed the folds of her cucumber dress, not the color of the rhine, but the color of the flesh..."

Glad to hear you got an amazing experience out of this endeavor. As someone who has read the Bible cover to cover multiple times, I can understand why you would say it was tough to get through. Whether you are reading it as a religious text or for its literary merit, it is a fascinating text to read.

My favorite version is a King James version, but it's a study Bible so it has lots of notes that add historical and archeological context as well as helps with understanding.

My next goal is to learn Greek and Hebrew so that I can read the original textual language. There is so much that gets lost in translation that I would love to get it more directly.

Looking forward to grabbing a drink and hearing your thoughts on that and so many other things some day.

I am a Christian, and I grew up reading the Bible. I have read it through several times, in several different translations.

I think the NLT is a fine translation, and I find myself coming back to it, especially for public readings of scripture. I also think the Bible Project videos are excellent, and I'm so glad you found them a helpful resource. For what it's worth, if anything, I believe you have given the Bible as fair a go as anyone possibly could.

Hi Derek!

This is great. Been thinking about doing the same. The agony of the workload stopped me every time. This helps, thank you!

Cheers 🍻 from Sweden!

Interesting, Derek. I've been reading the Scriptures daily since 1979. I'd got a Bible (NIV) in the June and about early September lovely chap I worked for suggested I try reading the gospels and New Testament ("NT"). I think I'd got up to Isaiah or Jeremiah by then. So, my first thought when seeing your piece was don't start at "the beginning". Read a gospel, read Acts, read some of the Apostle Paul's letters and they direct you to cross-reference the Old Testament ("OT")
The OT was Jesus's point of reference. Jesus said the Law and the Prophets pointed to Him. Bearing in mind there are 150 Psalms, Jesus helps us understand because when He quotes scripture He quoted Psalms as being part of 'the law' which foretold what would happen to Him.
When you get into Samuel and Chronicles, you see the chronology of the Jewish kings and the separation of Israel into Israel and Judah. And J N Darby provides a great chronology of how these kings overlap and which prophets were active during each reign. Nuff said J

That PBS Series "From Jesus To Christ: the First Christians" is amazing and engrossing! if you haven't seen it. and also John Dominic Crossan's books "Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography" and "The Birth of Christianity".

Highly recommend The Rational Bible by Dennis Prager. He is a Hebrew scholar so discusses meaning from the source language and tradition. He also marries the concepts of rationality and reverence for the Bible; a relationship that has taken a beating (especially of late). Life changing.

Great work Derek. Always admire your intelligence. I have not read the Bible
but I pray to the Universe & try to keep love with me & no fear.
Heard your voice on Youtube narrating on Eye of Truth I think. Really surprised
me at first but you have a great voice for it. Hope to hear more.

Glad you found the Bible enlightening. Although it has influenced Western culture, its thoroughly an Eastern book. That's why Western theologians struggle with its historicity. But from Eastern eyes and ears, it can easily be a reality. The miraculous is an everyday fact for us.

We recently discovered The Chosen series, can't recommend enough for those looking for context within the New Testament.

Why to read the Bible?

Is it about printed words on a page...
or to explore the one reading the words?

Words are concessions.
The Bible is about you,
but since we are so habituated
to look outwards
we might miss the obvious.

Happiness through peace of mind, in daily living, independent of circumstances.

Mr. Jesus is not "another",
it is about your own waking up from
the misidentification with the body-mind.

In the Bible everyone gets what they need; but the truth (that which never changes) can be found in uncounted short phrases:

"It is my Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
Father = Life, Consciousness, Love

"I am with you always".
I am = Awareness, Source

Really cool:
"You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.…"

The Bible is inviting us to examine, to inquire into the nature of reality [God].
Our thinking head cannot go there, because mind can only process contrast.

Thank you Derek.

Holger @ Mechanical Peace dot com

This is an answer to my prayers for you, Derek! I shall now pray for you daily. BIBLE = Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Over the decades I've red the Bible many ways. It has shaped and formed my thoughts and beliefs. I took a couple college-level courses to learn semantic discourse analysis. [1] As I write this, I count 30 previous mentions of Jesus in the comments. That encourages me greatly. I hope you concluded that the Bible is the true story of the creation of the world by God—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—, our fall from God's grace, and our redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ. The Bible is the most effective way to understand all of reality. It contains all things necessary for salvation. Philosophers today have strong arguments that reality is more than the material world—more than science can measure. (More, but not ignoring science.) I have concluded that the Bible explains reality best—through law, history, wisdom, poetry, narrative, epistles, prophecy and apocalyptic literature [2]. It is the foundation of the Christian worldview. I pray that the Holy Ghost (aka Holy Spirit, if you prefer) enlightens you to see the Truth found in the Bible. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! (d0a5ff7fe63cac38d699b45893f447570dad33d8790f5fc7377c26089eac2ff6, d0a5ff7 for short)

[1] https://www.veritascollege.org/
[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-genres.html

Hey Derek, I really enjoy your content. I thought I'd pass along a reference to the 10 Minute Bible Hour podcast. Matt is covering a high level view of each book of the bible in ~10 minutes a day. He just started at the beginning of the year so if you wanted to catch up, it is a great way to see the themes throughout.

https://www.thetmbh.com/gettmbhpodcast

Hi Derek, thanks for this written piece to invite readers of your site to read the Bible. Biblical study is rich in heritage and history. And the Bible extends across cultures. It can be seen analogous to one who devotes their entire life in the practice of composing perfect fifths. Or the practice of one who devotes their life studying associative algebras. The good news is, all that is written in these books will have something in which we all profit from, due to the source of its work.

I would recommend reading 73 books of the Bible to get a sense of how it's known across the world as: sacred. As well, picking up St. Thomas of Aquinas' work called, "Summa Theologiae" may form even more enlightenment as your written piece approaches an intellectual perspective. Blessings. Ej

My wife and I started reading “The Bible in a Year”, NKJV. I typically read the ESV. I learned about The Message and recently watched a video on YouTube of Bono (U2) talking with the man who did The Message translation. He said he went from the Hebrew and Greek text and made it accessible to modern language. Fascinating. Proud of you for making it through the Bible!

Cheers!

Hi Derek,
I’m glad to see that you are taking an interest in the Bible.
As far as translations go, my church uses the New King James
version; much easier to understand and closest translation to the
older version, without having to navigate through the “thee” “Thou”,
etc.
More importantly than the translation, I’m sure you are learning much about the Jewish customs, wars, devastation, and miracles too.
The New Testament, as you are aware, is about the life, miracles (including His Ken birth) and teachings of Jesus Christ. Some people today say that He cane to start a new religion, which isn’t true. He came to save the lust people of Israel. When His own rejected Him, outsiders accepted Him. These believers were called Christians.
Continue to read and you’ll learn about Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) and his conversion, the letters he’s written. Study the great mystery of Revelation. I believe we are in these times.
God bless your Bible reading and study. Ask the Lord to bless you with understanding as you continue your reading.

Awesome! That's quite an accomplishment. I've read through the NIV translation completely one time. I've listened to the Dramatized NIV translation through Audible about 2-3 times completely.

I read the student Bible new international version.
Spent about a year and a half reading it over and over slowly.
Amazing what was really in there.
Have a great day
Wayne

Hi Derek,
I’m glad to see that you are taking an interest in the Bible.
As far as translations go, my church uses the New King James
version; much easier to understand and closest translation to the
older version, without having to navigate through the “thee” “thou”,
etc.
More importantly than the translation, I’m sure you are learning much about the Jewish customs, wars, devastation, and miracles too.
The New Testament, as you are aware, is about the life, miracles (including His birth) and teachings of Jesus Christ. Some people today say that He came to start a new religion, which isn’t true. He came to save the lost people of Israel. When His own rejected Him, outsiders accepted Him. These believers were called Christians.
Continue to read and you’ll learn about Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) and his conversion, the letters he’s written. Study the great mystery of Revelation. I believe we are in these times.
God bless your Bible reading and study. Ask the Lord to bless you with understanding as you continue your reading.

Thanks for this and your timing is perfect. I’m not a religious person but am still fascinated by religion and how it has shaped our world. I’ve tried many times to read the Bible but found it exhausting trying to decipher meaning with endless translation. I recently tried Bible in a year podcast which was easier but I will definitely be checking out your recommendations.

Thanks Derek--Back in 1974, after finishing 5 years of college, I decided that it was finally time to read the bible from cover to cover (even the maps!) It took me 9 months, but I stuck with it, and it changed my life! To this day, I am still that changed man, and I thank God for it. In 1975 I found a very good church with good pastors, and I have continued my studies right into today. Reading the whole bible is an investment that will pay dividends all the days of ones life.

I read it twice cover to cover because I was in a super-evil industrial band in the 90's & I felt too clean, and I wanted to learn ancient things of many time periods and freak out my band with some new songs, but also, the book was a gift from one of the strongest women I knew, even Mom admired her. But any semblance of my music career is haywire, but good, because somehow I fell in with potentially the best bunch: 18-22 year olds that learn every single bit of music they want like it's a game.That might be the first time in our 14 or so years connected I've ever mentioned a band. haHA! Rock on \m/ :) \m/

Thnx, i've started with Bible Project.com

glad you came across the bible project videos. i grew up being taught and reading the bible but i’ve never heard it explained and brought out so well as in the bible project videos. not primarily as a tool to push superficial religious agenda but just trying to more deeply understand what the book is saying without the baggage of religiosity.

Congrats on finishing the Bible! I too finished this volume recently (while on a boat to Helsinki). I read the Joesph Smith Translation which is quite similar to the King James Version. Even though I'm a priest, I hadn't read the Bible (including the Old Testament) straight through until a couple of weeks ago.

It was an incredible experience. I too find the Bible Project Videos extremely helpful. Also, supplementing my New Testament reading with these videos helped me to visualize key events. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/collection/bible-videos-the-life-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng

"Mere Christianity" and "Surprised by Joy" by C.S. Lewis are lucid, beautiful and brief if you are interested in reading more thinkers in this area.

Also, "Reflections on the Psalms" by the same.

- Franco

I read a modern day interpretation of Revelations and it was really interesting.

Thank you for this. I too have struggled with a desire to explore the universe of “The Bible” as I feel there is much in there relative to success in life. The problem is “King James”. I finally gave up 100ish pages in (the page left unread is still bookmarked 5 years later). However, until reading your brief overview I would not consider a “watered down” version as I live committed to “no half measures” (an AA thing).
Thank you for helping me lose this argument…always the adventure eh’.

Hey Derek,

Cool project. I hope to read the Bible myself eventually one day too. Although as a Muslim our perspective on the Bible (or 'Injeel') is unique in the sense that we do accept it as the original revelation of its heyday.

I invite you to check out the Quran too, we consider it the last revelation for all mankind. It's dramatically shorter than the Bible. A recommended translation is either the Abdel Haleem Oxford translation or Dr Mustafa Khattab's The Clear Quran.

You may easily find it on Quran.com (the magic of the internet!).

Regards,

Harris

I'm so happy you read through the Bible, Mr. Sivers! It's my life book. The written word led me to the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ. Thank you for your posts. I always learn something from you. Keep it up! Jt Oaks

So many terrific nonfiction books by the hardworking authors of today. And fiction! Who can forget the altruism (not to mention the awfully familiar-looking defective reasoning) of Klara the artificial friend, in Klara and the Sun? Tim Ecott's evocative and revealing business history in "Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid". Tim Severin's retracement of the Saint Brendan's voyage across the Atlantic in The Brendan Voyage. James Gleick's history of information science in The Information. Benjamin Lorr's The Secret Life of Groceries -- one of the best business books ever. I would certainly reread Julia Angwin's "Stealing MySpace: The Battle to Control the Most Popular Website in America". Also really enjoyed Liaquat Ahamed's Lords of Finance, about the four central bankers who helped cause the 1929 depression. Another great genre is memoir. I never read any of Larry McMurtry's novels, but his memoir, "Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen", is a masterpiece and so revealing about America. (Spoiler alert: Walter Benjamin himself is never at a Dairy Queen). I also found "They called us Lucky" by Ruben Gallego, a memoir of his time as a Marine in Iraq, to be a gripping read, and if you are interest in 'meaning' per se, then Gail Steketee's "Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things". But sure, re-read your bibles.

Just finished Richard Rohr's excellent book "Falling Upward" and it left me with the same desire (to read the Bible). Thanks for the tips!

Translation suggestion: NET
Bibleproject is an excellent source. Alastair Roberts summary/commentary is not as visually engaging, but his content is superb. Jonathan Pageau lays out the symbolic worldview - definitely a game changer.
Hope these help. I was quite pleased to read about your Bible-reading endeavors. Best of luck and Godspeed.

+ Derek
derekjfiedler.com

A few years back I opted to read the Bible (both testaments) cover to cover. It took about a year. Like you, I read every single sentence. I wanted to understand the concepts of why people believe it.

To paraphrase a movie character: For all that I read there, I did not find God.

I learned that it was a sort of a manual for human survival for the time when it was created. To me, humanity has moved past the era when it was needed for that survival. Seems we might have a need for a new survival guide (so to speak) - though not based on a religion.

I am reading it for the second time this year , with an annual plan.

I have an app called YouVersion and the app gives you in your daily lectures the videos of BibleProject. Very cool app. With diferent translations and the opportunity to add notes.

Greetings from MX

Hi Derek,

The Bible is a holy book that is dear to my heart (l have a music ministry you know) and have been repeatedly going through it every year for years now. Its an habit of mine; and of all the version I've been through, the New Living Translation is my book of choice by Tynsdale publishers.

In 2002, while you were still at CdBaby, I released " There Is A Way-Inspirational Songs of Faith Hope & Love by Ernie Hines. My testimony song, " Servant's Prayer" was included.

Thanks for the opportunity to feedback and share.

The Bible is all about Jesus (He's all through the Good Book), I hope you found Him?

In Christ,
Ernie