What books to read from the Old Testament? (And more!)

[hansthompson]

Alright. So I pretty new to Christianity. And I don't really know what to read in the Bible.

I have already started with Genesis as that is the creation story. And then I hear about Christians reading Exodus, the Proverbs and Psalms. Should I read those? Also after that should I start with the New Testament? Thanks!

 

[Eryk]

Psalms is a very important Old Testament book. But you should start with the New Testament before reading the Old Testament. I highly recommend the Quest Study Bible. It contains notes for questions that seekers/new believers have.

 

[dysert]

I'm a great fan of the Narrated Bible (hardback) and the Daily Bible (softback). They present the Bible text in chronological order, so you can read the Bible kinda like a story so it makes more sense and it's easier to remember stuff. Plus, there's embedded commentary to really bring the story to life. It uses the NIV text, which is easy to read.

 

[Shane R]

You should consider a lectionary. It will give you organization and break the text down into digestible segments. A good lectionary will keep you following a particular book day by day for the most part.

 

[Radagast]

But you should start with the New Testament before reading the Old Testament.

I second that. Start with one of the gospels (John, perhaps) and then one of the epistles (probably Ephesians).

I would recommend an NIV or ESV study Bible.

 

[jacksknight]

Yes go new testament first!!! John then Luke and Acts!!!

 

[Greg J.]

Since the books in the Bible are not ordered chronologically, it's a matter of preference. The most important books in the Bible to study are what are called the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are accounts of the life of Jesus and his direct teaching from the perspectives of different people. Genesis starts at the beginning of everything and has relatively easy-to-read stories, so it is a good book to start with. It is valuable to read a publisher's introduction to a book before reading the book.

Genesis
John
Mark
1 John
Acts
Ephesians
Galatians
Luke
Matthew
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Romans
James
1 & 2 Peter
then the rest.

Before digging into the Old Testament, get an overview of the history of the Jewish people, otherwise knowing how each book fits into the big picture will make parts of them hard to understand.

Good books to read in the Old Testament are:
Exodus
Deuteronomy
Daniel
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
Psalms
Proverbs
Isaiah
Ruth
Jonah
(Reread the gospels at some point)
You can read Nehemiah, Ezra, and Esther as a set when you get there.
then the rest.

If you want to read Psalms or Proverbs earlier than shown in the above list, consider first reading something about two of the main authors, David and Solomon (found in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles).

Skip the genealogies found in a number of the books on your first read through the Bible. (e.g., "... Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram" etc.)

 

[brinny]

Alright. So I pretty new to Christianity. And I don't really know what to read in the Bible.

I have already started with Genesis as that is the creation story. And then I hear about Christians reading Exodus, the Proverbs and Psalms. Should I read those? Also after that should I start with the New Testament? Thanks!

Proverbs is phenomenal, with verses like this:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." ~Proverbs 9:10

and in the Psalms, David, pours out his heart to God in prayers and thus it becomes clear why God Himself called David a "man after His own heart" and the "apple of His eye".

(The Psalms was pivotal in teaching me what it meant to pray).

May these delightful verses be made manifest in a tangible and concrete way to you as you seek God in His Word, and thus seek His precious face (we "seek His face" when we delve into His Word and we "hearken unto His voice" when we heed His Word):

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." ~Jeremiah 33:3

"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God." ~Deuteronomy 28:2

 

[Commander]

As with any book, start at the first page and read until the last page. I read only the King James Version, and I have over 35 other versions that I can use if I don't quite understand a verse in the King James, the Vulgate is also recommended.