How often do you read the Bible?

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Let’s see – I have a NAB-RE, a Knox, and a KJV.

Since I’m in the process of converting, I am making the acquaintance of the NAB-RE. Got the Knox earlier this year and have been absorbing it slowly – it’s so very different.

I read a little from the NAB-RE daily, OT in the morning and NT in the evening.
 
I compared percentages. It’s interesting. More Catholics read the Bible, but more non-Catholics have read the whole thing. Also, Catholics are pickier about our Bible translations (odd, given KJV-onlyism)
 
Razanir said:
I compared percentages. It’s interesting. More Catholics read the Bible, but more non-Catholics have read the whole thing. Also, Catholics are pickier about our Bible translations (odd, given KJV-onlyism)
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Not so much really because the KJV onlies are pretty much a small subset ot overall n-C communities.

It would be interesting to compare the ages of the various respndents to see if that is also a factor. I didn’t think about that… Me…I’m only 61.
 
" and yes that means not skipping Leviticus"
:rotfl:
I so hear ya!
I read the Bible about 4-5 times a week. I need to read it everyday. I have 3 Bibles:
NIV
The New Jerusalem Bible
Ignatius,Revised 2nd edition

Oh I am 43 years old and have recently returned back to the Church 🙂
 
I only have one Bible, the NAB. It is a “giant print” edition, which is helpful for me since I am farsighted. I read the Bible through on a three year schedule and have done for 14 years now. I read the Bible through a couple times as a teenaged fundamentalist so this would be at least the seventh time through the Bible. I don’t have a problem with Leviticus. It is Chronicles and the endless genealogies that slow me down!

I have no desire for more Bibles. All my worldly possessions fit into two suitcases, a computer bag and a carry-on bag and I would like to keep it that way.
 
I may have already made a comment on this site and if I have, please forgive my “senior moment”. I have several Bibles, but the one I read each and every night before I turn out the light is “The One Year Bible - Catholic Edition”. It is the entire New Living Translation with deuterocanonical books arranged in 365 daily readings. I’m not sure how many times I’ve read the entire Bible, but it’s very much a part of my daily life.
 
I went through RCIA in 2000. After that, I acquired RSV-CE and a New American Bible. If I carry one with me, it’s the RSV-CE, even though the NAB is easier to understand. I also have a KJV that was my grandmother’s and given to me at the time of her death. She taugh herself English using her French and English Bibles.

I answered the poll that I have never read the Bible completely. I tried once. I was in high school, an athiest, and I recall skimming quite a bit. I did it because my English teacher let us know that literature often uses Biblical references, so to understand more of what we read, we needed to familiarize ourselves with the entire Bible.

I didn’t understand the significance of this at the time, but most of the students in my class were Jewish. She was asking everyone to read whichever part they did not know.

When I’m in mass, I like to have the Bible along with the Daily Missal to read before, including, and after the day’s selections.

The study Bibles always look interesting. I have never heard of the archeology one – that seems the type of information that would help me.
 
I tried to read the whole bible recently, got through the Pentateuch, Joshua, judges, Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings. When I started 1st Chronicles, I realised it was kings with more details, put it aside and haven’t gone back to it. I am presently going through the gospels in the Navarra study bible, and Aquinas’ catena aurea versions. I also read an interlinear translation from the Greek, the St Jerome latin translation, and a comparison of the Douay and King James versions. I find delving into each section of the gospels in depth and meditating on them is more fulfilling for me right now. I am also slowly making my way throug the psalms, reading an interlinear translation from the Hebrew, and the vulgate. I read a psalm many times, then I read Augustine’s commentary on the psalms which are available in a modern English translation.

Hopefully, I will eventually be able to cover the whole bible. I hate to admit that I have never read any of St. Paul’s epistles outside of the liturgical selections read during the Sunday mass. This will be my next challenge once I have gone through the four gospels.

One thing I do enjoy reading daily is a small section of the catholic catechism and one of the weekly audience sermons posted on the Vatican website. I have started with the sermons of Pope John Paul II.
 
Trilor said:
I only have one Bible, the NAB. It is a “giant print” edition, which is helpful for me since I am farsighted. I read the Bible through on a three year schedule and have done for 14 years now. I read the Bible through a couple times as a teenaged fundamentalist so this would be at least the seventh time through the Bible. I don’t have a problem with Leviticus. It is Chronicles and the endless genealogies that slow me down!

I have no desire for more Bibles. All my worldly possessions fit into two suitcases, a computer bag and a carry-on bag and I would like to keep it that way.
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Tailor, I envy your discipline. Recently I have started to pare down my possessions by donating many of those in good shape to charities and a young couple who is just starting out and who are appreciative of the things I have been able to give them. I don’t think I will ever get to the point you are at, but that would be my goal.
 
acacia12 said:
" and yes that means not skipping Leviticus"
:rotfl:
I so hear ya!
I read the Bible about 4-5 times a week. I need to read it everyday. I have 3 Bibles:
NIV
The New Jerusalem Bible
Ignatius,Revised 2nd edition

Oh I am 43 years old and have recently returned back to the Church 🙂
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Good to hear about returning to the Church. I came back at 44 years old, the same age as St. Augustin who’s feast we celebrate today.

Actually, I find some of Numbers more tedious than Leviticus, and Job absolutely makes my eyes glass over.

-Tim-
 
This seems relevant: I actually inspired a janitor at my school to start reading the Bible more when he heard about my (unfortunately failed attempt at a) 60-day Bible Challenge.

(Took too long of a break. Now I think I’ll just read the rest at the normal 365-day speed)
 
TimothyH said:
Good to hear about returning to the Church. I came back at 44 years old, the same age as St. Augustin who’s feast we celebrate today.

Actually, I find some of Numbers more tedious than Leviticus, and Job absolutely makes my eyes glass over.

-Tim-
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:eek:

Really weird… I came back at 44 as well. I did not know about St. Augustine.
 
I’m too lazy to get up and track down all my Bibles. I have lots of them. I have at least three copies of the NRSV. I have a New American Bible which is the one I was using this weekend.

I have at least two copies of the Good News for Modern Man, and somewhere in my bookshelves I have a Phillips New Testament. I have at least three copies of the KJV, as well, and there is an RSV around here somewhere, as well. I also have a Douay Rheims, but it isn’t where I thought I put it down … 🤷

I read the Bible all the time, usually to look something up for a talk I’m giving or a class I’m teaching. I need to read it more often just as a devotional to let it speak to me, though.
 
One thing that I’ve figured out about reading the entire Bible is that it’s less important how long it takes, than that we actually do it. I mean, it’s not like our Bibles are library books that have to be back within a certain period of time. 😃 (Mine would be waaaaay overdue!)

I think it’s far more important that we read it to see what it says, what was going on, and what we can learn about God and ourselves from it. This is a good way to get to know God better. I mean we don’t feel like we have to know all there is to know about our friends and (even worse) our spouses do we? That’s crazy, so we need to remember that there’s no rush to get it all read, but at the same time, we need to soak it in as much as possible. I find that there are times when I hit a passage and when I finish it I have to put the Bible down and think it over and talk it over with Our Lord. I’m always finding something else to talk to Him or Peter, John, Thomas, or Mary, or the other apostles or saints about.

I strongly suspect that that is what reading the Bible is really all about.🙂
 
Church_Militant said:
One thing that I’ve figured out about reading the entire Bible is that it’s less important how long it takes, than that we actually do it. I mean, it’s not like our Bibles are library books that have to be back within a certain period of time. 😃 (Mine would be waaaaay overdue!)

I think it’s far more important that we read it to see what it says, what was going on, and what we can learn about God and ourselves from it. This is a good way to get to know God better. I mean we don’t feel like we have to know all there is to know about our friends and (even worse) our spouses do we? That’s crazy, so we need to remember that there’s no rush to get it all read, but at the same time, we need to soak it in as much as possible. I find that there are times when I hit a passage and when I finish it I have to put the Bible down and think it over and talk it over with Our Lord. I’m always finding something else to talk to Him or Peter, John, Thomas, or Mary, or the other apostles or saints about.

I strongly suspect that that is what reading the Bible is really all about.🙂
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I found it a good exercise to read the entire Book of Genesis in one sitting - it makes way more sense that way than in bits and pieces, or just a few verses at a time. The “begats” all of a sudden become incredibly interesting. 🙂
 
I just realized that I lied when I said I’ve read the entire bible because I read the entire KJV which is missing books! 🤷

I’m in RCIA class now and tonight the Deacon teaching recommended the New American Bible St. Joseph Edition. I have that one and the RSV-CE and I just bought on E-Bay, a JB for a little over $8 including shipping! It should be in day after tomorrow. I read some of the bible every day with The Word Among Us on my Kindle but I copied down the bible reading schedule that was posted here and I’m going to try that.

It is humbling to read how much some people here read their bible. Also inspiring!
 
Well at least now you know you lack on the 7 Deuterocanonical books (and the additional sections of Daniel and Esther) You’re in for a real treat.👍

BTW, that was a mistake…not a lie. Intention is important my friend. 🙂
 
i find that by reading it at my comparatively leisurely 3-year pace then it is easier for it to become Lectio Divina as well.
 
You only need to read the mass readings of the day and you will read about 70% of the bible.
 
kookieduck said:
I just realized that I lied when I said I’ve read the entire bible because I read the entire KJV which is missing books! 🤷

I’m in RCIA class now and tonight the Deacon teaching recommended the New American Bible St. Joseph Edition. I have that one and the RSV-CE and I just bought on E-Bay, a JB for a little over $8 including shipping! It should be in day after tomorrow. I read some of the bible every day with The Word Among Us on my Kindle but I copied down the bible reading schedule that was posted here and I’m going to try that.
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👍
It is humbling to read how much some people here read their bible. Also inspiring!
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If it makes you feel any better, a few years ago the only answers I could have given in that poll would have been 1) I own a Bible, and 2) I need to read it more. Aside from a brief spark in college, it wasn’t until I got married that I started to read with any amount of devotion (and it still wasn’t daily)…and it wasn’t until coming here to CAF that I knew about the different versions of the Catholic Bible (NRSV, RSVCE, NAB, etc…).
 
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