Using a Print Bible with the Daily Readings
A year-long cultural and psychological reading of an enduring human text, read in full
Using a Print Bible with the Live-Wire Readings
Some readers prefer a physical Bible for sustained reading. A well-designed print edition can make it easier to focus, keep your place, and retain what you’ve read—especially when reading daily.
You are not required to use a print Bible to follow this study. The text provided on this site is fully suitable for reading along. This page exists only for readers who prefer a physical book or already own one and want to use it well.
Recommended Bible translation for print reading
For most modern readers, the New Living Translation (NLT) is a practical choice for extended reading.
Reasons it works well in print:
clear, natural English
strong paragraphing and layout
easy-to-track narrative flow
less rereading caused by dense or archaic phrasing
The recommendation here is about readability and focus, not theology.
If you already have a Bible you prefer (KJV, ESV, NIV, NRSV, etc.), you are welcome to use it. Just expect that some editions may require slower reading and more frequent backtracking.
Suggested editions
Below are four formats. Choose based on how and where you read.
6pt font: 10.5oz, 4.6 x 1.1 x 6.6 inches
NLT Premium Value Compact Bible, Filament Enabled (LeatherLike, Dark Brown Framed Cross): New Living Translation, Tyndale: 9781496479303: Amazon.com: Books
10pt font: 1lb 5.7 x 1.8 x 7.9 inches
NLT Compact Giant Print Bible, Filament Enabled (LeatherLike, Navy Blue Cross, Red Letter): New Living Translation, Tyndale: 9781496460646: Amazon.com: Books
12pt font 2.6lb? 6.3 x 1.8 x 9.4 inches
NLT Personal Size Giant Print Bible, DaySpring Signature Collection, Filament Enabled (LeatherLike, Classic Tan, Red Letter): DaySpring Signature Collection: New Living Translation, Tyndale: 9781496461667: Amazon.com: Books
16pt 3.8lb? 8 x 1.9 x 11.1 inches
NLT Super Giant Print Bible, DaySpring Signature Collection, Filament Enabled (LeatherLike, Blush Floral, Red Letter): DaySpring Signature Collection: New Living Translation, Tyndale: 9781496461681: Amazon.com: Books
How to follow the daily readings in a print Bible
The Bible is a single book physically, but it is actually a collection of 66 smaller books, written over a long period of time. These books are grouped into two large sections:
Old Testament (the earlier writings)
New Testament (the later writings)
Each of these books is divided into chapters, and chapters are further divided into verses. The daily reading schedule refers only to book names and chapter numbers.
If you are new to the Bible, the most helpful thing to know is this:
every printed Bible includes a contents list near the front that tells you where each book begins.
How the daily readings are organized
Each daily reading includes passages from multiple parts of the Bible, and this structure is fixed across the entire study.
Every day, you will read:
One passage from the Old Testament
One passage from the New Testament
Often, a short reading from the Psalms
This means that on a given day, you will usually move between two or three sections of the Bible.
A practical way to handle this
If you are using a print Bible, the simplest approach is:
Use the contents page to find the Old Testament book listed for the day and read the assigned chapter(s).
Then find the New Testament book listed for the same day and read its chapter(s).
If a Psalm is included, it will always be in the Book of Psalms.
Many readers find it helpful to place a small bookmark or sticky note in the Psalms section, since it is used frequently.
Once you locate a book for the first time, you will remain in that same book day after day until it is finished. This means the initial effort of finding a book pays off quickly, and navigation becomes easier as you go.
You do not need to learn the Bible’s structure in advance. The reading plan is designed so that familiarity builds naturally through repetition.
A reassurance for new readers
It is completely normal to feel disoriented at first. The Bible is a large collection of writings, and it was not designed with modern navigation habits in mind.
Use the contents page freely. Mark pages if it helps. Take your time. The goal is simply to find the passage and read it attentively, not to move efficiently or prove familiarity.
After a few days, most readers find that locating books and chapters becomes quick and routine.
Why the commentary exists
Many readers find that simply reading a passage—even carefully—can fade quickly from memory.
The commentary exists to help with:
orientation (where you are in the larger text)
memory (what just happened and why it matters)
continuity (how today’s reading connects to what came before)
It is not there to replace the text or tell you what to think, but to help something of what you read stay with you.
Summary
You do not need a print Bible to follow this study.
The on-site text is fully suitable for reading and reference.
A print Bible can help some readers focus and retain more.
The NLT is recommended for readability, not authority.
Use what helps. Skip what does not.
The full reading schedule and About the Live-Wire Bible Study are available.