The Bible Reading Plan

Readings for January 1:

First, Genesis Chapter 1 verses 1 to 23. Follow that by reading from Joshua Chapter 1 verse 1 to Chapter 2 verse 7. Follow that by reading Ruth Chapter 1 verses 1 to 18; and lastly Matthew Chapter 1

You can read the passages below. If you're looking to read for a different day or want to use your own Bible, then here’s the entire year’s plan as a list. Enjoy!

For certain interesting words:

Section 1

Genesis 1:1-23

23 verses

Genesis Chapter 1

1At the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

2The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3God said, "Light is!" and there was light.

4God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.

5God called the light "day," and he called the darkness "night". There was evening and there was morning, day one.

6God said, "There is an expanse in the middle of the waters, and it divides the waters from the waters." 7God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and so it was.

8God called the expanse "sky". There was evening and there was morning, day two.

9God said, "The waters under the sky are gathered together to one place, and dry land appears;" and so it was.

10God called the dry land "earth", and he called the gathering together of the waters "seas". God saw that it was good.

11God said, "The earth sprouts grass and plants yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in them, on the earth;" and so it was.

12The earth produced grass and plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

13There was evening and there was morning, day three.

14God said, "There are lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and they are for signs to mark seasons, days, and years; 15and they are for lights in the expanse of sky to give light on the earth;" and so it was.

16God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars.

17God set them in the expanse of sky to give light to the earth, 18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.

19There was evening and there was morning, day four.

20God said, "The waters teem with living creatures, and birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of sky." 21God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters teemed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.

22God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." 23There was evening and there was morning, day five.

Section 2

Joshua 1:1-2:7

25 verses

Joshua Chapter 1

1After the death of Moses the servant of ForeverOne, ForeverOne spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying, 2"Moses my servant is dead. So arise, go across this Jordan, you and all these people, to the land I'm giving them, even to the children of Israel.

3I have given you every place that the sole of your foot will tread on, as I told Moses.

4From the wilderness and this Lebanon even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border.

5No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you.

6"Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

7Only be strong and courageous! Be very careful to obey all of the law that Moses my servant gave you. Don't turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

8This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.

9Haven't I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don't be afraid. Don't be dismayed. For ForeverOne your God is with you wherever you go." 10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11"Pass through the middle of the camp, and command the people, saying, 'Prepare food; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which ForeverOne your God is giving you to possess.'" 12Joshua spoke to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, saying, 13"Remember the word which Moses the servant of ForeverOne commanded you, saying, 'ForeverOne your God gives you rest, and will give you this land.

14Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall live in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but you shall pass over before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them 15until ForeverOne has given your brothers rest, as he has given you, and they have also possessed the land which ForeverOne your God gives them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and possess it, which Moses the servant of ForeverOne gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.'" 16They answered Joshua, saying, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.

17Just as we listened to Moses in all things, so we will listen to you. Only may ForeverOne your God be with you, as he was with Moses.

18Whoever rebels against your commandment, and doesn't listen to your words in all that you command him, he shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous."

Joshua Chapter 2

1Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, including Jericho." They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.

2The king of Jericho was told, "Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land." 3The king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all the land." 4The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I didn't know where they came from.

5About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I don't know. Pursue them quickly; you may catch up with them." 6But she had brought them up to the roof, and hidden them under the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.

7The men pursued them along the way to the fords of the Jordan. As soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

Section 3

Ruth 1:1-18

18 verses

Ruth Chapter 1

1In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

2The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab and lived there.

3Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.

4They took for themselves wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years.

5Mahlon and Chilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband.

6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how ForeverOne had visited his people in giving them bread.

7She left the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

8Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to your mother's house. May ForeverOne deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

9May ForeverOne grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices, and wept.

10They said to her, "No, but we will return with you to your people." 11Naomi said, "Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

12Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, 'I have hope,' if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons, 13would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, I am seriously grieved for your sakes, since the hand of ForeverOne has gone out against me." 14They lifted up their voices and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her.

15She said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law." 16Ruth said, "Don't urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.

17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May ForeverOne so deal with me, and even more, if anything but death parts you and me." 18When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking.

Section 4

Matthew 1

25 verses

Matthew Chapter 1

1The book of the genealogy of Jesus AnointedOne, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers.

3Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.

4Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon.

5Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse.

6Jesse became the father of King David. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah's wife.

7Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa.

8Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah.

9Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah.

10Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah.

11Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel.

13Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.

14Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud.

15Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob.

16Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called AnointedOne.

17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the AnointedOne, fourteen generations.

18Now the birth of Jesus AnointedOne was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

19Joseph, her husband, being righteous, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to divorce her secretly.

20But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of ForeverOne appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take to yourself Mary as your wife, for what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins." 22Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by ForeverOne through the prophet, saying, 23"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel," which means "God with us." 24Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of ForeverOne commanded him, and took [her as] his wife; 25and didn't know her [sexually] until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.

The Bible text is a minor adaptation of the WEB to include nuanced meanings of particular ancient words for placenames, God and others of special interest.
In general square brackets:[] are used to indicated words not found in the original text.
They also indicate the 5 books of the Psalms, and the letters in Psalm 119;
and a few passages considered by some to be of questionable authenticity, marked with an asterisk(*).