bible reading guide?

It's best to join a study group so you can discuss and ask questions. But barring that, you need a good commentary or annotated version of the bible. Being a Catholic I would recommend the Didache bible for general use and supplementing that with the Ignatius bible for the New Testament and the individual books by Scott Hahn for the Old Testament. If money is an issue then at least just consider picking up the one on Genesis because Scott does a real good job of teaching people how to effectively study the bible.

As far as reading order goes there's nothing wrong with reading the bible straight through, in fact I would recommend it if you 're not very familiar with the Old Testament narrative. Without a good history of the Jews the New Testament isn't going to make a lot of sense. Keep in mind that you don't need to read every single thing like the building of the tabernacle, the building of Solomon's temple, or every genealogy. Some people will fall into this trap where they force themselves to read every single word and this causes them to burn out very quickly, because the things I mentioned make an extremely boring read.

In any case, make sure you get a good readable translation like the RSV. Translations like the KJV or Douay-Rheims look nice because it has that Old English style but they just make study unnecessarily harder.

>>9099988
Thanks for your elaborate response. I currently have the KJV, and I see what you're getting at. Though I would say that this Old English style does a lot more for me than the modern English. For example, Ecclesiastes 5:2, KJV and RSV respectively:

"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few."

"Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few."

Although personal pronouns are the only difference, I'm not sure the RSV would have given me the same 'woah' feeling. Maybe I attribute more value to it just because it sounds more ancient. Is this type of minor modernisation the only difference between RSV and KJV? If it's much clearer in other aspects as well, I might be tempted to purchase one, to keep alongside for when I don't understand a certain verse.

Also, is there no single reading companion that just provides a context and a summary of what's going on? Or is the Didache Bible sufficient in that? Purchasing all the supplements you suggested sounds a bit too rigorous for my purposes: I certainly want to appreciate the Bible for its own merits, but mostly with the goal of increasing my comprehension of more modern pieces of literature, i.e. I might not need the deep comprehension expected of a practicing Catholic.

And how do I know which parts to skip? Is there a source online somewhere, where I can find the least pertinent chapters?

Study groups are difficult to find where I live, but I'll see what I can do and I appreciate the suggestion.

>>9099988
>the things I mentioned make an extremely boring read.
Well fuck you too

>>9099873
Read a translation into your native language, then. You don't have to read it in English.

>>9100205

As far as I know the RSV is a revision of the of the NAB which was itself a revision of the KJV. It's the same book, just easier to read. I'm sure some scholars would quibble over some versus but it shouldn't be a problem for a regular reader. Just go with whatever translation works for you but keep in mind that protestant versions of the bible contain less books.

The Didache bible is fine by itself, it has a page before every book that gives some historical context behind the authors, the intended audience, the genre, and all that good stuff. Then it provides commentary for the books themselves. A good and probably more neutral alternative might be the Oxford annotated bible. I don't have any personal experience with it but I've heard good things.

The skippable stuff is very obvious once you get to it, like when the building of the tabernacle is recorded for the second time. I still haven't read Leviticus straight through because it's just a bunch of obscure ceremonial laws that really have no real relevance to the greater narrative. It's worth skimming over so you can reference it when needed but don't force yourself read all of that.

>>9099873
Navarre Bible
Didache Bible + Catechism of the Catholic Church
Ignatius press New Testament Study Bible

>>9100205
>Maybe I attribute more value to it just because it sounds more ancient.
I was going to rec a few works that wouldn't require you to read the whole bible, or attend reading groups, but now I see you're shallow and pretentious, and not worth helping.

>>9099873
Commentaries are always a good start. All major Christian philosophers wrote commentaries on the Bible such as Augustine on Genesis and Aquinas on the Psalms, Job, John, etc.

>>9099988
lol Catholics don't read their bibles.

>>9099873
It is the Lord's will that this thread be bumped, for the last shall be first. Make use of the opportunity, you learned men of /lit/, for all is vanity and lasts a mere breath, and there is no more bumping, nor lively banter, nor cheeky reply in the depths of the Archive.

>>9099873
>I want to be sure I don't miss anything.
read cover to cover then. there are some reading guides in biblegateway, but for me, if I don't read the whole thing, for any book, I feel like I am missing something important

>>9099873
I've heard the oxford annotated bible and norton critical edition are good versions

>>9104648
thiis

>>9100338
>>9105187
>>9101366

Thanks guys, just ordered the Oxford annotated Bible. Appreciate all the advice.

The Oxford Study Bible is excellent for providing historical and cultural context to the text. It uses the NRSV, a respectes modern translation.

In terms of stuff to skip, here's a narrative-only reading plan for getting an overall picture that avoids repetition:

Genesis
Exodus 1-24, 32-40
Numbers 9-36
Deuteronomy 34
Joshua
Judges
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
Ezra
Nehemiah
1 Maccabees (non-canon for protestants)
Luke
Acts