Public Reading of Scripture (PRS) is the biblical practice of listening to (reading) the Bible together.
Five Pillars of PRS
In Community
1 Timothy 4:13 (NIV)
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture to preaching and teaching.
Listening
Revelation 1:3 (ESV)
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Whole Bible
Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)
But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
Regularly
Psalm 1:2 (NKJV)
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
High Quality
Nehemiah 8:8 (NKJV)
So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
PRS Examples in the Old Testament
Exodus 17:14a (ESV)
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua,…
Exodus 24:7a (ESV)
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people.
Deuteronomy 31:11b (ESV)
You shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
Jeremiah 36:6b (NIV)
Read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated.
PRS Examples in the New Testament
Luke 4:16b (NKJV)
And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
Acts 15:21 (NIV)
For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.
Colossians 4:16a (ESV)
And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans;…
1 Thessalonians 5:27 (ESV)
I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
How Long Does It Take to Listen to the Whole Bible?
English
98 hrs
Arabic
90 hrs
French
98 hrs
Indonesian
143 hrs
Japanese
118 hrs
Korean
85 hrs
Mandarin
100 hrs
Russian
98 hrs
Spanish
106 hrs
Listening to Audio Drama Bibles in the PRS App
Listening Time for Each of 66 Books of the Bible
Old Testament
39 Books • 76h 58m
Genesis
4h 49m
Exodus
4h 1m
Leviticus
2h 43m
Numbers
3h 48m
Deuteronomy
4h 38m
Joshua
2h 21m
Judges
2h 17m
Ruth
17m
1 Samuel
2h 59m
2 Samuel
2h 29m
1 Kings
2h 58m
2 Kings
2h 45m
1 Chronicles
2h 47m
2 Chronicles
3h 8m
Ezra
54m
Nehemiah
1h 12m
Esther
43m
Job
2h 19m
Psalms
6h 2m
Proverbs
2h 4m
Ecclesiastes
42m
Song of Songs
23m
Isaiah
4h 32m
Jeremiah
5h 3m
Lamentations
31m
Ezekiel
4h 57m
Daniel
1h 30m
Hosea
41m
Joel
14m
Amos
32m
Obadiah
4m
Jonah
12m
Micah
28m
Nahum
9m
Habakkuk
11m
Zephaniah
12m
Haggai
8m
Zechariah
45m
Malachi
13m
New Testament
27 Books • 20h 50m
Matthew
2h 49m
Mark
1h 43m
Luke
2h 54m
John
2h 14m
Acts
2h 45m
Romans
1h 9m
1 Corinthians
1h 2m
2 Corinthians
40m
Galatians
21m
Ephesians
21m
Philippians
15m
Colossians
14m
1 Thessalonians
13m
2 Thessalonians
7m
1 Timothy
16m
2 Timothy
12m
Titus
7m
Philemon
3m
Hebrews
53m
James
15m
1 Peter
16m
2 Peter
10m
1 John
17m
2 John
2m
3 John
2m
Jude
4m
Revelation
1h 16m
In English (NKJV). The Word of Promise Audio Bible.
How Much Bible to Listen to (Read) in One to Two Years?
Our Recommendation for Public and Private Bible Listening (Reading) Goals
Old TestamentOT77 hrs
New TestamentNT21 hrs
(Psalms)(Ps)6 hrs
Hours Per WeekHrs Per Week12 – 24 months12 – 24 mo
1 ×
1 ×
2 ×
2h00m – 1h00m
1 ×
2 ×
3 ×
2h30m – 1h15m
1 ×
3 ×
4 ×
3h00m – 1h30m
2 ×
3 ×
4 ×
4h30m – 2h15m
2 ×
4 ×
6 ×
5h00m – 2h30m
2 ×
6 ×
8 ×
6h00m – 3h00m
Hours are approximate, using English (NKJV) Audio Bible in the PRS App
Balancing OT & NT and Praying Psalms Often
Why Balance OT & NT and Pray Psalms Often?
Hebrews 1:1-2a (NIV)
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,…
Luke 9:35 (NKJV)
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Psalm 55:17 (NKJV)
Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.
Psalm 72:20 (NKJV)
The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Luke 21:36a (NKJV)
Watch therefore, and pray always…
Cautions When Listening to the Bible
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV)
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
John 5:39-40 (NIV)
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
Malachi 1:6a (ESV)
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you.”
Matthew 7:26 (ESV)
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
2 Timothy 2:2b-6 (NKJV)
Commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
3 Steps for Successful Bible Listening (Reading)
Step 1. Belong to a PRS Group, Preferably with a Few Friends
Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NKJV) Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Luke 4:16 (NKJV) So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
Step 2. Set a One to Two-Year Goal
Deuteronomy 8:3 (NKJV) So He humbled you,allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.
Matthew 4:4 (NKJV) But He answered and said, “It is written,‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouthof God.’ ”
Step 3. Track and Share It
Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
1 Timothy 4:15 (ESV) Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.
Comprehensive Judeo-Christian Learning
Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV & NIV)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
1 Timothy 4:13 (NIV)
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
Public Reading of Scripture Listening to Scripture Together
Preaching Hearing Biblical Preaching
Teaching Reading Books (JSU Book Club & Private) & Studying the Bible
