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
Ancien Testament
39 Livres • 75h 23m
Genèse
4h 20m
Exode
3h 48m
Lévitique
2h 48m
Nombres
3h 42m
Deutéronome
3h 20m
Josué
2h 12m
Juges
2h 7m
Ruth
19m
1 Samuel
2h 56m
2 Samuel
2h 27m
1 Rois
2h 52m
2 Rois
2h 42m
1 Chroniques
2h 46m
2 Chroniques
3h 8m
Esdras
56m
Néhémie
1h 19m
Esther
40m
Job
2h 35m
Psaumes
6h 26m
Proverbes
2h 8m
Ecclésiaste
40m
Cantique des Cantiques
20m
Esaïe
4h 45m
Jérémie
5h 15m
Lamentations
26m
Ezéchiel
5h 11m
Daniel
1h 25m
Osée
39m
Joël
15m
Amos
31m
Abdias
4m
Jonas
10m
Michée
23m
Nahum
10m
Habacuc
12m
Sophonie
13m
Aggée
9m
Zacharie
50m
Malachie
14m
Nouveau Testament
27 Livres • 22h 58m
Matthieu
2h 46m
Marc
1h 41m
Luc
3h 3m
Jean
2h 10m
Actes des Apôtres
2h 54m
Romains
1h 28m
1 Corinthiens
1h 21m
2 Corinthiens
54m
Galates
29m
Ephésiens
28m
Philippiens
21m
Colossiens
19m
1 Thessaloniciens
17m
2 Thessaloniciens
10m
1 Timothée
22m
2 Timothée
15m
Tite
10m
Philémon
3m
Hébreux
55m
Jacques
18m
1 Pierre
24m
2 Pierre
15m
1 Jean
20m
2 Jean
3m
3 Jean
3m
Jude
5m
Apocalypse
1h 25m
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
Ancien TestamentAT75h
Nouveau TestamentNT23h
(Psaumes)(Ps)6h
Heures par SemaineHeures par Semaine12 – 24 mois12 – 24 mois
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
