How to use the bible
An explanation of how to find bible verses in a handheld Bible and in an online Bible.
Handheld bibles - online bibles
HANDHELD BIBLES
Find the “Contents” page in the front of the Bible.
On the “Contents” page, you will see a list of the books of the Bible. The list is usually split into two sections: The Old Testament and The New Testament. Sometimes, the list is alphabetical.
Next to each book title located on the “Contents” page, you will find a page number indicating the beginning of that book. The page numbers are usually found at the top of each page.
You may find titles and descriptions introducing the various books and chapters.
On each page you will find large numbers and small numbers. The large numbers indicate the chapters of the Bible. The small numbers refer to the individual verses (sentences or phrases).
When people reference a specific passage of the Bible it will look something like this example…Job 23:12.
In the above example, “Job” references the specific book of the Bible.
In the above example, “23” refers to chapter 23 of Job.
In the above example, “12” refers to verse 12 of chapter 23.
In the example of Job 23:12-13, the reference includes verses 12 and 13.
In some translations, you may find a tiny italicized number within a verse. This refers to a difference of translation or manuscript explained at the very bottom of the page. You can understand more about this by reading the “Preface” at the front of the Bible. There you will find how they translated that copy of the Bible.
If you have a study Bible, you will find notes about some verses at the bottom of the page. You may find tiny italicized letters next to a word, referencing a list of verses that that shed more light on it. Usually, the list is located at the bottom or middle of the page.
We recommend that you use a handheld bible (a physical book), because it will help familiarize you with how to use it for yourself. The more you read the Bible, the more familiar you will become with it, and the easier it will be to find a specific passage without having to use the “Contents” page. Another helpful tip is to memorize the the list of books of the Bible listed on the “Contents” page. Other benefits to using a handheld bible are: not needing access to the internet, not running out of battery power, not encountering glitches, and not encountering sun glare. That said, it is also okay to use an electronic Bible.
ONLINE BIBLES
There are many free online Bibles. For example...
Biblegateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/
This is a website and an app for your mobile device. On the website, you will see two boxes at the top. The text box on the left is a place where you can type in a Bible reference (i.e. John 6:68) or a word or phrase to find in the Bible. If you click on the drop-down arrow in the box on the right, you may select the translation of the Bible you prefer to use. Under the “Search” button, you can increase or decrease the size of the text you are reading. Once you have entered the desired reference (i.e. John 15:5) and selected your desired translation (i.e. New American Standard Bible), you may click the search button or press “Enter” on your keyboard to view the desired passage. Once you are there, you will see five icons. The first one allows you to share the passage on social media. The second one allows you to print the passage. The third one allows you to select your viewing preferences. The fourth one allows you to add another translation for comparison. The fifth icon allows you to listen to someone read the Bible to you. There are many other features on this website as well.
Blue Letter Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/
This is a website and an app for your mobile device. On the website, you will see two boxes at the top right of the page. The text box on the top is a place where you can type in a bible reference (i.e. 1 Peter 2:2) or a word or phrase to find in the Bible. If you click on the drop-down arrow in the box below, you may select the translation of the Bible you prefer to use. Once you have entered the desired reference (i.e. John 15:5) and selected your desired translation (i.e. New American Standard Bible), you may click the magnifying glass button or press “Enter” on your keyboard to see your desired passage. Once there, you may click on the abbreviated verse reference (i.e. Psalm 1:2 for Psalm 1:2) for further tools to study the verse deeper. You also may access the list of these tools by hovering over or clicking the Tools button. The Interlinear tool allows you to explore what the verse means in the original language. For example, if you click on the H2656 next to the words, “But his delight”, you will discover what the word “delight” means in the Hebrew language. The Bibles tool allows you to compare the verse in multiple translations. The Cross-Refs tool shows where you can find similar phrases in other passages of the Bible. The Commentaries tool shows you multiple books that men wrote about that passage. The Dictionaries tool allows you to read Bible dictionaries. There are many other features on this website.
The Bible App for your mobile device. https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/
Online Bibles are like having a library of Bibles and study tools at your fingertips. You can even adjust the text size so that it is easier to read. You can listen to the Bible audibly. You can read it at night without needing a lamp. If it is on your phone, then it fits in your pocket for easy travel. It is suggested turning off text and social media notifications when studying the Bible online so as to avoid distractions.
Bible References
Read the Bible in your own language here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.
Read about the Authorized King James Version (AKJV) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.
Read about the King James Version (KJV) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.
Read about the New King James Version (NKJV) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.
Read about the New American Standard Bible (NASB) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.
Read about the English Standard Version (ESV) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.
Read the Bible in its original Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek languages or Septuagint couresty of BLB www.blueletterbible.org.
The automatic reference tagger courtesy of FaithlifeReftagger www.faithlife.com/products/reftagger.