How to Read a Two-Column Bible

Read down the left column first, then return to the top of the right column. After finishing that column, move to the next page. A two-column Bible is not read straight across both columns as though they were one wide paragraph.

Follow a sentence across the column break

A sentence can begin at the bottom of the left column and continue at the top of the right. When the wording seems incomplete, check the next column before assuming you have reached a new paragraph. The same applies when a sentence continues onto the next page.

The smaller verse numbers help you locate a reference. They do not necessarily mark the beginning of a new sentence or a new speaker. Read the punctuation and surrounding words as well as the numbers.

Find a passage before reading aloud

Locate the book, then the chapter, then the verse. Check the end of the requested passage before you start. This is especially useful when a group reading crosses a column or page boundary: you can mark the transition without losing your place mid-sentence.

In our Black and White editions, Jesus’ words appear in red. Color identifies those words in this edition; it does not change the reading order. Narrative and another speaker’s words may continue within the same paragraph in the regular text color.

Test the layout with a real page

Open the interior preview below and follow one complete paragraph through the columns. Then use the PDF sample at actual size to judge whether the line length and spacing suit you. A small thumbnail is useful for seeing the design, but it is not a fair readability test.

If you prefer a single-column layout, check that requirement before ordering. Our printed editions contain the 27 New Testament books in a two-column layout, rather than a single-column journal or wide-margin study edition.