By The Water
Luke has 24 chapters and 1,151 verses. In the King James text that is 25,939 words, which takes about 2 hr 10 min to read at an ordinary pace of 200 words a minute — the longest gospel, the Christmas story, and the parables nobody else records.
Luke in numbers
| Chapters | 24 |
|---|---|
| Verses | 1,151 |
| Words (KJV) | 25,939 |
| Reading time at 200 wpm | 2 hr 10 min |
| Testament | New Testament |
| Type of writing | Gospel |
| Author | Traditionally attributed to Luke, a physician and travelling companion of Paul |
| Place in the Bible | Volume one of a two-part work; Acts is volume two |
Counted from the King James text in the By The Water app, not estimated. See the same figures for all 66 books.
Luke is the longest book in the New Testament by word count, and the most deliberately researched: it opens by telling Theophilus that the writer has “had perfect understanding of all things from the very first” and is setting them down in order. It is volume one of two — Acts picks up the same story with the same dedication.
It is also the gospel most interested in the people at the edges. The shepherds hear first. Women are named and funded the work. The parables unique to Luke — the good Samaritan, the prodigal son, the rich man and Lazarus, the persistent widow — are almost all about someone the audience would have written off.
Chapters 1–2 contain the Christmas narrative most people know: the annunciation, the journey to Bethlehem, the manger, the shepherds and the angels. If you have ever read the Bible aloud in December, you were almost certainly reading Luke.
Key chapters in Luke
- Luke 1–2 — The annunciation, the Magnificat and the nativity.
- Luke 4 — Jesus reads from Isaiah in Nazareth and says it is fulfilled.
- Luke 10 — The good Samaritan.
- Luke 15 — The lost sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son.
- Luke 23–24 — The crucifixion, the empty tomb and the road to Emmaus.
Read Luke in a week
Split by verse count rather than by chapter, so the days come out even — no more than about 21 minutes on the heaviest day. Print it, or tick it off on screen.
| Done | Day | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Luke 1–3 | |
| Day 2 | Luke 4–7 | |
| Day 3 | Luke 8–10 | |
| Day 4 | Luke 11–13 | |
| Day 5 | Luke 14–18 | |
| Day 6 | Luke 19–21 | |
| Day 7 | Luke 22–24 |
Where Luke falls in a one-year plan
If you are reading the whole Bible in 2027, here is when you reach Luke in each of the four plans on this site — computed from the plans themselves, with 2027 dates.
| Plan | When you read Luke | Reading days |
|---|---|---|
| Bible in a Year | Days 62–95 (Wed, Mar 3 to Mon, Apr 5) | 24 days |
| Chronological | Days 272–316 (Wed, Sep 29 to Fri, Nov 12) | 19 days |
| Cover to Cover | Days 292–304 (Tue, Oct 19 to Sun, Oct 31) | 13 days |
| New to the Bible | Days 54–66 (Tue, Feb 23 to Sun, Mar 7) | 13 days |
Each plan is printable in full: compare all four reading plans.
Paper plans work — until you miss a day
A printed plan is a good start. The trouble usually comes in February: a busy week, three unticked boxes, then six, and the plan quietly ends. By The Water has this exact plan built in, and it is designed for the days life gets in the way.
- Today's reading, readyOpen the app and today's chapters are waiting on the Today tab. No hunting for where you left off.
- Every chapter tracked and savedEach chapter you read is checked off and saved to your account, so a new phone doesn't mean starting over.
- See how far you've comeA progress ring shows how much of the Bible you've read, and how far through the current book you are.
- A finish date that moves with you“Started Jan 2027 · Estimated finish: Dec 2027” updates as you read, so you always know where you stand.
- Miss a day without falling apartThe plan picks up at your next unread chapter, not a calendar date — so a missed week never becomes a wall of overdue readings.
- Reminders and streaksA daily reminder at the time you choose, and a reading streak to keep you coming back.
Free to start: the reading plans, progress tracking, streaks and reminders are all free in the app.
Nearby books
- The Book of John — 21 chapters, 1 hr 35 min
- The Book of Matthew — 28 chapters, 1 hr 58 min
- The Book of Acts — 28 chapters, 2 hr 1 min
- All 66 books — chapters, verses and reading time
- How long does it take to read the whole Bible?