Bible with no chapters or verses

[onecalled]

I am looking for a King James bible that does not have verses or chapters. Does anyone know of a bible like this? This is for a new way of reading God's Word as He has given it to His people. If I am correct, the letters to the churches (new testament) did not have verses or chapters. Thank you all.

[tango]

You could always use something like e-sword and copy the text without the chapter and verse references. Not sure why it makes such a big difference - the numbers are only to help reference it. It's much easier to refer to, say, Ephesians 6:10-20 than it is to describe "that bit towards the end of Ephesians about spiritual battles".

[onecalled]

This is just for my own reading time. Before I begin to study a part of the bible I would like to read it like the first churches read it. I am wanting to gain more understanding of the bible by doing this, this may work or it may not. Thanks for the reply

[tango]

I'm really not sure how it makes such a difference having a few numbers dotted around. But feel free to try it - in e-sword you can select the passage you want, then choose the Bible menu, then Copy Verses, then choose option 7.

[markedward]

I prefer to read the Bible without the references. I only need the references when I'm... referencing. If I'm just reading and studying, I don't need a bunch of late-made divisions sticking in the way, because it really does muddle up context from time to time.

[the rookie]

If you really want to receive the word the way the early church did, invest in a great audio Bible. It is incredible when you hear the word ("faith comes by hearing...") to discover how many details and ideas you miss over the years when you hear the word read aloud. That's the primary way many in the early church (where the Roman Empire had a very high rate of illiteracy outside of elites, soldiers, and scribes) navigated the scriptures.

Then, if you want the other side of authenticity, learn greek and then cramthewordstogetherlikethis.

[ClayInHisHands]

Then, if you want the other side of authenticity, learn greek and then cramthewordstogetherlikethis.

hotianthroposekzeteotheosopheleia

or

HOTIANTHROPOSEKZETEOTHEOSOPHELEIA

Good golly I think I would have just preferred to get coffee and take out for these translators. Their eyes had to have been killing them after 10 minutes of translating let alone the actual hours, months, and years it took.

[Raybob]

Reading some passages without the numbers, sometimes helps some passages to make more sense, especially when a new chapter starts with a "but", such as:

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
(1Th 4:16 - 5:4)

[Codger]

Well, it's worse than you think because the original Greek was written without word breaks. It was just one long word. Makes it easy to get a word count however.

[percho]

I believe it makes for a clearer understanding. Comment on this passage.

Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present [us] with you. For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in [this] tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.

[Tonton]

I am looking for a King James bible that does not have verses or chapters. Does anyone know of a bible like this? This is for a new way of reading God's Word as He has given it to His people. If I am correct, the letters to the churches (new testament) did not have verses or chapters. Thank you all.

You are right that the original scriptures had no numbering. There were chapters, though, but not in the same "order" as presently.

I do not believe that you will find such a Bible, though, because numbering happened way before modern duplication methods.

I suggest you read the KJV without consideration of numbers and chapters. This is much easier than erasing it, wasting good reading time.

I find the numbers handy - eg. Acts 8:36 - absent in certain translations - this would have been easily hidden, had it not been for the numbers...

Anton

[tango]

I believe it makes for a clearer understanding. Comment on this passage.

Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present [us] with you. For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in [this] tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.

I'd say comments would be much like if it read like this:

2Co 4:14-5:10 NKJV knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. (15) For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. (16) Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. (17) For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, (18) while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (5:1) For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2) For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, (3) if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. (4) For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. (5) Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. (6) So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. (7) For we walk by faith, not by sight. (8) We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (9) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.


Is your issue with the numbers disrupting your reading, or the tendency to view a break between chapters as a break in the flow of the text?

[Firstfruits]

This is just for my own reading time. Before I begin to study a part of the bible I would like to read it like the first churches read it. I am wanting to gain more understanding of the bible by doing this, this may work or it may not. Thanks for the reply

Did they not refer to certain scriptures when explaining doctrine/teaching?

Firstfruits

[the rookie]

Did they not refer to certain scriptures when explaining doctrine/teaching?

Firstfruits

They did it "Hebrew-style". In other words, they would just say, "As it is written..." or "have you ever read in the Scriptures" or "for so it is written by the prophet".

It was expected, if a rabbi or teacher gave a reference from a passage, that the student would know the passage and its context, etc.

[John146]

Reading some passages without the numbers, sometimes helps some passages to make more sense, especially when a new chapter starts with a "but", such as:

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
(1Th 4:16 - 5:4)

That's the first example that came to my mind when I thought about places where chapter breaks were inappropriate. Many seem to think that Paul changes the subject that he discusses at the end of 1 Thess 4 at the beginning of 1 Thess 5 but I don't believe that is the case. When you read 1 Thess 4:13-5:6 as a whole then I think it should be clear that Paul contrasts what will happen to believers with what will happen to unbelievers on the day of Christ's second coming.