Verse of the day
起初， 神创造天地。
In contextThe very first verse: God makes everything, and it is good.
Read the whole chapterA different verse every day: in one month, from Genesis to Revelation.
Free Bible app · 8 languages
Follow the scarlet thread through the Bible.Hi! Which story will you read today?
Thread helps you read the Bible and understand it: every verse in its context, with the history behind it, and always with an eye on Jesus. For yourself, your family and your children.
Pick a story with a lovely picture, read it together and discover what God tells us. Or look up a verse you already know!
Where would you like to start?
What does Thread do?
From one verse to the whole story
Search
Type a verse you know, like John 3:16, or a word. Or open one of the 66 books.
Zoom out
See what comes before and after, who wrote it, for whom and why. With the history and the land around it.
Read together
With a family moment, questions for every age and picture stories for children.
Why context?
A verse is one line in a conversation
Bible verses travel on their own: on tiles, sports shirts and social media. Out of context a verse can start to say something it doesn't. Three examples:
- 耶利米书 29:11Known as
Een persoonlijke belofte: God heeft een plan met mijn leven en het komt goed, liefst snel.In contextEen belofte aan een volk in ballingschap, met een wachttijd van zeventig jaar. Eerst komt de opdracht om zich in te richten en het goede te zoeken voor de stad van de vijand.Read in context - 腓立比书 4:13Known as
'Ik kan alles': een motto voor sport, examens en persoonlijke doelen.In context'Ik kan alles aan': honger en overvloed, gebrek en genoeg. Paulus schrijft het vanuit de gevangenis, in een bedankbriefje voor een gift. Het gaat over tevredenheid, niet over prestaties.Read in context - 马太福音 7:1Known as
'Niemand mag iets van mij vinden': een schild tegen elke kritiek.In contextEen waarschuwing tegen hard en schijnheilig oordelen. Eerst zelfonderzoek (de balk), dan pas helpen (de splinter). In dezelfde toespraak vraagt Jezus wel om onderscheidingsvermogen (vs 6 en 15–20).Read in context
The scarlet thread
One story, from beginning to end, about Jesus
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus explained “in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Follow a stretch of that thread:
- Genesis 3:15The first promiseAfter the fall, God promises that a descendant of the woman will defeat the serpent.
- Genesis 22:8God will provideAbraham on the mountain: “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”
- Exodus 12:13The Passover lambBlood on the doorposts, and death passes over.
- Psalm 23:1The good shepherd“Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.”
- Isaiah 53:5Wounded for usA Servant who suffers for others: “by his wounds we are healed.”
- John 1:29Behold, the Lamb of GodJohn the Baptist points to Jesus: “who takes away the sin of the world!”
- Revelation 21:4All things newGod will wipe away every tear, and death will be no more.
This is one thread. There are eight, like the Lamb, the Shepherd and the Temple, each one station at a time.
Follow all the red threadsExplore
There is so much more to discover
Behind every page there is a world: from angels and the ark to the feasts of the church. Pick what draws you.
For children
Bible stories with pictures
Turn on kids mode: bigger letters, happy colours, a picture with every story and explanations children understand.
Choose a story. Read it together with mum, dad or someone else, look at the picture, and talk about it!
What you get
Everything to really understand the Bible
The whole Bible
66 books in four languages, each with an introduction: author, time, structure and where you see Jesus.
Read in context
Zoom out from the verse to its surroundings, the chapter and the book. Your verse stays marked.
Three layers
What the text says, the background, and interpretation: always kept apart.
Honest about uncertainty
Where scholars or churches differ, we say so briefly and neutrally.
Family moment
Ten minutes of reading together, with a question for children, teens and adults.
Kids mode
Pictures, big letters and simple explanations, so children can read along themselves.
The library
66 books, one story
The Bible is a whole library: laws, history, songs, prophets, gospels and letters, written over more than a thousand years. Thread gives you a gateway into every book.
How we work
With Jesus at the centre
We believe the Bible tells one story that leads to Jesus Christ, and we want everyone to be able to discover that for themselves.
Honest, with sources
The explanations rest on recognised commentaries. Where Christians differ, we show the main readings without taking sides.
Free and private
No tracking, no ads, no account needed. To keep your progress, your e-mail address is all it takes.
Who is behind it
Made by nealvdv, with love and care
Thread is a project by nealvdv, built so that as many people as possible can read the Bible for themselves and get to know Jesus. It grows step by step, with care for every detail.
More about ThreadQuestions
Frequently asked questions
A free website and app to read the Bible and understand it. You read every verse in its context, with explanations of the history, the author and the readers, and with an eye for the scarlet thread that leads to Jesus.
No. Thread is an independent project. We write from the historic Christian faith (the Apostles' Creed) and with respect for different churches; where they read the text differently, we show it.
The app is available in Dutch, French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Polish. The Bible text comes in four public-domain translations (Dutch, French, English and German); in the other languages you read the English one for now. For now the explanations of passages are in Dutch; translations are on their way.
Yes. Turn on kids mode for pictures, bigger letters and simple explanations. Every story comes with a question and something to do together.
nealvdv writes them, based on recognised commentaries and scholarly literature; the sources are listed with every passage. Until a second reader has checked a text, it is marked as a draft.
No. Everything can be read without an account. To have your progress on all your devices, create a free account with just your e-mail address, no password.