Can Google Home Read the Bible? (YES! Use These Commands)
One great feature of Google home is its ability to read the bible out-loud to you! Here’s how…
Can Google Home Read the Bible?
Yes, Google Home can read the bible without any additional setup required. Google Assistant “actions” come automatically activated. Some of the best bible reading actions for Google Home are YouVersion Bible, GodLife, jw.org, and Pocket Bible. Try saying, “OK Google, tell YouVersion Bible to read John 3:16”.
| YouVersion Bible | GodLife | jw.org | Pocket Bible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Applet |  |  |  |  |
| Plays whole books | yes | no | yes | no |
| Plays whole chapters | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Plays verses | yes | no | no | yes |
| Professionally narrated | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Verse of the day | yes | yes | no | no |
| Bible version | King James, English Standard, New International, Message, New Living | English Standard | New World Version | Unknown |
| Google command | OK Google, talk to YouVersion Bible | OK Google, talk to GodLife | OK Google, talk to jw.org | OK Google, talk to Pocket Bible |
Read the Bible with Google Home Actions
Google actions is a third-party development platform that offers applets for Google Assistant. These applets help to expand Google Home’s functionality.
This extended functionality is a real plus when it comes to something like reading the bible. Without an applet, Google Home would simply scan the internet for the bible verse you’ve requested and regurgitate whatever it can find.
Sometimes you get lucky.
For example, if you don’t use an applet and just say, “OK Google, read Timothy, chapter 6, verse 12”, your Google Home is able to find this verse on bibleref.com and read it aloud to you.
Other times, you don’t.
For example, if you say “OK Google, read Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 13”, your Google Home won’t be able to help.
Best Google Home Applets for reading the bible
So, instead of hoping Google Home can find the bible verse you’re looking for, you can use an existing bible reading applet to guarantee it.
There are a lot of different specialized Bible reading applets available on Google Home, but below I detail the four best. And all of them are free!
1. YouVersion Bible
The most versatile of all the Google Home Bible applets is YouVersion Bible. This applet has a ton of great features AND it’s professionally narrated!
To access YouVersion Bible, you can start by saying “OK Google, talk to YouVersion Bible“.
Here are some of the different things you can ask it:
You can ask YouVersion Bible to read any book, chapter, or verse in the bible.
For example, you can say:
- “OK Google, tell YouVersion Bible to read John”
- “OK Google, tell YouVersion Bible to read Jeremiah chapter 29”
- “OK Google, tell YouVersion Bible to read Psalm 23:5”
You can ask YouVersion Bible for the verse of the day.
For example, you can say:
- “OK Google, tell YouVersion Bible to read the verse of the day”
You can even choose from five different Bible versions!
For example, you can say, “OK Google, tell YouVersion Bible to switch to the…
- …King James Version”
- …English Standard Version”
- …New International Version”
- …Message Version”
- …NLT Version”
YouVersion Bible really has it all. The only challenging thing for me is remembering what it’s called! I often forget its name and have to look it up before asking Google Home to read from it.
2. GodLife
I chose GodLife second because the narration is the best available on this list. It uses multiple voices for many of the readings and the storytelling is extremely entertaining.
There is a bit of loss in functionality with this applet in that you can only play a chapter from the bible, you can’t play the whole book and you can’t narrow it down to a specific verse.
To access GodLife, you can start by saying “OK Google, talk to GodLife“.
Here are some of the different things you can ask it:
You can ask GodLife to read any chapter in the bible.
For example, you can say:
- “OK Google, tell GodLife to read Jeremiah chapter 29”
You can ask GodLife for the verse of the day.
For example, you can say:
- “OK Google, tell GodLife to read the verse of the day”
You can ask GodLife for today’s devotional.
For example, you can say:
- “OK Google, tell GodLife to read today’s devotional”
3. jw.org
Jehovah’s Witnesses offer a great Google Home applet capable of reading the bible aloud. It too is professionally narrated and has some pretty useful features.
That said it cannot play individual verses from the bible, only whole books or chapters.
To access jw.org, you can start by saying “OK Google, talk to jw.org.”
Here are some of the different things you can ask it:
You can ask jw.org to read any book or chapter in the bible.
For example, you can say:
- “OK Google, tell jw.org to read John”
- “OK Google, tell jw.org to read Jeremiah chapter 29”
With jw.org, you’re unable to choose the exact bible version you want. jw.org will play recordings from the 2013 edition of the New World Translation if they are available. Otherwise, it plays recordings of the 1984 edition.
A lot of the additional functionality jw.org offers is Jehovah’s Witness specific. If you want to learn about these features, visit their website here.
4. Pocket Bible
This Google Home Bible reading applet is definitely a few steps down from YouVersion Bible, GodLife, and jw.org. For starters, it’s not professionally narrated. Instead, you get a robot-sounding woman as your bible reader.
I’ll be honest, it can get pretty annoying after a while.
You also can’t have Pocket Bible read a full book from the bible, you have to minimally select a book AND a chapter.
To access Pocket Bible, you can start by saying “OK Google, talk to Pocket Bible“.
You can ask Pocket Bible to read any chapter or verse in the bible.
For example, you can say:
- “OK Google, tell Pocket Bible to read Jeremiah chapter 29”
- “OK Google, tell Pocket Bible to read Psalm 23:5”
One nice feature that Pocket Bible has, that YouVersion Bible, GodLife and jw.org don’t, is the ability to pick a topic within the bible. Pocket Bible then reads a chapter and verse that’s applicable to that topic. For example, you can say:
- “OK Google, tell Pocket Bible to read about Family“
- “OK Google, tell Pocket Bible to read about Love“
- “OK Google, tell Pocket Bible to read about Anger“
- “OK Google, tell Pocket Bible to read about Jealousy“
Conclusion
Google Home can read the bible aloud for you without any additional setup required.
The top four Google Home bible reading applets, in order, are YouVersion Bible, GodLife, jw.org, and Pocket Bible.
If you’re looking for the most functionality, I recommend you stick with YouVersion Bible. YouVersion Bible is professionally narrated and allows you to read whole books, chapters, and even specific verses.
Which Google Home, bible reading applet is your favorite?
