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2016 in Review
Based on over 1.7 billion pageviews and over 180 million unique visitors to Bible Gateway from December 2015 through November 2016, this data provides a glimpse at how people engaged with the Bible in 2016.
Keyword Search Queries
Throughout the Year
What people search for in the Bible varies throughout the year. This interactive lets you explore how cyclical some queries are, often repeating every year around the same time each year. Enter a query into the search box (valid queries are suggested to you as you type) and press “Visualize” to track how popular the query was on a given day in 2014, 2015, and 2016—the farther from the center, the more popular it was. This visualization is inspired by The Rhythm of Food.
Most-Popular Keyword Searches
Here are the most-popular keyword searches in 2016 in both English and Spanish. Hover your cursor over a keyword to see how popular it is in both languages.
| Rank | English | Español |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | love | amor |
| 2. | faith | fe |
| 3. | peace | paz |
| 4. | hope | oracion |
| 5. | joy | gracia |
| 6. | prayer | misericordia |
| 7. | holy spirit | esperanza |
| 8. | grace | corazon |
| 9. | healing | amigo |
| 10. | forgiveness | espiritu santo |
| 11. | marriage | diezmo |
| 12. | strength | mujer |
| 13. | fear | gozo |
| 14. | children | perdon |
| 15. | the joy of the lord is my strength | luz |
| 16. | heart | ofrenda |
| 17. | love one another | gracias |
| 18. | pray | pecado |
| 19. | trust | padre |
| 20. | forgive | obediencia |
| 21. | comfort | padre nuestro |
| 22. | light | espiritu |
| 23. | salvation | ayuno |
| 24. | fruit of the spirit | orar |
| 25. | worship | sanidad |
Emoji
Bible Gateway introduced emoji search this year. Here are the most-popular emoji you searched for.
- 🙏 Person With Folded Hands
- ❤ Heavy Black Heart
- 🙌 Person Raising Both Hands in Celebration
- 😇 Smiling Face With Halo
- 😂 Face With Tears of Joy
- ⛅ Sun Behind Cloud
- 😍 Smiling Face With Heart-Shaped Eyes
- 😊 Smiling Face With Smiling Eyes
- 😀 Grinning Face
- 😭 Loudly Crying Face
Popular Verses
Chapter Popularity
The following visualization shows how certain Bible chapters were more popular than others in 2016. Darker chapters are more popular, and if you enlarge the image, you can see which verses in each chapter are most popular.
Paths through Scripture
Do you follow a reading plan to help you read through the Bible in a year? The following chart shows verses that are unusually popular on a given day. Dates are along the bottom, while verses are on the side: reading Genesis 1 on January 1 appears in the bottom left of the chart, while reading Revelation 22 on December 31 appears in the top right. Each dot indicates that the verse was unusually popular on the given day. This chart traces the paths we take through Scripture during the year and also shows some of the times of year when Bible reading is most intensive, especially around Easter and Christmas.
Most-Popular Bible Verses in 2016
Here are the overall most-popular Bible verses in 2016 on Bible Gateway:
| Rank | Verse | Text (NIV) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | John 3:16 | For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. |
| 2. | Jer 29:11 | For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. |
| 3. | Phil 4:13 | I can do all this through him who gives me strength. |
| 4. | Ps 23:4 | Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. |
| 5. | Rom 8:28 | And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. |
| 6. | Ps 23:1 | The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. |
| 7. | Ps 23:6 | Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. |
| 8. | Ps 23:5 | You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. |
| 9. | Ps 23:3 | he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. |
| 10. | Phil 4:6 | Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. |
| 11. | Ps 23:2 | He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, |
| 12. | Rom 12:2 | Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. |
| 13. | 1Cor 13:7 | It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. |
| 14. | Josh 1:9 | Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” |
| 15. | 1Cor 13:4 | Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. |
| 16. | Isa 41:10 | So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. |
| 17. | 1Cor 13:5 | It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. |
| 18. | Phil 4:7 | And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. |
| 19. | Matt 6:33 | But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. |
| 20. | 1Cor 13:6 | Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. |
| 21. | Isa 40:31 | but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. |
| 22. | Prov 3:6 | in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. |
| 23. | Prov 3:5 | Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; |
| 24. | Phil 4:8 | Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. |
| 25. | John 14:6 | Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. |
| 26. | Gal 5:22 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, |
| 27. | Eph 6:12 | For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. |
| 28. | 2Tim 1:7 | For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. |
| 29. | 1Cor 13:8 | Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. |
| 30. | 2Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! |
| 31. | 2Chr 7:14 | if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. |
| 32. | 1Cor 10:13 | No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. |
| 33. | Eph 3:20 | Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, |
| 34. | Matt 28:19 | Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, |
| 35. | Matt 11:28 | “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. |
| 36. | Prov 22:6 | Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. |
| 37. | John 16:33 | “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” |
| 38. | Gal 5:23 | gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. |
| 39. | Rom 5:8 | But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. |
| 40. | Ps 91:11 | For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; |
| 41. | 2Tim 3:16 | All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, |
| 42. | Ps 91:1 | Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. |
| 43. | John 10:10 | The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. |
| 44. | 1Cor 13:13 | And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. |
| 45. | 2Cor 12:9 | But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. |
| 46. | Ps 91:4 | He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. |
| 47. | Eph 2:10 | For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. |
| 48. | Matt 28:20 | and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” |
| 49. | 1John 1:9 | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. |
| 50. | 1Pet 5:7 | Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. |
| 51. | Ps 91:15 | He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. |
| 52. | Ps 91:2 | I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” |
| 53. | John 14:27 | Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. |
| 54. | Ps 91:12 | they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. |
| 55. | Ps 91:14 | “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. |
| 56. | Ps 91:16 | With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” |
| 57. | Phil 4:19 | And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. |
| 58. | Ps 91:7 | A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. |
| 59. | Ps 91:10 | no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. |
| 60. | Rom 12:1 | Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. |
| 61. | Eph 2:8 | For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— |
| 62. | Ps 91:9 | If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, |
| 63. | Ps 91:5 | You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, |
| 64. | Heb 11:1 | Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. |
| 65. | Ps 91:3 | Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. |
| 66. | Rom 3:23 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, |
| 67. | Ps 91:8 | You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. |
| 68. | Ps 139:14 | I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. |
| 69. | Ps 91:13 | You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. |
| 70. | Ps 91:6 | nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. |
| 71. | Matt 5:16 | In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. |
| 72. | 1Cor 13:12 | For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. |
| 73. | Ps 46:10 | He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” |
| 74. | 1Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. |
| 75. | John 15:13 | Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. |
| 76. | 1Thess 5:18 | give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. |
| 77. | Isa 54:17 | no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. |
| 78. | Ps 37:4 | Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. |
| 79. | Gal 6:9 | Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. |
| 80. | Gen 1:27 | So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. |
| 81. | Col 3:23 | Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, |
| 82. | Heb 12:2 | fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. |
| 83. | Ps 1:3 | That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. |
| 84. | 2Cor 10:5 | We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. |
| 85. | Ps 1:1 | Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, |
| 86. | Isa 9:6 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. |
| 87. | Jas 5:16 | Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. |
| 88. | Gal 2:20 | I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. |
| 89. | Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. |
| 90. | Ps 1:2 | but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. |
| 91. | Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
| 92. | 1Cor 13:11 | When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. |
| 93. | Isa 53:5 | But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. |
| 94. | Rom 10:9 | If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. |
| 95. | Acts 1:8 | But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” |
| 96. | Rom 8:39 | neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
| 97. | 1Pet 5:8 | Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. |
| 98. | Prov 4:23 | Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. |
| 99. | Rom 8:38 | For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, |
| 100. | Ps 118:24 | The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. |
Annotations
Visitors to Bible Gateway can highlight and take notes on Bible passages. Here are the top verses annotated this year, by type of annotation: