I think reading the Bible, in general, is beneficial. But if you read it just to read it, you probably won't gain a lot from it. The way it is written is heavily steeped in jewish lore and culture, broken contributions, and heavy contemporary references (for the time). Worse yet, if you try to read it cover to cover, you'll hit areas near the beginning (The end of Exodus, Deuteronomy, etc.) that read like law books and will bore you to tears until you understand the context of them. If you're serious on any level of starting to read it, get yourself a good translation that has actively taken the time to remove the archaic descriptions of such things as money, time, and messurement. I HIGHLY reccomend the New Living Translation, but the NIV is good too. Start with the 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and then branch from there. I'd also reccomend praying before you read for guidance and understanding, but that is up to your discretion