Below you will find a complete list of books of the Bible, as well as their corresponding number of chapters and verse counts.
The Bible is a wellspring of wisdom, encouragement, and comfort for us during all seasons of our lives.
The word of God gives us insight into the heart of our loving Father, and our role as His children here on Earth.
OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS, CHAPTERS AND VERSES
| CHAPTERS | VERSES | |
|---|---|---|
| GENESIS | 50 | 1533 |
| EXODUS | 40 | 1213 |
| LEVITICUS | 27 | 859 |
| NUMBERS | 36 | 1288 |
| DEUTERONOMY | 34 | 959 |
| JOSHUA | 24 | 658 |
| JUDGES | 21 | 618 |
| RUTH | 4 | 85 |
| 1 SAMUEL | 31 | 810 |
| 2 SAMUEL | 24 | 695 |
| 1 KINGS | 22 | 816 |
| 2 KINGS | 25 | 719 |
| 1 CHRONICLES | 29 | 942 |
| 2 CHRONICLES | 36 | 822 |
| EZRA | 10 | 280 |
| NEHEMIAH | 13 | 406 |
| ESTHER | 10 | 167 |
| JOB | 42 | 1070 |
| PSALMS | 150 | 2461 |
| PROVERBS | 31 | 915 |
| ECCLESIASTES | 12 | 222 |
| SONG OF SOLOMON | 8 | 117 |
| ISAIAH | 66 | 1292 |
| JEREMIAH | 52 | 1364 |
| LAMENTATIONS | 5 | 154 |
| EZEKIEL | 48 | 1273 |
| DANIEL | 12 | 357 |
| HOSEA | 14 | 197 |
| JOEL | 3 | 73 |
| AMOS | 9 | 146 |
| OBADIAH | 1 | 21 |
| JONAH | 4 | 48 |
| MICAH | 7 | 105 |
| NAHUM | 3 | 47 |
| HABAKKUK | 3 | 56 |
| ZEPHANIAH | 3 | 53 |
| HAGGAI | 2 | 38 |
| ZECHARIAH | 14 | 211 |
| MALACHI | 4 | 55 |
NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS, CHAPTERS AND VERSES
| CHAPTERS | VERSES | |
|---|---|---|
| MATTHEW | 28 | 1071 |
| MARK | 16 | 678 |
| LUKE | 24 | 1151 |
| JOHN | 21 | 879 |
| ACTS | 28 | 1007 |
| ROMANS | 16 | 433 |
| 1 CORINTHIANS | 16 | 437 |
| 2 CORINTHIANS | 13 | 257 |
| GALATIANS | 6 | 149 |
| EPHESIANS | 6 | 155 |
| PHILIPPIANS | 4 | 104 |
| COLOSSIANS | 4 | 95 |
| 1 THESSALONIANS | 5 | 89 |
| 2 THESSALONIANS | 3 | 47 |
| 1 TIMOTHY | 6 | 113 |
| 2 TIMOTHY | 4 | 83 |
| TITUS | 3 | 46 |
| PHILEMON | 1 | 25 |
| HEBREWS | 13 | 303 |
| JAMES | 5 | 108 |
| 1 PETER | 5 | 105 |
| 2 PETER | 3 | 61 |
| 1 JOHN | 5 | 105 |
| 2 JOHN | 1 | 13 |
| 3 JOHN | 1 | 14 |
| JUDE | 1 | 25 |
| REVELATION | 22 | 404 |
Breaking Down The Canonical Order of the Bible:
If you’re new to studying the Bible, you may feeling a little overwhelmed by where to start. I certainly was!
Thankfully, the books of the Bible can be broken down into more easily digestible sections to help compartmentalize how it all fits together in our brains.
Here is a printable Bible section key sheet you can print out!
These Sections at a Glance:
The Old Testament
The Books of the Law (Genesis – Deuteronomy)
The Books of History (Joshua – Esther)
The Books of Poetry (Job – Song of Songs)
The Major Prophets (Isaiah – Daniel)
The Minor Prophets (Hosea – Malachi)
The New Testament
The Gospels (Matthew – John)
The History of the Church (Acts)
Paul’s Letters/Epistles (Romans – Philemon)
The General Letters/Epistles (Hebrews – Jude)
The Book of Prophecy (Revelation)
Quick summary of the various Bible sections:
OLD TESTAMENT
The Old Testament details the epic series of events and prophesies foreshadowing the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Books of the Law
The books of the law are a collection of writings detailing the epic story of creation, and God’s initial covenant made with His chosen people.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy describe God’s moral and societal standards for the people of Israel, and how they were called to live differently from those around them.
These initial books of the Bible are where we learn a lot about God’s character and His love for His creation.
Historical Books
The next twelve books in the Old Testament are the historical events that took place in early Israel, spanning approximately 800 years of time.
They paint a detailed account of Biblical Israel’s conquest of Canaan (the promised land), the leadership of the judges, the united monarchy, the eventual division into the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah, and the Babylonian captivity.
The Books of Poetry/Wisdom
The books of poetry examine the ideas of love, suffering, wisdom, and other important life concepts through a variety of songs, poems, and wise sayings.
The Books of the Major Prophets & Minor Prophets
Prophets were individuals called and equipped by God to speak messages for Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. God called them to prophesy messages of confrontation and warnings of coming judgment when sin was taking place. But also to present messages of hope for those walking in obedience to God’s statutes. The prophets foreshadowed the way of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, and showed people their need for His salvation.
NEW TESTAMENT
The New Testament, in a nutshell, is about Jesus and the church He established.
The Gospels
The gospels detail Jesus’ ministry, life, death, and resurrection. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John’s books provide an account of Jesus’ life from different points of view.
The History of the Church
Acts of the Apostles is a book detailing how the early church was established after Jesus’ resurrection and ascent into heaven. The book of Acts introduces how the Holy Spirit empowered the followers of Christ, and enabled them to spread the good news and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Pauline Epistles
The Pauline epistles are letters written to the early church by the Apostle Paul, discussing the doctrine of how the Body of Christ was to live under the teachings of Christ.
The General Letters
The general epistles encourage and explain the love and faithfulness of Christ. And how to live a faithful life of obedience to God against the pitfalls of life and darkness that pursue us.
The Book of Prophesy (Revelation)
The book of Revelation describes the coming day of Jesus Christ’s return, where He will take His church to live forever with Him on the new Earth. It describes the tribulation period, and how the ultimate fall of Satan and his demons will take place to be bound up in hell forever.
Where should you start reading?
Beginning at square one in Genesis may seem like the best place to start. But it can be hard to follow the complicated genealogies listed in the early books and understand aspects of the Old Covenant law.
While God can speak to us wherever we stop and read, I recommend starting in the gospels and learning about Jesus’ life and teachings first.
The Bible is truly a book that points to Jesus all the way through, so establishing a focus on Him early on is essential.
I also very much enjoy the wisdom books and try to frequently read through the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfect, thoughtfully furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 3:16
My favorite Bible Version:
King James Version
Although more difficult to read, this Bible (aside from the Geneva Bible) is the only modern English translation received from the Hebrew Masoretic texts which are God’s pure word. After spending time comparing translations, I have noticed that several important Bible verses have been omitted from other modern Bibles.
Including Matthew 17:21 referencing that certain evil spirits only leave through prayer and fasting. “However this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
If you get overwhelmed with the King James version as your first Bible, you can always choose an easier-to-comprehend one and work up to the KJV!
I love studying two Bibles side-by-side and comparing the KJV to an easier-to-understand bible translation.
Here is my favorite KJV Bible to study God’s word!:
- Holman Bible Publishers (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 1056 Pages – 11/01/2022 (Publication Date) – Holman Bible Publishers (Publisher)
Other Interesting Facts And Statistics About The Bible:
What were the original languages of the Bible?
The original biblical languages of the Bible were Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.
How many books are in the Bible?
Standard Bibles contain a total number of 66 books in between the New and Old Testaments.
How many chapters are in the Bible?
The total number of chapters in the Bible is 1,189. There are 929 chapters within 39 books of the Old Testament and 260 chapters within the 27 books of the New Testament.
How many bible verses are in the Bible?
The total number of verses in the Bible is 31,102.
There are 23,145 in the Old Testament and 7,957 in the New Testament.
How many words are in the Bible?
Although the word count varies by Bible version, the King James Bible contains 783,137 words.
What is the shortest book in the Bible?
The shortest book in the Bible is 3 John containing a single chapter only 219 words.
What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible with only two verses, and is the middle chapter of the entire Bible.
What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
The shortest verse in the whole Bible is John 11:35 containing just two very powerful words. “Jesus wept.”
What is the longest book in the Bible?
It’s Jeremiah! Containing 33,002 total words.
What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
It’s Psalm 119 which contains a total of 176 verses.
What is the longest verse in the Bible?
Esther 8:9 is the longest verse in the Bible.
Do the books of the Bible go in order?
No, the canonical books of the bible do not go in chronological order, but rather group the books into relevant sections.
Chronological Order Bible Reading Plan:
Genesis
Job
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Chronicles
Psalms
Song of Songs
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
1 Kings
2 Kings
2 Chronicles
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Ezekiel
Daniel
Ezra
Esther
Nehemiah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Romans
James
Colossians
Philemon
Ephesians
Philippians
1 Peter
2 Peter
Hebrews
1 Timothy
Titus
2 Timothy
Jude
1 John
2 John
3 John
Revelation
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