The 66 Books of the Bible: A Simple Overview
The Bible contains 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. They were written over roughly 1,500 years by about 40 authors, yet together they tell one unfolding Story of God’s love and redemption in Jesus Christ. Below is the complete list of all 66 books in order, followed by a simple overview and where to start reading.
All 66 books of the Bible in order
| # | Book | Testament | Group | Chapters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis | Old | Law | 50 |
| 2 | Exodus | Old | Law | 40 |
| 3 | Leviticus | Old | Law | 27 |
| 4 | Numbers | Old | Law | 36 |
| 5 | Deuteronomy | Old | Law | 34 |
| 6 | Joshua | Old | History | 24 |
| 7 | Judges | Old | History | 21 |
| 8 | Ruth | Old | History | 4 |
| 9 | 1 Samuel | Old | History | 31 |
| 10 | 2 Samuel | Old | History | 24 |
| 11 | 1 Kings | Old | History | 22 |
| 12 | 2 Kings | Old | History | 25 |
| 13 | 1 Chronicles | Old | History | 29 |
| 14 | 2 Chronicles | Old | History | 36 |
| 15 | Ezra | Old | History | 10 |
| 16 | Nehemiah | Old | History | 13 |
| 17 | Esther | Old | History | 10 |
| 18 | Job | Old | Poetry & Wisdom | 42 |
| 19 | Psalms | Old | Poetry & Wisdom | 150 |
| 20 | Proverbs | Old | Poetry & Wisdom | 31 |
| 21 | Ecclesiastes | Old | Poetry & Wisdom | 12 |
| 22 | Song of Solomon | Old | Poetry & Wisdom | 8 |
| 23 | Isaiah | Old | Major Prophets | 66 |
| 24 | Jeremiah | Old | Major Prophets | 52 |
| 25 | Lamentations | Old | Major Prophets | 5 |
| 26 | Ezekiel | Old | Major Prophets | 48 |
| 27 | Daniel | Old | Major Prophets | 12 |
| 28 | Hosea | Old | Minor Prophets | 14 |
| 29 | Joel | Old | Minor Prophets | 3 |
| 30 | Amos | Old | Minor Prophets | 9 |
| 31 | Obadiah | Old | Minor Prophets | 1 |
| 32 | Jonah | Old | Minor Prophets | 4 |
| 33 | Micah | Old | Minor Prophets | 7 |
| 34 | Nahum | Old | Minor Prophets | 3 |
| 35 | Habakkuk | Old | Minor Prophets | 3 |
| 36 | Zephaniah | Old | Minor Prophets | 3 |
| 37 | Haggai | Old | Minor Prophets | 2 |
| 38 | Zechariah | Old | Minor Prophets | 14 |
| 39 | Malachi | Old | Minor Prophets | 4 |
| 40 | Matthew | New | Gospels | 28 |
| 41 | Mark | New | Gospels | 16 |
| 42 | Luke | New | Gospels | 24 |
| 43 | John | New | Gospels | 21 |
| 44 | Acts | New | History | 28 |
| 45 | Romans | New | Paul's Letters | 16 |
| 46 | 1 Corinthians | New | Paul's Letters | 16 |
| 47 | 2 Corinthians | New | Paul's Letters | 13 |
| 48 | Galatians | New | Paul's Letters | 6 |
| 49 | Ephesians | New | Paul's Letters | 6 |
| 50 | Philippians | New | Paul's Letters | 4 |
| 51 | Colossians | New | Paul's Letters | 4 |
| 52 | 1 Thessalonians | New | Paul's Letters | 5 |
| 53 | 2 Thessalonians | New | Paul's Letters | 3 |
| 54 | 1 Timothy | New | Paul's Letters | 6 |
| 55 | 2 Timothy | New | Paul's Letters | 4 |
| 56 | Titus | New | Paul's Letters | 3 |
| 57 | Philemon | New | Paul's Letters | 1 |
| 58 | Hebrews | New | General Letters | 13 |
| 59 | James | New | General Letters | 5 |
| 60 | 1 Peter | New | General Letters | 5 |
| 61 | 2 Peter | New | General Letters | 3 |
| 62 | 1 John | New | General Letters | 5 |
| 63 | 2 John | New | General Letters | 1 |
| 64 | 3 John | New | General Letters | 1 |
| 65 | Jude | New | General Letters | 1 |
| 66 | Revelation | New | Prophecy | 22 |
Chapter counts use the standard Protestant canon. Want a beautiful, illustrated one-page summary of every book? See our Holy Bible collection.
The Bible is best understood as a library gathered into one Story. Here’s the shape of it:
The Old Testament (39 books)
The Old Testament tells the story from creation to the centuries before Jesus. It’s often grouped like this:
- The Law (5): Genesis through Deuteronomy — creation, the patriarchs, and God forming a people.
- History (12): Joshua through Esther — the rise and fall of Israel.
- Poetry & Wisdom (5): Job through Song of Solomon — prayer, worship and the questions of the heart.
- The Prophets (17): Isaiah through Malachi — God’s call to return to Him, and promises of a coming Savior.
The New Testament (27 books)
- The Gospels (4): Matthew, Mark, Luke and John — the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
- History (1): Acts — the birth and growth of the early church.
- Letters (21): Romans through Jude — teaching for everyday faith and life.
- Prophecy (1): Revelation — the hope of God making all things new.
Where should I start?
If you’re new, the Gospel of John is a wonderful starting point, followed by Genesis and the Psalms. The goal isn’t speed — it’s meeting God in His Word.
Want a beautiful overview to keep nearby? Our illustrated one-page summaries of all 66 books make Scripture easy to grasp for the whole family. Explore them in the Holy Bible collection.