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Bible reference · Read and listen free

Books of the Bible: How Many, and Every Book in Order

How many books are in the Bible?

The Protestant Bible has 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.

Catholic Bibles have 73 books (46 + 27). Eastern Orthodox Bibles have more, and the count varies by church. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is usually said to have 81. The Hebrew Bible counts the same Old Testament books as 24.

Start listening with Genesis See all 66 books in order

By The Historic Faith · Checked 6 November 2026 · Every number is traced to a named source in Notes and sources.

The 66 books in ten groups

Old Testament · 39 books

  1. 5 The Law
  2. 12 History
  3. 5 Poetry
  4. 5 Major Prophets
  5. 12 Minor Prophets

New Testament · 27 books

  1. 4 Gospels
  2. 1 Acts
  3. 13 Paul's letters
  4. 8 General letters
  5. 1 Revelation

Each spine is one book; taller spines have more chapters. We count Hebrews with the general letters; some lists put it with Paul, which makes 14 and 7.

Which Bible do I have?

A KJV, NKJV, NIV, ESV, NASB, CSB or NLT has 66 books, unless the cover says "with Apocrypha".

A Catholic Bible, such as the New American Bible, has 73. An Orthodox Bible has a few more, and the count depends on the church.

Which extra books, and where to hear them

The Bible at a glance

Show key numbers
Key numbers about the 66 books of the Bible
Books66 in Protestant Bibles
Old Testament39 books · 929 chapters
New Testament27 books · 260 chapters
Chapters in all1,189
First and lastGenesis · Revelation
Last Old Testament bookMalachi
Longest bookPsalms, 150 chapters
Longest in the New TestamentMatthew and Acts, 28 chapters each
One chapter onlyObadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
Oldest list of our 27Athanasius, AD 367

On The Historic Faith, free

What no other site has

Most pages give you a list of names. Here every book opens a page where you can read it and hear it. We know of no other site that puts all of this beside the list of books.

66 of 66
books with their own listening page
1,213
chapters on our Septuagint shelf, 1 Enoch included, every one with audio
108
chapters of 1 Enoch, the book Jude quotes
5,480,043
links from 37,265 verses to what the early Christians wrote

  • Every chapter has audio

    The Septuagint, read aloud

    The Old Testament the early church read, including Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach and 1 to 4 Maccabees, read aloud in English (Brenton's translation).

    Open the Septuagint audio

  • 108 chapters

    1 Enoch in full

    Hear all of 1 Enoch in English, the book Jude quotes and part of the Ethiopian Bible.

    Listen to 1 Enoch

  • 66 of 66 books

    A listen page for every book

    Press play on any of the 66 in the KJV, ESV, CSB, NLT or BSB. No signup.

    Start with Genesis

  • 5,480,043 links

    The early church on any verse

    In any chapter, press a verse and choose "Early Church" to see what the first Christians wrote about it.

    See how it works

  • The oldest lists

    The early book lists themselves

    Read and listen to the Muratorian Fragment, one of the oldest lists of New Testament books.

    Read the fragment

  • 66 + 52 book pages

    Word by word in Hebrew and Greek

    Every one of the 66 books in Hebrew or Greek, word by word, and 52 Septuagint book pages in Greek with English.

    Open Tobit in Greek

  • 173 chapters

    The 1611 King James Apocrypha, read aloud

    The books the first King James Bible printed between the Testaments, including 2 Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh.

    Listen to Tobit (KJV 1611)

Listen opens the book's own page, where you press play. Hebrew and Greek open the book word by word; for the Old Testament, Greek opens the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament the early church read.

The 39 books of the Old Testament in order

39 books · 929 chapters · five groups

The Law

5 books · 187 chapters

Also called the Pentateuch or Torah.

  1. Genesis50 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  2. Exodus40 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  3. Leviticus27 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  4. Numbers36 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  5. Deuteronomy34 chaptersListenHebrewGreek

History

12 books · 249 chapters
  1. Joshua24 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  2. Judges21 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  3. Ruth4 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  4. 1 SamuelGreek: 1 Kingdoms31 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  5. 2 SamuelGreek: 2 Kingdoms24 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  6. 1 KingsGreek: 3 Kingdoms22 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  7. 2 KingsGreek: 4 Kingdoms25 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  8. 1 Chronicles29 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  9. 2 Chronicles36 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  10. EzraGreek: 2 Esdras, with Nehemiah10 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  11. NehemiahGreek: 2 Esdras, with Ezra13 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  12. EstherGreek: longer Greek Esther10 chaptersListenHebrewGreek

Poetry and Wisdom

5 books · 243 chapters
  1. Job42 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  2. Psalms150 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  3. Proverbs31 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  4. Ecclesiastes12 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  5. Song of Solomon8 chaptersListenHebrewGreek

Major Prophets

5 books · 183 chapters
  1. Isaiah66 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  2. Jeremiah52 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  3. Lamentations5 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  4. Ezekiel48 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  5. DanielGreek: longer Greek Daniel12 chaptersListenHebrewGreek

Minor Prophets

12 books · 67 chapters

One book, "the Twelve", in the Hebrew Bible.

  1. Hosea14 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  2. Joel3 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  3. Amos9 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  4. Obadiah1 chapterListenHebrewGreek
  5. Jonah4 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  6. Micah7 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  7. Nahum3 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  8. Habakkuk3 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  9. Zephaniah3 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  10. Haggai2 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  11. Zechariah14 chaptersListenHebrewGreek
  12. Malachi4 chaptersListenHebrewGreek

The 27 books of the New Testament in order

27 books · 260 chapters · the same in every church

Gospels

4 books · 89 chapters
  1. Matthew28 chaptersListenGreek
  2. Mark16 chaptersListenGreek
  3. Luke24 chaptersListenGreek
  4. John21 chaptersListenGreek

History

1 book · 28 chapters
  1. Acts28 chaptersListenGreek

Paul's letters

13 books · 87 chapters
  1. Romans16 chaptersListenGreek
  2. 1 Corinthians16 chaptersListenGreek
  3. 2 Corinthians13 chaptersListenGreek
  4. Galatians6 chaptersListenGreek
  5. Ephesians6 chaptersListenGreek
  6. Philippians4 chaptersListenGreek
  7. Colossians4 chaptersListenGreek
  8. 1 Thessalonians5 chaptersListenGreek
  9. 2 Thessalonians3 chaptersListenGreek
  10. 1 Timothy6 chaptersListenGreek
  11. 2 Timothy4 chaptersListenGreek
  12. Titus3 chaptersListenGreek
  13. Philemon1 chapterListenGreek

General letters

8 books · 34 chapters

We count Hebrews here; some count it with Paul (14 and 7).

  1. Hebrews13 chaptersListenGreek
  2. James5 chaptersListenGreek
  3. 1 Peter5 chaptersListenGreek
  4. 2 Peter3 chaptersListenGreek
  5. 1 John5 chaptersListenGreek
  6. 2 John1 chapterListenGreek
  7. 3 John1 chapterListenGreek
  8. Jude1 chapterListenGreek

Prophecy

1 book · 22 chapters
  1. Revelation22 chaptersListenGreek

The 66 books in alphabetical order

Show A to Z
  1. Acts
  2. Amos
  3. 1 Chronicles
  4. 2 Chronicles
  5. Colossians
  6. 1 Corinthians
  7. 2 Corinthians
  8. Daniel
  9. Deuteronomy
  10. Ecclesiastes
  11. Ephesians
  12. Esther
  13. Exodus
  14. Ezekiel
  15. Ezra
  16. Galatians
  17. Genesis
  18. Habakkuk
  19. Haggai
  20. Hebrews
  21. Hosea
  22. Isaiah
  23. James
  24. Jeremiah
  25. Job
  26. Joel
  27. John
  28. 1 John
  29. 2 John
  30. 3 John
  31. Jonah
  32. Joshua
  33. Jude
  34. Judges
  35. 1 Kings
  36. 2 Kings
  37. Lamentations
  38. Leviticus
  39. Luke
  40. Malachi
  41. Mark
  42. Matthew
  43. Micah
  44. Nahum
  45. Nehemiah
  46. Numbers
  47. Obadiah
  48. 1 Peter
  49. 2 Peter
  50. Philemon
  51. Philippians
  52. Proverbs
  53. Psalms
  54. Revelation
  55. Romans
  56. Ruth
  57. 1 Samuel
  58. 2 Samuel
  59. Song of Solomon
  60. 1 Thessalonians
  61. 2 Thessalonians
  62. 1 Timothy
  63. 2 Timothy
  64. Titus
  65. Zechariah
  66. Zephaniah

Numbered books sort by name: 1, 2 and 3 John come after John.

Want the books in another order? See all 73 Catholic books in order, the Septuagint order, or the 66 from A to Z above.

The Audio Bible also lists all 66 books with a play button, in 1,500+ translations across over 1,000 languages.

Is the Bible 66 or 73 books?

Short answer

Both are right. It depends on the church. Protestant Bibles have 66 books. Catholic Bibles have 73, because their Old Testament keeps seven more books: Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach and Baruch, plus longer forms of Esther and Daniel. The New Testament is the same 27 books in both.

What is different, church by church
Protestant 66
Follows the books of the Hebrew Bible for the Old Testament.
Catholic 73
Adds Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach and Baruch, plus longer Esther and Daniel. Affirmed at the Council of Trent, 8 April 1546.
Eastern Orthodox varies
Adds books such as 1 Esdras, 3 Maccabees, the Prayer of Manasseh and Psalm 151; Greek Bibles put 4 Maccabees in an appendix. The count varies by church and by how books are divided.
Ethiopian Orthodox usually 81
Its Old Testament includes 1 Enoch and Jubilees. Its New Testament has the same 27, plus church-order books in its broader count. Lists differ on exactly which 81.
Hebrew Bible 24
The same books as the Protestant 39, counted in a different way. See why.

How we know Wikipedia, "Bible"; USCCB; the Council of Trent decree; St Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church; ethiopianorthodox.org; Britannica, "Hebrew Bible".

See all 73 in orderFree lessons: why Catholic Bibles have more books

What are the 7 extra books in the Catholic Bible called?

Short answer

Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom (of Solomon), Sirach and Baruch. Catholic Bibles also have longer forms of Esther and Daniel. Catholics call these the deuterocanonical books ("second canon"). Protestants usually call them the Apocrypha. Orthodox Bibles have all of them, and a few more.

These books come from the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament. The table shows which Bibles have each one. Every book has a free page to read it and listen to it.

Yes
in that Bible
No
not in that Bible
Appendix
printed after the other books
Books beyond the 66, and which Bibles have them
BookChaptersCatholicEastern Orthodox1611 KJV ApocryphaListen and read
Tobit14YesYesYes
ListenRead
Judith16YesYesYes
ListenRead
Wisdom of SolomonAlso called Wisdom.19YesYesYes
ListenRead
SirachAlso called Ecclesiasticus.51YesYesYes
ListenRead
Baruch5YesYesYes
ListenRead
Letter of JeremiahCatholic Bibles print it as Baruch chapter 6.1Yes as Baruch 6YesYes as Baruch 6
ListenRead
1 Maccabees16YesYesYes
ListenRead
2 Maccabees15YesYesYes
ListenRead
Esther, longer Greek textCatholic Bibles print the additions inside Esther.10YesYesYes as "Rest of Esther"
ListenRead
Daniel, longer Greek textWith the Song of the Three, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon. Catholic Bibles print these in Daniel 3, 13 and 14.14YesYesYes the additions, as 3 books
ListenReadSusannaBel
1 Esdras9NoYesYes
ListenRead
3 Maccabees7NoYesNo
ListenRead
Prayer of ManassehOn our Septuagint shelf it is 2 Chronicles chapter 37.1NoYesYes
Listen (KJV 1611)Septuagint
Psalm 151Printed after Psalm 150 in Greek Bibles.1NoYesNo
ListenRead
4 Maccabees18NoAppendix in Greek BiblesNo
ListenRead

How we know USCCB; Biblical canon comparison table; List of books of the KJV. Chapters follow the Septuagint as numbered on our site.

The Ethiopian Bible and 1 Enoch

The Bible of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is usually said to have 81 books, including 1 Enoch and Jubilees. 1 Enoch has never been in the Jewish, Catholic, Protestant or Eastern Orthodox Bible, but the letter of Jude quotes it (Jude 14–15). We have all 108 chapters of 1 Enoch in English, with audio.

"I know that some do not accept the Scripture of Enoch … because it is not admitted into the Jewish canon either."

Tertullian, On the Apparel of Women 1.3 · our updated English · read and listen

Listen to 1 EnochWhich Bibles include Enoch?Jubilees · not on our site yet

The 1611 King James Apocrypha

The first King James Bible (1611) printed the Apocrypha in a section between the Old and New Testaments. Most printings dropped it in the 1800s. You can still hear it read aloud on our site, 173 chapters in all, including 2 Esdras (also called 4 Ezra), which is not in the Septuagint.

Name trap: two different books are called "2 Esdras". On our Septuagint shelf, 2 Esdras is Ezra and Nehemiah. In the King James Apocrypha, 2 Esdras is the Latin apocalypse also called 4 Ezra.

Listen to Tobit (KJV 1611)Listen to 2 Esdras (KJV 1611)

What are all 73 books of the Catholic Bible in order?

Short answer

The same 27 New Testament books, plus 46 Old Testament books. In Catholic Bibles, Tobit and Judith come after Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Maccabees after Esther, Wisdom and Sirach after the Song of Songs, and Baruch after Lamentations.

Show the 46 Catholic Old Testament books in order
  1. Genesis
  2. Exodus
  3. Leviticus
  4. Numbers
  5. Deuteronomy
  6. Joshua
  7. Judges
  8. Ruth
  9. 1 Samuel
  10. 2 Samuel
  11. 1 Kings
  12. 2 Kings
  13. 1 Chronicles
  14. 2 Chronicles
  15. Ezra
  16. Nehemiah
  17. Tobit extra book
  18. Judith extra book
  19. Esther longer form
  20. 1 Maccabees extra book
  21. 2 Maccabees extra book
  22. Job
  23. Psalms
  24. Proverbs
  25. Ecclesiastes
  26. Song of Songs
  27. Wisdom extra book
  28. Sirach extra book
  29. Isaiah
  30. Jeremiah
  31. Lamentations
  32. Baruch extra book
  33. Ezekiel
  34. Daniel longer form
  35. Hosea
  36. Joel
  37. Amos
  38. Obadiah
  39. Jonah
  40. Micah
  41. Nahum
  42. Habakkuk
  43. Zephaniah
  44. Haggai
  45. Zechariah
  46. Malachi

Then the 27 New Testament books, Matthew to Revelation. Order as printed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Extra books link to their page on our Septuagint shelf.

Why does the Hebrew Bible have 24 books?

Short answer

It has the same books as the Protestant Old Testament, counted differently. Samuel, Kings and Chronicles are each one book, Ezra and Nehemiah are one book, and the twelve Minor Prophets are one book called "the Twelve". That makes 39 into 24, in three parts: the Law (5), the Prophets (8) and the Writings (11).

Show the 24 books in three parts

Torah the Law 5

  1. Genesis
  2. Exodus
  3. Leviticus
  4. Numbers
  5. Deuteronomy

Nevi'im the Prophets 8

  1. Joshua
  2. Judges
  3. Samuel = 2 of ours
  4. Kings = 2
  5. Isaiah
  6. Jeremiah
  7. Ezekiel
  8. The Twelve = 12

Ketuvim the Writings 11

  1. Psalms
  2. Proverbs
  3. Job
  4. Song of Songs
  5. Ruth
  6. Lamentations
  7. Ecclesiastes
  8. Esther
  9. Daniel
  10. Ezra–Nehemiah = 2
  11. Chronicles = 2

5 + 8 + 11 = 24 books. Split Samuel, Kings, Chronicles and Ezra–Nehemiah in two (+4) and the Twelve into twelve (+11): 24 + 15 = 39. The name Tanakh comes from the first letters of the three parts.

How we know Britannica, "Hebrew Bible"; Wikipedia, "Biblical canon".

Who decided which books are in the Bible?

Short answer

No single person or meeting. Churches recognized the books over time, and early book lists show how. The earliest known list of exactly our 27 New Testament books is in a letter by Athanasius of Alexandria from AD 367. Councils at Hippo (393) and Carthage (397) approved a list matching the Catholic canon, and the Council of Trent affirmed it in 1546.

  1. 2nd century
    Melito of Sardis sends a friend a list of the Old Testament books, kept for us by Eusebius: "I learned accurately the books of the Old Testament, and send them to you as written below." His list names no Esther. Hear a teacher explain it (36 min) · source
  2. c. AD 180
    Irenaeus writes that there are exactly four Gospels. Read and listen in our library
  3. c. AD 200
    The Muratorian Fragment, one of the oldest lists of New Testament books. It also accepts Wisdom and the Apocalypse of Peter, so early lists were not all the same. Read and listen
  4. 4th century
    The Apostolic Canons (canon 85) give a church-order list with no Revelation, and with two letters of Clement. Another sign that lists varied. Read the list
  5. AD 367
    Athanasius, in his 39th Festal Letter, gives the earliest known list of exactly our 27 New Testament books. His Old Testament list is not the same as the Protestant 39. Read the letter (another site)
  6. AD 393 · 397
    Church councils at Hippo (393) and Carthage (397) approve a list matching the Catholic canon.
  7. 1534
    Luther's German Bible prints the extra books in their own section, "Apocrypha", between the Testaments. Short video on Bible order
  8. 8 April 1546
    The Council of Trent affirms the Catholic list of books.
  9. 1611
    The King James Bible prints the Apocrypha between the Testaments. Most printings drop it in the 1800s. Hear it read

How we know Eusebius 4.26 (Melito); Against Heresies; Muratorian fragment; Festal Letter 39; Hippo and Carthage; Luther Bible; Trent decree; KJV 1611.

In their own words

What did the early Christians say about the books?

Swipe for more quotes →

It is not possible for the Gospels to be more or fewer in number than they are.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.11.8 (c. AD 180) · our updated English
Read and listen →

About the four Gospels, which alone are undisputed in the Church of God under heaven, I learned by tradition that the Gospel according to Matthew was written first.

Origen, Commentary on Matthew, Book I · our updated English
Read and listen →

Also, the book of Wisdom, written by the friends of Solomon in his honor. We also receive the Apocalypse of John, and that of Peter, though some among us do not allow this latter one to be read in the Church.

The Muratorian Fragment (often dated c. AD 200) · our updated English. Early lists did not all match ours.
Read and listen →

These are fountains of salvation, that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain.

Athanasius, Festal Letter 39 §6 (AD 367), on the books he has just listed · public-domain NPNF English
Read at New Advent → (another site)

Cyprian quotes Sirach and Tobit as Scripture. More: what the early Christians said about the canon.

Which Old Testament did the early Christians read?

Short answer

The early church read the Old Testament in Greek, in the translation called the Septuagint. It includes the extra books found in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. That is why we host every book of it, read aloud in English (Brenton's translation), free.

"Ptolemy the son of Lagus, being anxious to adorn the library which he had founded in Alexandria … made request to the people of Jerusalem, that they should have their Scriptures translated into the Greek language."

Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.21.2, on how the Septuagint came to be · 1885 English · read and listen

The Septuagint shelf, in Septuagint order

Here are all 50 books on our Septuagint shelf, in the order of the Greek Bible. Shaded books are the ones not in the Protestant 66; each has its own Listen button. Every book has a Read page with the Greek word by word and an English translation.

All 50 books on the Septuagint shelf
  1. Genesis50 ch.Read
  2. Exodus40 ch.Read
  3. Leviticus27 ch.Read
  4. Numbers36 ch.Read
  5. Deuteronomy34 ch.Read
  6. Joshua24 ch.Read
  7. Judges21 ch.Read
  8. Ruth4 ch.Read
  9. 1 Kingdomsour 1 Samuel31 ch.Read
  10. 2 Kingdomsour 2 Samuel24 ch.Read
  11. 3 Kingdomsour 1 Kings22 ch.Read
  12. 4 Kingdomsour 2 Kings25 ch.Read
  13. 1 Chronicles29 ch.Read
  14. 2 Chroniclesch. 37 is the Prayer of Manasseh37 ch.Read
  15. Orthodox1 Esdras9 ch.ListenRead
  16. 2 Esdrasour Ezra and Nehemiah23 ch.Read
  17. Catholic · OrthodoxEsther (Greek)with the Greek additions10 ch.ListenRead
  18. Catholic · OrthodoxJudith16 ch.ListenRead
  19. Catholic · OrthodoxTobit14 ch.ListenRead
  20. Catholic · Orthodox1 Maccabees16 ch.ListenRead
  21. Catholic · Orthodox2 Maccabees15 ch.ListenRead
  22. Orthodox3 Maccabees7 ch.ListenRead
  23. Greek appendix4 Maccabees18 ch.ListenRead
  24. Psalmsincludes Psalm 151151 ch.Read
  25. Job42 ch.Read
  26. Proverbs31 ch.Read
  27. Ecclesiastes12 ch.Read
  28. Song of Solomon8 ch.Read
  29. Catholic · OrthodoxWisdom of Solomon19 ch.ListenRead
  30. Catholic · OrthodoxWisdom of Sirachalso called Ecclesiasticus51 ch.ListenRead
  31. Hosea14 ch.Read
  32. Amos9 ch.Read
  33. Micah7 ch.Read
  34. Joel4 ch.Read
  35. Obadiah1 ch.Read
  36. Jonah4 ch.Read
  37. Nahum3 ch.Read
  38. Habakkuk3 ch.Read
  39. Zephaniah3 ch.Read
  40. Haggai2 ch.Read
  41. Zechariah14 ch.Read
  42. Malachi4 ch.Read
  43. Isaiah66 ch.Read
  44. Jeremiah52 ch.Read
  45. Catholic · OrthodoxBaruch5 ch.ListenRead
  46. Lamentations5 ch.Read
  47. Catholic · OrthodoxLetter of JeremiahBaruch 6 in Catholic Bibles1 ch.ListenRead
  48. Ezekiel48 ch.Read
  49. Catholic · OrthodoxDaniel (Greek)with Susanna and Bel14 ch.ListenRead
  50. Ethiopian Bible1 Enochin English; not part of Brenton108 ch.ListenRead

About our counts: our site counts 51 Septuagint books, the 50 on this shelf plus the Prayer of Manasseh, which we place with 2 Chronicles (chapter 37). Psalm 151 is with the Psalms. 1 Enoch is in English and is not part of Brenton's Septuagint. Open the Septuagint audio · The Septuagint in the New Testament

Three ways to start listening

  1. 1

    One book at a time

    Pick any of the 66 books. Each page has a short guide, every chapter, and a play button in the KJV, ESV, CSB, NLT and BSB (read by Bob Souer).

    Start with GenesisStart with Mark

  2. 2

    The Septuagint Bible in a Year

    365 days through the Septuagint, the deuterocanon and 1 Enoch, with the New Testament: 1,455 audio chapters and a short devotional every day. Listening needs no account.

    See the planRead Day 1

  3. 3

    With the early church beside you

    In any chapter, press a verse and choose Early Church to see what the first Christians wrote about it. Or open a book in Hebrew or Greek, word by word.

    Try it in John 1Word by word

More questions people ask

What are the 66 books of the Bible in order?

Old Testament (39): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. New Testament (27): Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation.

How we know Wikipedia, "Bible"; our own book list, in the order of Protestant English Bibles. Each name in the lists above opens that book's listening page.

See the list with Listen buttonsThe 66 from A to Z

Why do Protestant Bibles have only 66 books?

Protestant Bibles use the books of the Hebrew Bible for their Old Testament, counted as 39 instead of 24. The extra books come from the Greek Septuagint. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles kept them. Early Protestant Bibles, such as Luther's German Bible and the 1611 King James, printed them in a separate section called the Apocrypha.

How we know The Protestant Old Testament has exactly the books of the Hebrew Bible (Britannica); Luther's and the King James Apocrypha sections (Luther Bible, KJV 1611).

Lesson: Melito's Old Testament list (36 min)Lesson: Discovering the Septuagint

What books did Martin Luther remove from the Bible?

Strictly speaking, none. In his complete German Bible of 1534, Luther moved the extra books into their own section between the Old and New Testaments, under the heading "Apocrypha", as books useful and good to read but not equal to Scripture. The first King James Bible of 1611 also printed the Apocrypha between the Testaments. Most printings dropped that section in the 1800s.

How we know Luther Bible (complete German Bible, 1534); List of books of the KJV.

Short video: Bible order and LutherHear the 1611 Apocrypha

What is the difference between the Apocrypha and the deuterocanonical books?

They are mostly the same books with two names. "Deuterocanonical" is the Catholic word: the books are Scripture. "Apocrypha" is the usual Protestant word: books good to read, but not Scripture. The Orthodox call them anagignoskomena, "the books to be read". The Protestant Apocrypha also has a few books Catholic Bibles leave out, such as 1 and 2 Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh.

How we know USCCB, St Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church, KJV 1611. Name trap: the Apocrypha's "2 Esdras" is not the Septuagint's "2 Esdras", which is Ezra and Nehemiah.

Listen: Prayer of ManassehEarly Christians on the Apocrypha

How many books are in the Eastern Orthodox Bible?

More than the Catholic Bible, but there is no single number. The count differs from church to church and with how books are divided. Orthodox Bibles usually add 1 Esdras, 3 Maccabees, the Prayer of Manasseh and Psalm 151, and Greek Bibles print 4 Maccabees in an appendix.

How we know Biblical canon table; St Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church. We give no single Orthodox total because churches count differently.

See the extra books, church by churchListen: 3 Maccabees

Which Bible has 81 books?

The Bible of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is usually said to have 81 books, including 1 Enoch and Jubilees. Lists differ on exactly which 81. Its New Testament has the same 27 books, plus church-order books in its broader count.

How we know ethiopianorthodox.org (the church counts 46 + 35); some online lists give other totals.

Listen to 1 Enoch (108 chapters)Which Bibles include Enoch?

What version of the Bible has 66 books?

Nearly every Protestant English Bible. The King James Version (KJV), New King James (NKJV), NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT, CSB and BSB all have the same 66 books, unless the cover says "with Apocrypha". A Catholic Bible, such as the New American Bible, has 73.

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How many chapters are in the Bible?

The 66 books have 1,189 chapters: 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament. Psalms has the most, with 150. Five books have only one chapter: Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John and Jude.

How we know Counted from our book list (standard English chapter numbers). Matthew and Acts have the most in the New Testament, 28 each.

Listen to PsalmsListen to Jude

How can I remember the books of the Bible in order?

Learn the groups first, then the books inside each group. Old Testament: 5 books of Law, 12 of History, 5 of Poetry and Wisdom, 5 Major Prophets and 12 Minor Prophets. New Testament: 4 Gospels, Acts, 13 letters of Paul, 8 general letters and Revelation. Saying the names out loud, or listening straight through, helps them stick.

Start with the five groupsThe 66 from A to Z

Is there a Bible with the "missing" books?

Yes. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include them, and some Protestant editions print the Apocrypha. Nothing went missing: different churches read different lists. You can read and listen to them here, free, including Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach and 1 to 4 Maccabees.

Start with TobitStart with Sirach

Printable list of the books of the Bible

All 66 books in order with their chapters and one line on what each is about, plus the extra books in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. Press Print the list for a clean paper copy.

Show the printable list with summaries

The Books of the Bible, in order

thehistoricfaith.com/books-of-the-bible · Listen to every book free at thehistoricfaith.com/audio-bible

Old Testament: 39 books, 929 chapters
#BookChaptersIn one line
1Genesis50Creation, the flood, and the families of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
2Exodus40God brings Israel out of Egypt and gives the Ten Commandments at Sinai.
3Leviticus27Laws for worship, offerings, the priests and holy living.
4Numbers36Israel's years in the wilderness, with two counts of the people.
5Deuteronomy34Moses' last words to Israel before they enter the promised land.
6Joshua24Israel crosses the Jordan and settles in Canaan.
7Judges21Falling away and rescue, again and again, under leaders like Gideon and Samson.
8Ruth4A Moabite widow's loyalty, and the family line of King David.
91 Samuel31The prophet Samuel, King Saul, and the young David.
102 Samuel24The reign of King David.
111 Kings22Solomon builds the temple, then the kingdom splits in two.
122 Kings25The kings of Israel and Judah, down to the exile in Babylon.
131 Chronicles29Family records from Adam, and the reign of David.
142 Chronicles36Judah's kings from Solomon to the exile.
15Ezra10The return from Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple.
16Nehemiah13Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
17Esther10A Jewish queen in Persia saves her people.
18Job42A righteous man suffers, and God answers him out of the storm.
19Psalms150The 150 songs and prayers of Israel.
20Proverbs31Short sayings of wisdom for daily life.
21Ecclesiastes12"Vanity of vanities": what life means under the sun.
22Song of Solomon8A love song between a bride and her beloved.
23Isaiah66Judgment and comfort, and the promise of the coming Servant.
24Jeremiah52The prophet's warnings before Jerusalem falls.
25Lamentations5Five poems of grief over fallen Jerusalem.
26Ezekiel48Visions of God's glory, given to the exiles in Babylon.
27Daniel12Faithfulness in Babylon, and visions of kingdoms to come.
28Hosea14God's faithful love for an unfaithful people.
29Joel3A plague of locusts, and the promise of the Spirit.
30Amos9A shepherd from Tekoa calls Israel to justice.
31Obadiah1One short chapter against Edom.
32Jonah4The prophet, the great fish, and God's mercy on Nineveh.
33Micah7Justice, mercy, and a ruler from Bethlehem.
34Nahum3The fall of Nineveh.
35Habakkuk3A prophet's questions, and "the just shall live by his faith."
36Zephaniah3The day of the Lord, and a remnant restored.
37Haggai2A call to finish rebuilding the temple.
38Zechariah14Visions of restoration and the coming king.
39Malachi4The last book of the Protestant Old Testament: a call to return to God.
New Testament: 27 books, 260 chapters
#BookChaptersIn one line
1Matthew28Jesus' life and teaching, including the Sermon on the Mount.
2Mark16A short, fast-moving account of what Jesus did.
3Luke24An orderly account of Jesus' life, from his birth onward.
4John21Signs and sayings that show who Jesus is.
5Acts28The church spreads from Jerusalem to Rome.
6Romans16Paul explains the gospel and life in Christ.
71 Corinthians16Paul answers a troubled church's questions; the chapter on love.
82 Corinthians13Comfort in suffering, and Paul's defense of his work.
9Galatians6Freedom in Christ.
10Ephesians6The church as one body in Christ.
11Philippians4A letter of joy, written from prison.
12Colossians4Christ above all things.
131 Thessalonians5Hope in Christ's return.
142 Thessalonians3Standing firm until the Lord comes.
151 Timothy6Guidance for leading a church.
162 Timothy4Paul's last letter to Timothy.
17Titus3Sound teaching and good works.
18Philemon1A plea for Onesimus, a runaway slave.
19Hebrews13Christ, the great high priest.
20James5Faith shown by what we do.
211 Peter5Hope when suffering.
222 Peter3Warnings against false teachers.
231 John5Love, light and assurance.
242 John1Walk in truth and love.
253 John1A short note about welcoming faithful workers.
26Jude1Contend for the faith. Jude quotes the Book of Enoch.
27Revelation22John's visions of Christ's final victory.
The extra books in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles (chapters as numbered on our site)
#BookChaptersIn one line
1Tobit14A faithful family in exile, and the angel Raphael.
2Judith16A widow saves her town from an Assyrian army.
3Wisdom of Solomon19Wisdom praised; the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God.
4Sirach51Wise sayings of Jesus son of Sirach, also called Ecclesiasticus.
5Baruch5Words of Jeremiah's helper Baruch to the exiles.
6Letter of Jeremiah1A warning against idols (Baruch 6 in Catholic Bibles).
71 Maccabees16The revolt against King Antiochus, led by the Maccabee brothers.
82 Maccabees15The same struggle, with the stories of the martyrs.
9Esther, longer Greek text10Esther with the Greek additions, including the prayers of Mordecai and Esther.
10Daniel, longer Greek text14Daniel with Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, and the song of the three young men.
111 Esdras9A Greek retelling of the return from exile, from Josiah to Ezra.
123 Maccabees7Jews in Egypt saved from persecution.
13Prayer of Manasseh1The prayer of a king who repents.
14Psalm 1511A short psalm of the young shepherd David.
154 Maccabees18A sermon on reason ruling the passions, honoring the martyrs.

Go deeper

These lessons and pages come from teachers on our site. They speak for themselves; this page tries to give just the facts.

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What the early Christians said

Coming soon

The Catholic Bible: 73 booksThe Ethiopian Bible: 81 booksBooks of the Apocrypha

Read about the extra books

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Notes and sources

All 15 notes and sources
  1. Protestant 66 (39 + 27): "Bible", Wikipedia; and our own book list, which this page is built from.
  2. Catholic 73 (46 + 27), the deuterocanonical books and the order of the 73: USCCB, the New American Bible; "Deuterocanonical books", Wikipedia. In Catholic Bibles the Letter of Jeremiah is Baruch chapter 6.
  3. Council of Trent, decree on the canonical Scriptures, 8 April 1546: EWTN library; "Canon of Trent", Wikipedia.
  4. Eastern Orthodox Bibles: "Biblical canon" (comparison table), Wikipedia; St Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church. We give no single Orthodox total because churches count differently.
  5. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo canon: ethiopianorthodox.org (counts 46 Old Testament + 35 New Testament books); "Orthodox Tewahedo biblical canon", Wikipedia. Some online lists give other totals.
  6. Hebrew Bible, 24 books in three parts: Encyclopaedia Britannica; "Biblical canon", Wikipedia.
  7. Athanasius, 39th Festal Letter (AD 367), NPNF translation: New Advent; "Development of the New Testament canon", Wikipedia. His Old Testament list is not the same as the Protestant 39.
  8. Hippo (393) and Carthage (397): "Synod of Hippo", Wikipedia; "Canon of the Holy Scriptures", Catholic Encyclopedia.
  9. Muratorian Fragment, often dated about AD 200: "Muratorian fragment", Wikipedia. Text: our library (Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 5).
  10. 1611 King James Apocrypha: "List of books of the King James Version", Wikipedia; "King James Version", Wikipedia.
  11. Luther's German Bible (complete 1534) placed these books in a separate section headed "Apocrypha": "Luther Bible", Wikipedia.
  12. Melito's list, as kept by Eusebius, Church History 4.26, NPNF translation: New Advent.
  13. Chapters: 1,189 = 929 Old Testament + 260 New Testament, summed from our book list (standard English chapter divisions).
  14. Jude 14: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these…" (KJV), Jude on our site. More: Which Bibles include the Book of Enoch?
  15. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, usually dated c. AD 180: "Against Heresies", Wikipedia. Text: 3.11.8 and 3.21.2 in our library.

About our counts. Book counts here follow common printed Bibles. On our site the Septuagint has 51 books: the 50 on our shelf plus the Prayer of Manasseh, which we place with 2 Chronicles. 1 Enoch is in English and is not part of Brenton's Septuagint. Audio: the Septuagint, 1 Enoch and the 1611 Apocrypha are narrated by The Historic Faith; BSB read by Bob Souer; KJV, ESV, CSB and NLT with Faith Comes By Hearing.