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The 66 Books of the Bible in Order
The Bible has 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. This page lists every one in order, grouped into the same eleven sections our games use, with a short guide to each section and a game to practise it. Each book name links to its own page with its number, neighbours and a short summary.
This is the 66-book canon shared by Protestant Bibles, and it is the list every Bible Brain Game teaches. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include additional books (the Deuterocanon or Apocrypha), which are not counted here. More on that in the Bible books FAQ.
- Books in the Bible
- 66
- Old Testament
- 39
- New Testament
- 27
- First book
- Genesis
- Last book
- Revelation
Old Testament: 39 books (Genesis to Malachi)
The Old Testament tells the story of creation, of Israel and its kings, and of the prophets who called the nation back to God. Its 39 books are ordered by type rather than by date: law first, then history, then poetry and wisdom, then the prophets. Old Testament books in order →
The Law (books 1–5: Genesis to Deuteronomy)
also called the Pentateuch or the Torah
The five books of Moses run from creation and the patriarchs, through the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the law at Sinai, to Israel camped on the edge of Canaan. Learn these first: every other book assumes you know where they sit.
- Genesis50 ch
- Exodus40 ch
- Leviticus27 ch
- Numbers36 ch
- Deuteronomy34 ch
Kingdom (books 6–12: Joshua to 2 Kings)
the first of the historical books
Seven books of history. Israel enters the land under Joshua, struggles through the era of the judges, and rises to a united kingdom under Saul, David and Solomon before splitting into Israel and Judah. Note the pairs: 1 and 2 Samuel, then 1 and 2 Kings.
Exile & Return (books 13–17: 1 Chronicles to Esther)
the rest of the historical books
Chronicles retells the story of the kingdom with the temple and its priests in view. Ezra and Nehemiah cover the return from exile in Babylon and the rebuilding of Jerusalem's temple and walls. Esther is set among the Jews who stayed behind in Persia.
- 1 Chronicles29 ch
- 2 Chronicles36 ch
- Ezra10 ch
- Nehemiah13 ch
- Esther10 ch
Poetry (books 18–22: Job to Song of Solomon)
also called the Wisdom books
Five books of poetry and wisdom. Job asks why the righteous suffer, Psalms is the songbook of Israel, Proverbs collects practical wisdom, Ecclesiastes weighs what lasts, and Song of Solomon is a love poem.
- Job42 ch
- Psalms150 ch
- Proverbs31 ch
- Ecclesiastes12 ch
- Song of Solomon8 ch
Major Prophets (books 23–27: Isaiah to Daniel)
“major” means long, not more important
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel are three of the longest books in the Bible. Lamentations is Jeremiah's grief over fallen Jerusalem, and Daniel mixes stories from the Babylonian court with visions of the future.
- Isaiah66 ch
- Jeremiah52 ch
- Lamentations5 ch
- Ezekiel48 ch
- Daniel12 ch
Minor Prophets I (books 28–33: Hosea to Micah)
the first six of the twelve Minor Prophets
Twelve short prophetic books that sit together as “The Twelve” in the Hebrew Bible. Hosea and Amos speak to the northern kingdom of Israel, Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, and Jonah is the prophet swallowed by the great fish.
Minor Prophets II (books 34–39: Nahum to Malachi)
the last six of the twelve Minor Prophets
Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah were written before the exile; Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi after the return. Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament, and the four hundred or so years that follow it are sometimes called the silent years.
New Testament: 27 books (Matthew to Revelation)
The New Testament opens with four accounts of the life of Jesus, follows the first churches in Acts, collects the letters written to those churches and their leaders, and ends with Revelation. Like the Old Testament, its 27 books are grouped by type, not written in the order they appear. New Testament books in order →
Gospels & Acts (books 40–44: Matthew to Acts)
the four Gospels and the book of Acts
Four accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, then Acts, which Luke wrote as the sequel to his Gospel and which follows the early church from Jerusalem to Rome. Matthew, Mark and Luke are the Synoptic Gospels because they share so much material; John stands apart.
Paul's Letters I (books 45–51: Romans to Colossians)
Paul's letters to churches
Paul's letters to congregations, arranged roughly from longest to shortest: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. A common memory aid for the last four is “General Electric Power Company”.
- Romans16 ch
- 1 Corinthians16 ch
- 2 Corinthians13 ch
- Galatians6 ch
- Ephesians6 ch
- Philippians4 ch
- Colossians4 ch
Paul's Letters II (books 52–57: 1 Thessalonians to Philemon)
Paul's letters to churches and people
Two letters to the church in Thessalonica, then Paul's letters to individuals: 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus are often called the Pastoral Epistles because they advise young pastors.
- 1 Thessalonians5 ch
- 2 Thessalonians3 ch
- 1 Timothy6 ch
- 2 Timothy4 ch
- Titus3 ch
- Philemon1 ch
Letters & Revelation (books 58–66: Hebrews to Revelation)
the General Letters, then Revelation
Hebrews, then the General (or Catholic) Letters, which are named for their authors rather than their recipients: James; 1 and 2 Peter; 1, 2 and 3 John; and Jude. Revelation, John's vision on the island of Patmos, closes the Bible.
How to memorise the books of the Bible
Nobody learns 66 names in one sitting. The method that works for kids' clubs such as AWANA and Bible Drill, and just as well for adults, is to learn one section at a time, say the names out loud in order, and then test yourself until recall is automatic before adding the next section. Print the books of the Bible checklist and tick each book off as you master it.
- Learn the sections first. Knowing that Isaiah is a Major Prophet already tells you it comes after the Poetry books and before the Minor Prophets.
- Shelve them in order. Order the Books deals you one book at a time and you tap where it belongs, section by section, before working up to all 66.
- Find them fast. Book Hunt puts all 66 spines on a shelf and times how quickly you can find the one it names.
- Know the numbers. Book Number Blitz drills each book's number from 1 to 66, the fastest way to open a printed Bible to the right place.
- Check the testament. Testament Toss-Up asks Old or New for each book against a timer.
- Spot the impostors. Canon or Not mixes real book names with apocryphal and invented ones, so you learn the names themselves, not just their order.