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The 39 Books of the Old Testament in Order
The Old Testament is the first and larger part of the Bible: the Scriptures of ancient Israel, written mostly in Hebrew over roughly a thousand years. Its 39 books are arranged by type, not by date: the five books of the Law, twelve books of history, five of poetry and wisdom, five Major Prophets and twelve Minor Prophets. It ends with Malachi, and the New Testament picks up about four centuries later.
Part of the 66 books of the Bible in order. See also the New Testament books.
- Books
- 39
- Sections
- 7
- Chapters
- 929
- First book
- Genesis
- Last book
- Malachi
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.