The 66 books of the Bible, in order.
The Protestant canon, grouped by section. Below the reference list is a flashcard quiz — it asks you which book comes next, or which book is in a given position. Repeat it for a week and you'll have the order memorised.
All 66 books, grouped by section
The Pentateuch
Old Testament · Law · 5 books
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
Historical Books
Old Testament · 12 books
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
Wisdom & Poetry
Old Testament · 5 books
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
Major Prophets
Old Testament · 5 books
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
Minor Prophets
Old Testament · 12 books
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
The Gospels & Acts
New Testament · 5 books
- Matthew
- Mark
- Luke
- John
- Acts
Pauline Epistles
New Testament · 13 books
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
General Epistles & Revelation
New Testament · 9 books
- Hebrews
- James
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- 1 John
- 2 John
- 3 John
- Jude
- Revelation
Quiz yourself
Multiple-choice questions in two flavours: "Which book comes after X?" and "Which book is in position N?" Score persists in your browser between sessions. Try a session of 20 questions and aim for 90%.
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How to memorise them
Most people who can recite the books of the Bible learned a song or chant as children — there's a reason that works. Rhythm and melody anchor a long sequence in memory better than rote repetition. If you didn't grow up with one, the quiz above is the next best thing: spaced multiple-choice with feedback builds the same recall pathway over a few sessions.
Group thinking helps too. The 66 books cluster into sections (Pentateuch, Historical, Wisdom, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets, Gospels + Acts, Paul's letters, General Epistles + Revelation). Memorise each section as a unit — five Pentateuch books are easier than five random books, because they tell one continuous narrative.
FAQ
How many books are in the Bible?
The Protestant Bible has 66 books — 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. The Catholic Bible includes 7 additional Old Testament books (the Deuterocanon: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees) for a total of 73. Eastern Orthodox Bibles add a few more (3 and sometimes 4 Maccabees, Psalm 151) for 76 or 78. This tool follows the 66-book Protestant canon.
What are the Major and Minor Prophets?
The labels refer to length, not importance. The five Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel) are long books. The twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea through Malachi) are short — most just a few chapters. All seventeen are equally inspired; the distinction is purely about how much text each occupies.
Why is Lamentations grouped with the Major Prophets?
Lamentations is short — only five poetic chapters mourning Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BC — but tradition attributes it to Jeremiah, so it's placed between Jeremiah and Ezekiel rather than with the Minor Prophets.
What's the easiest section to memorise first?
The Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Four names, one type of book (narrative accounts of Jesus's life), and they're the most familiar to most readers. After that the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) is next — five books that tell one continuous story from creation through the death of Moses.
Is Hebrew Bible order different from this?
Yes — the Hebrew Bible groups the same Old Testament books into three sections: Torah (the first five), Prophets (Joshua through Malachi but including Samuel, Kings, and the Twelve as units), and Writings (Psalms, Job, Proverbs, the Megillot, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles). It ends with Chronicles rather than Malachi. The content is the same; the order and grouping differ.
Related tools
Know the books? Try the trivia.
Kerygma has a "Books of the Bible" trivia category — once you've memorised the order, the questions go deeper into who, when, and why. Free for seven days.
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