The Books of the Bible in Order: Old and New Testament

You've probably read it before, and this book is the best-selling book in the history of mankind with approximately 3.9 billion copies sold. The Bible is undoubtedly a special bookSo reading the books of the Bible in order is important.

This has made the Bible It is one of the most influential books in history, considered sacred by millions of people around the world. But be careful, there may be variations depending on the religion.

This book is composed of 66 books in the Protestant version, 73 in the Catholic version and 81 in Ethiopian Orthodox. These books are divided into two large sections:

• The Old Testament, which tells the story of humanity from creation to the arrival of Jesus.
• The New Testament, which focuses on the life, teachings and legacy of Jesus of Nazareth and the expansion of Christianity.

Here we present to you the complete list and in order of the books of the Bible, organized by testament.

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📖 Old Testament Books in Order

He Old Testament It is the longest part of the Bible. It contains historical accounts, laws, prophecies, poetry and spiritual teachings.

The Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible and contains the sacred books written before the birth of Jesus Christ. In this article, we present to you All the books of the Old Testament in order according to the Catholic tradition and its differences with other Christian traditions such as Jewish, Orthodox and Ethiopian.

Below, I leave you the Old Testament books in order:

📜 Pentateuch (The Law or the Torah) ✨

The Pentateuch is the basis of the Old Testament and contains the first five books attributed to Moses:

🏛️ Historical Books

These books tell the history of the people of Israel from the conquest of Canaan to the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon.

• 6. Joshua It narrates the conquest of the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua.
• 7. Judges It tells the story of leaders called "judges" who ruled Israel before the monarchy.
• 8. Ruth Story of a Moabite woman who becomes an ancestor of King David.
• 9. 1 Samuel It tells the life of the prophet Samuel and the reign of King Saul.
• 10. 2 Samuel It narrates the reign of King David and his consolidation of the kingdom of Israel.
• 11. 1 Kings It tells the story of King Solomon and the division of the kingdom of Israel in two.
• 12. 2 Kings It narrates the fall of Israel and Judah, and the exile in Babylon.
• 13. 1 Chronicles Genealogical record and events of David's reign.
• 14. 2 Chronicles It tells the story of the kings of Judah until the exile in Babylon.
• 15. Ezra It tells of the return of the exiles and the reconstruction of the Temple of Jerusalem.
• 16. Nehemiah History of the reconstruction of Jerusalem and religious reform.
• 17. Tobias Story of faith and divine providence in the life of Tobias and his family.
• 18. Judith It tells of Judith's bravery in saving her people by beheading General Holofernes.
• 19. Esther It tells the story of Esther, a young Jewish woman, who becomes queen of Persia and saves her people from genocide.
• 20. 1 Maccabees It tells the story of the Maccabees' struggle against Greek domination and the restoration of worship in the Temple of Jerusalem.
• 21. 2 Maccabees It recounts the persecution of the Jews under Antiochus IV and the defense of the faith by the Maccabean martyrs.

🎶 Poetic and Wisdom Books ✨

• 22. Job Reflection on suffering and God's justice through the story of Job.
• 23. Psalms Collection of hymns and prayers attributed mostly to King David.
• 24. Proverbs Proverbs and advice of wisdom compiled, for the most part, by Solomon.
• 25. Ecclesiastes Reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the search for meaning.
• 26. Song of Songs Poem that celebrates human love as a reflection of divine love.
• 27. Wisdom Reflection on divine justice and the immortality of the soul.
• 28. Ecclesiastes (Sirach) Collection of proverbs and teachings on godly living and wisdom.

🔮 Prophetic Books

Major Prophets

• 29. Isaiah Announces the coming of the Messiah and calls for repentance.
• 30. Jeremiah Prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile in Babylon.
• 31. Lamentations Poems of pain about the fall of Jerusalem.
• 32. Baruch Reflection on faithfulness to God in exile.
• 33. Ezekiel Announces the restoration of Israel and the future glory of God's people.
• 34. Daniel Apocalyptic stories and visions about the future of the kingdom of God.

Minor Prophets

• 35. Hosea Call to repentance and fidelity to God through the metaphor of marriage.
• 36. Joel Prophecy about the “Day of the Lord” and the restoration of Israel.
• 37. Amos Denounces social injustice and divine punishment against Israel.
• 38. Obadiah Prophecy against Edom and the restoration of Israel.
• 39. Jonah Story of the prophet who flees from God and is swallowed by a large fish before preaching in Nineveh.
• 40. Micah Announcement of divine judgment and the coming of a messianic leader.
• 41. Nahum Prophecy about the destruction of Nineveh.
• 42. Habakkuk Reflection on God's justice in the face of human evil.
• 43. Zephaniah Warning about the “Day of the Lord” and future restoration.
• 44. Haggai Call for the reconstruction of the Temple after the exile.
• 45. Zechariah Visions of the future of Israel and the arrival of the Messiah.
• 46. Malachi Last book of the Old Testament, it calls for conversion and compliance with the Law.

📊 Comparing Old Testament Books in Different Traditions

Book	Catholic	Bean	Orthodox	Ethiopian
Tobias	✅	❌	✅	✅
Judith	✅	❌	✅	✅
1 Maccabees	✅	❌	✅	✅
2 Maccabees	✅	❌	✅	✅
Wisdom	✅	❌	✅	✅
Ecclesiastical	✅	❌	✅	✅
Baruch	✅	❌	✅	✅
Additional Psalms	❌	❌	✅	✅
Ezra 3 and 4	❌	❌	✅	✅
Enoch	❌	❌	❌	✅
Jubilees	❌	❌	❌	✅

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📖 New Testament Books in Order

He New Testament focuses on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, the rise of Christianity and the hope for its return.

✝️ Gospels (Life and teachings of Jesus)

1. Matthew – Account of the life of Jesus with emphasis on his fulfillment of the prophecies.
2. Mark – Shorter and more dynamic Gospel, focused on the action of Jesus.
3. Luke – Detailed account with a focus on Jesus’ mercy.
4. Juan – Gospel with a more theological and profound style.

🕊️ History of the Early Church

5. Acts of the Apostles – It tells of the expansion of Christianity and the work of the apostles.

📜 Pauline letters

6. Romans – Doctrine on salvation and faith in Christ.
7. 1 Corinthians – Advice on Christian life and unity in the Church.
8. 2 Corinthians – Reflection on suffering and God’s consolation.
9. Galatians – Defense of justification by faith.
10. Ephesians – Teaching on unity in Christ.
11. Philippians – Letter of joy and gratitude.
12. Colossians – Exaltation of the supremacy of Christ.
13. 1 Thessalonians – Hope in the second coming of Jesus.
14. 2 Thessalonians – Warnings about the end times.
15. 1 Timothy – Advice for Christian leaders.
16. 2 Timothy – Paul’s last letter, with exhortations to faithfulness.
17. Tito – Rules for the church.
18. Philemon – Personal letter on forgiveness.

📜 General letters

19. Hebrews – Explanation of the superiority of Christ.
20. Santiago – Practical advice on faith and works.
21. 1 Peter – Encouragement to Christians in times of persecution.
22. 2 Peter – Warnings about false teachers.
23. 1 John – Message about love and communion with God.
24. 2 John – Exhortation to the truth.
25. 3 John – Call to hospitality.
26. Judas – Warning against apostasy.

🔥 Apocalypse (Prophecy about the end of times)

27. Apocalypse – The apostle John’s vision of the end of the world and Christ’s victory.

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📖 How to read the Bible chronologically?

Many people are looking for Read the Bible chronologically to follow events in the order in which they happened. Although the Bible is not organized chronologically, reading it in this order would help to better understand the history of humanity from a biblical perspective.

Some key books for a chronological reading of the Bible include:

• Genesis (Creation and patriarchs)
• Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (The Law and the story of Moses)
• Joshua and Judges (Conquest and early leaders of Israel)
• 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings (Kings of Israel and Judah)
• Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel (Before, during and after exile)

If you wish Read the Bible chronologically, you can find reading plans that rearrange the books in this order.

🔗 So there you have it…

If you are looking for the books of the bible in order, especially the books of the Old Testament and the New Testament in order, I hope this article has offered you a complete list with their descriptions. In addition, we have seen the differences between Christian traditions and explained how to read the bible chronologically to better understand its history.

If you want to know more about The Chronological Bible and the Order of its Books, keep exploring our guides and resources. Leave us your comments and share this content with those who seek to know the Bible in depth! 🚀

This order of the books of the Bible will help you better understand the structure and message of this sacred book. Which of these books would you like to study more in depth? 😊