How many books are in the Bible?
There are 66 books in the Bible: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Together they contain 1,189 chapters and 31,102 verses in the King James Version. Catholic Bibles have 73 books.
Old Testament 39 books
New Testament 27 books
- Law 5
- History 12
- Poetry & Wisdom 5
- Major Prophets 5
- Minor Prophets 12
- Gospels 4
- Acts 1
- Paul’s Letters 13
- General Letters 8
- Prophecy 1
Books, chapters and verses
| Books | Chapters | Verses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Testament | 39 | 929 | 23,145 |
| New Testament | 27 | 260 | 7,957 |
| Whole Bible | 66 | 1,189 | 31,102 |
Verse counts are for the King James Version. The original writings had no chapters or verses. Chapters were added in the 13th century, and verse numbers in the 16th.
Bible records
- Most chaptersPsalms (150)
- Fewest verses2 John (13)
- Longest chapterPsalm 119 (176 verses)
- Shortest chapterPsalm 117 (2 verses)
- Longest verseEsther 8:9
- Shortest verseJohn 11:35, “Jesus wept.”
How the books are grouped
The Old Testament begins with the five books of the Law, written down by tradition through Moses. Twelve books of History follow Israel from Joshua to Esther. Five books of Poetry and Wisdom include Job, Psalms and Proverbs, and seventeen books of Prophecy close the Old Testament. The prophets are split into Major and Minor by length, not by importance.
The New Testament opens with four Gospels about the life of Jesus, followed by Acts, which tells the story of the early church. Thirteen letters carry Paul’s name, eight General Letters come from other writers, and Revelation closes the Bible.
Frequently asked questions
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, and Eastern Orthodox Bibles include a few more.
How many chapters are in the Bible?
There are 1,189 chapters: 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament. Chapter divisions were added in the 13th century to make passages easier to find.
How many verses are in the Bible?
The King James Version has 31,102 verses: 23,145 in the Old Testament and 7,957 in the New Testament. Some modern translations number a few verses differently.
What is the longest book of the Bible?
Psalms has the most chapters, with 150. Measured by words, Jeremiah is usually counted as the longest book.
Why do Catholic Bibles have more books?
Catholic Bibles include seven more Old Testament books, such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach and 1 and 2 Maccabees, plus additions to Esther and Daniel. Protestants call these books the Apocrypha. The 1611 King James Version printed them in a separate section between the testaments.