How Many Books Are There in the Bible?
How many books the Bible contains is one of the first questions people ask when trying to understand its structure. The Bible has 66 books in total: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. These books are in turn divided into chapters and verses. This page explains, neutrally, how many books the Bible contains, how they are grouped and how the chapter-and-verse structure works; afterward you can begin reading them all here for free.
How many books does the Bible contain in total?
The Bible contains 66 books in total. Of these, 39 are in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Each book has its own length and subject; some are short texts of a single chapter, while others run to dozens of chapters. Together these 66 books make up the Bible as a single whole.
The 39 books of the Old Testament
The 39 books of the Old Testament are usually grouped into four sets: the first five books (the Torah) recount creation and the origins of Israel; the historical books continue the people's story; the poetry and wisdom books (for example Psalms and Proverbs) deal with prayer, praise and the wisdom of life; and the prophetic books contain the words of the prophets. This grouping helps make a large section easier to grasp.
The 27 books of the New Testament
The 27 books of the New Testament can be grouped in a similar way: the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) recount the life of Jesus; the Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the early church; the letters (for example Romans and Corinthians) contain counsel and teaching addressed to communities and individuals; and Revelation is the last book of the New Testament. John is often recommended as a first read.
What are chapters and verses?
Each book is divided into chapters, and each chapter into verses, to make reading and finding a passage easier. These chapter and verse numbers are not an original part of the text; they were added centuries later so that a specific place could be referred to easily. For example, "John 3:16" points to the 16th verse of the 3rd chapter of the book of John. The Bible as a whole contains more than a thousand chapters.
How can I read these 66 books on this site?
On this site you can read all 66 books of the Bible — choosing from the Old and New Testament index — chapter by chapter, free and ad-free. For first-time readers, Genesis, the Psalms and John are good starting points. From the Testament pages you can reach the full list of books in each Testament.
Start here
Guides
- What Is the Gospel (İncil)?
- What Are the Torah, Psalms (Zebur) and Gospel?
- The Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
- Who Wrote the Bible? When Was It Written?
- How Many Books Are There in the Bible?
- Chapters and Verses: How to Read a Reference Like "John 3:16"
- Who Is Jesus Christ?
- What Is the Zebur (Book of Psalms)?
- What Is Baptism?
- How Did the Bible Reach Us? (Manuscripts and Translation)
- What Is Prayer and How Do You Pray?
- What Are the Ten Commandments?
- What Are the Parables of Jesus?
- What Are the Old and New Testaments?
- What Is Christmas? When and Where Was Jesus Born?
- What Are Easter and the Resurrection?
- Who or What Is the Holy Spirit?
- What Is a Church (Kilise)?
- What Is Christianity?
- What Is Sin (Günah)?
- What Are Angels?
- What Are Heaven and Hell?
- What Is a Prophet?
- What Is the Trinity?
- Satan and Evil According to the Bible
- How Do You Memorize Bible Verses?
- Kadıköy Kilise Translation (KKR): Sources and Revision Notes
How many books are in the Bible?
The Bible contains 66 books in total: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
How many books are in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament has 39 books, grouped as the Torah, the historical books, the poetry/wisdom books and the prophetic books.
How many books are in the New Testament?
The New Testament has 27 books: the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the letters of the apostles and Revelation.
How many chapters does the Bible have?
Each book is divided into chapters and each chapter into verses. The Bible as a whole has more than a thousand chapters; these chapter and verse numbers were added to the text later, for ease of reference.
Can I read all 66 books of the Bible online?
Yes. On this site you can read all 66 books from the Old and New Testament index, chapter by chapter, free and ad-free.