Books of the Bible

The Books of the Bible are the different sections of the Bible. Each book has a different name. Most books of the Bible are named after the person who is thought to have written the book. Some are not. Different religions, and different denominations of Christianity, have different lists of books of the Bible. These different groups accept different books. These groups also use different names for some of the same books. The stories in the "Books of the Bible" are very similar for all religious groups. Some people memorize the Bible or its individual books.  

Below, there is a list or table that compares the Books of the Bible in Judaism and in the Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Slavonic Orthodox, Georgian, Armenian Apostolic, Syriac, and Ethiopian Churches. The table covers both the Old Testament and the New Testament. For a detailed discussion of the differences, see "Biblical canon".

The Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic churches have small differences in the lists of books that they accept. If at least one Eastern church accepts a book, then that book is listed in this table. The Eastern churches accept all of the books that the Roman Catholic Church accepts.

 Old Testament
If a table cell has an asterisk (*), it means that a book is used, but in a different order. Empty cells mean that the book is not used. These books are often called apocrypha. This word is sometimes used specifically (and possibly negatively) to describe the books in the Catholic and Orthodox canon that are not in the Protestant Bible. Orthodox and Catholic Christians call these books deuterocanonical, which means second canon.

 Tanakh Protestant Old Testament Catholic Old Testament (Douay) Greek Orthodox Old Testament Slavonic Old Testament Original Language Torah or Pentateuch Genesis Genesis Genesis Genesis Genesis Hebrew Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Hebrew Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Hebrew Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Hebrew Deuteronomy Deuteronomy Deuteronomy Deuteronomy Deuteronomy Hebrew Nevi'im or Prophets Historical books Joshua Joshua Josue Joshua Joshua Hebrew Judges Judges Judges Judges Judges Hebrew see below Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Hebrew Samuel 1 Samuel 1 Kings 1 Samuel (1 Kingdoms)Names in brackets are the Septuagint names and are often used by the Orthodox Christians. 1 Kingdoms Hebrew 2 Samuel 2 Kings 2 Samuel (2 Kingdoms) 2 Kingdoms Hebrew Kings 1 Kings 3 Kings 1 Kings (3 Kingdoms) 3 Kingdoms Hebrew 2 Kings 4 Kings 2 Kings (4 Kingdoms) 4 Kingdoms Hebrew Chroniclessee below 1 Chronicles 1 Paralipomenon 1 Chronicles 1 Chronicles Hebrew 2 Chronicles 2 Paralipomenon 2 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Hebrew 1 Esdras (2 Esdras)* Greek Ezra (includes Nehemiah)see below Ezra 1 Esdras Ezra (2 Esdras)Some Eastern Orthodox churches follow the Septuagint and the Hebrew bibles by considering the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as one book. Ezra Hebrew(+Aramaic) Nehemiah 2 Esdras (Nehemias) Nehemiah (2 Esdras) Nehemiah Hebrew (1 Esdras)* 2 Esdras Greek Tobias Tobit Tobit Aramaic Judith Judith Judith Hebrew see below Esther EstherThe Catholic and Orthodox Book of Esther includes 103 verses not in the Protestant Book of Esther. Esther Esther Hebrew 1 MachabeesThe Latin Vulgate and the Douay-Rheims place First and Second Maccabees after Malachi; modern Catholic translations place them after Esther. 1 Maccabees see below Hebrew or Aramaic? 2 Machabees 2 Maccabees see below Greek 3 Maccabees Greek 4 Maccabees Greek Wisdom books see below Job Job Job Job Hebrew see below Psalms Psalms PsalmsEastern Orthodox churches include Psalm 151, not present in all canons. Psalms Hebrew OdesThe Book of Odes includes the Prayer of Manasseh. This book is not present in the Catholic or Protestant Old Testaments. Hebrew(+Greek) see below Proverbs Proverbs Proverbs Proverbs Hebrew
        see below Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes Hebrew see below Song of Solomon Canticle of Canticles Song of Solomon Song of Songs Hebrew Wisdom Wisdom Wisdom of Solomon Greek Ecclesiasticus Sirach Sirach Hebrew(+Greek) Major prophets Isaiah Isaiah Isaias Isaiah Isaiah Hebrew Jeremiah Jeremiah Jeremias Jeremiah Jeremiah Hebrew(+Aramaic) see below Lamentations Lamentations Lamentations Lamentations of Jeremiah Hebrew * * Letter of Jeremiah Greek (or Hebrew?)New English Translation of the Septuagint BaruchIn Catholic Bibles, Baruch includes a sixth chapter called the Letter of Jeremiah. Baruch is not in the Protestant Bible or the Tanakh. Baruch Baruch Hebrew (and Greek?)Britannica 1911 Letter of JeremiahEastern Orthodox Bibles have the books of Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah separate. * Greek (or Hebrew?) Ezekiel Ezekiel Ezechiel Ezekiel Ezekiel Hebrew see below Daniel DanielIn Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, Daniel includes three sections not included in Protestant Bibles. The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children are included between Daniel 3:23-24. Susanna is included as Daniel 13. Bel and the Dragon is included as Daniel 14. These are not in the Protestant Old Testament. Daniel Daniel Hebrew+Aramaic Minor prophets The Twelve Prophets Hosea Osee Hosea Hosea Hebrew Joel Joel Joel Joel Hebrew Amos Amos Amos Amos Hebrew Obadiah Abdias Obadiah Obadiah Hebrew Jonah Jonas Jonah Jonah Hebrew Micah Micaeus Micah Micah Hebrew Nahum Nahum Nahum Nahum Hebrew Habakkuk Habacuc Habakkuk Habakkuk Hebrew Zephaniah Sophonias Zephaniah Zephaniah Hebrew Haggai Aggaeus Haggai Haggai Hebrew Zechariah Zacharias Zechariah Zechariah Hebrew Malachi Malachias Malachi Malachi Hebrew Ketuvim or WritingsThese books are found among the historical and wisdom books of the Christian canons. Psalms Hebrew Proverbs Hebrew Job Hebrew Song of Songs Hebrew Ruth Hebrew Lamentations Hebrew Ecclesiastes Hebrew Esther Hebrew Daniel Hebrew+Aramaic Ezra (includes Nehemiah) Hebrew(+Aramaic) Chronicles Hebrew see above 1 Maccabees Hebrew or Aramaic? see above 2 Maccabees Greek 3 Maccabees Greek 2 Esdras Latin

 New Testament 
Most Christian groups agree about the New Testament canon (the list of books in the New Testament) but some groups put books in a different order (place). 
 Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox Lutheran Protestant Bible Slavonic Orthodox Bible Ethiopian Bible Original Language The Gospels Matthew Matthew Matthew Matthew Greek (or Aramaic or Hebrew?)Most scholars believe that the Gospel of Matthew was written in Koine Greek, but some scholars believe that this gospel was originally written in Aramaic or Hebrew. See Wikipedia's Gospel of Matthew and New Testament articles. Mark Mark Mark Mark Greek Luke Luke Luke Luke Greek John John John John Greek The History Acts Acts Acts Acts Greek The General Epistles James Greek 1 Peter Greek 2 Peter Greek 1 John Greek 2 John Greek 3 John Greek Jude Greek The Pauline Epistles Romans Romans Romans Romans Greek 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians Greek 2 Corinthians 2 Corinthians 2 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Greek Galatians Galatians Galatians Galatians Greek Ephesians Ephesians Ephesians Ephesians Greek Philippians Philippians Philippians Philippians Greek Colossians Colossians Colossians Colossians Greek 1 Thessalonians 1 Thessalonians 1 Thessalonians 1 Thessalonians Greek 2 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Greek 1 Timothy 1 Timothy 1 Timothy 1 Timothy Greek 2 Timothy 2 Timothy 2 Timothy 2 Timothy Greek Titus Titus Titus Titus Greek Philemon Philemon Philemon Philemon Greek The General Epistles The General Epistles Hebrews Hebrews Hebrews Greek (or Hebrew?)Today, scholars believe the Hebrews was written in Greek, but a small number of scholars believe it was originally written in Hebrew, then translated into Greek by Luke. See Wikipedia's New Testament article. James Greek 1 Peter 1 Peter 1 Peter Greek 2 Peter 2 Peter 2 Peter Greek 1 John 1 John 1 John Greek 2 John 2 John 2 John Greek 3 John 3 John 3 John Greek James Greek Jude Jude Greek Books questioned by Luther Hebrews Greek (or Hebrew?) James Greek Jude Greek Revelation of Christ to John Revelation of Christ to John Revelation of Christ to John Revelation of Christ to John Greek

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has a few other books in its canon (list of books): Jubilees, Book of Enoch, and The Rest of the Words of Baruch (4 Baruch).

The Peshitta does not have 2-3 John, 2 Peter, Jude, and Revelation, but Bibles of the modern Syriac Orthodox Church do have later translations of those books. They also have the Letter of Baruch (Baruch, is called a deuterocanonical book of the Bible). Today the Syrian Orthodox Church only uses lessons from the twenty-two books of Peshitta in its official lectionary (list of Church readings). 

Third Epistle to the Corinthians was once part of the Armenian Orthodox Bible, but it is not in modern editions (printed versions).

 Anglican Apocrypha 

The Anglican Church accepts the same order of books as the Vulgate (Catholic 16th Century) Bible. The 39 Articles (an Anglican list of doctrines or important beliefs) says that these Books of the Bible are Apocrypha:

I. Esdras
II. Esdras
Tobit
Judith
The Rest of Esther
The Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus (:)
Baruch, with the Letter of Jeremiah
The Song of the Three Jews, with the Prayer of Azariah
The Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
The Prayer of Manasseh
I. Maccabees
II. Maccabees
III. Maccabees

Related pages
Bible
Apocrypha
Biblical canon
Judaism
Christianity

 Notes 
Return links: Tanakh or Old Testament – New Testament

More websites
 The Canon of Scripture – a Catholic perspective 
 Table of Tanakh Books - includes Latin, English, Hebrew and abbreviated names (from Tel Aviv University).
 Judaica Press Translation - Online Jewish translation of the books of the Bible. The Tanakh and Rashi's entire commentary.
 Slavonic Bible (in Russian)
 Books of the Apocrypha  (from the UMC)
 Western Armenian Bible (an essay, with full official canon at the end)
 Catholic books of the Bible 
 Bible facts (Facts on the Bible)