Bible Books by Number of Chapters: Complete List + Printable Chart
The 66-book Protestant Bible contains 1,189 chapters: 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament. Psalms has the most chapters at 150. Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude each have one.
Use the searchable table to find any book, select the Chapters heading to sort from shortest to longest or longest to shortest, or take the complete list with you as a one-page printable chart. Verse and word counts use an ESV-based dataset and may differ in other translations.
Download the one-page printable chart Jump to quick answers
ExplorePermalink
Search, sort, and compare all 66 books.
Complete list of Bible books by number of chaptersPermalink
All 66 books are included. Scroll the table to browse, or use search to narrow the list.
| Book | Order | Testament | Chapters | Verses (ESV) | Words (ESV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 1 | Old | 50 | 1533 | 36397 |
| Exodus | 2 | Old | 40 | 1213 | 31005 |
| Leviticus | 3 | Old | 27 | 859 | 23493 |
| Numbers | 4 | Old | 36 | 1288 | 31043 |
| Deuteronomy | 5 | Old | 34 | 959 | 27618 |
| Joshua | 6 | Old | 24 | 658 | 17993 |
| Judges | 7 | Old | 21 | 618 | 18312 |
| Ruth | 8 | Old | 4 | 85 | 2437 |
| 1 Samuel | 9 | Old | 31 | 810 | 24168 |
| 2 Samuel | 10 | Old | 24 | 695 | 19795 |
| 1 Kings | 11 | Old | 22 | 816 | 23520 |
| 2 Kings | 12 | Old | 25 | 719 | 22912 |
| 1 Chronicles | 13 | Old | 29 | 942 | 18580 |
| 2 Chronicles | 14 | Old | 36 | 822 | 24856 |
| Ezra | 15 | Old | 10 | 280 | 6921 |
| Nehemiah | 16 | Old | 13 | 406 | 9874 |
| Esther | 17 | Old | 10 | 167 | 5484 |
| Job | 18 | Old | 42 | 1070 | 17627 |
| Psalms | 19 | Old | 150 | 2461 | 41273 |
| Proverbs | 20 | Old | 31 | 915 | 14552 |
| Ecclesiastes | 21 | Old | 12 | 222 | 5376 |
| Song of Solomon | 22 | Old | 8 | 117 | 2576 |
| Isaiah | 23 | Old | 66 | 1292 | 35385 |
| Jeremiah | 24 | Old | 52 | 1364 | 40544 |
| Lamentations | 25 | Old | 5 | 154 | 3253 |
| Ezekiel | 26 | Old | 48 | 1273 | 37309 |
| Daniel | 27 | Old | 12 | 357 | 11272 |
| Hosea | 28 | Old | 14 | 197 | 4976 |
| Joel | 29 | Old | 3 | 73 | 1917 |
| Amos | 30 | Old | 9 | 146 | 4067 |
| Obadiah | 31 | Old | 1 | 21 | 614 |
| Jonah | 32 | Old | 4 | 48 | 1312 |
| Micah | 33 | Old | 7 | 105 | 3022 |
| Nahum | 34 | Old | 3 | 47 | 1111 |
| Habakkuk | 35 | Old | 3 | 56 | 1373 |
| Zephaniah | 36 | Old | 3 | 53 | 1573 |
| Haggai | 37 | Old | 2 | 38 | 1095 |
| Zechariah | 38 | Old | 14 | 211 | 6083 |
| Malachi | 39 | Old | 4 | 55 | 1752 |
| Matthew | 40 | New | 28 | 1067 | 23019 |
| Mark | 41 | New | 16 | 673 | 14596 |
| Luke | 42 | New | 24 | 1149 | 25010 |
| John | 43 | New | 21 | 866 | 18841 |
| Acts | 44 | New | 28 | 1003 | 23633 |
| Romans | 45 | New | 16 | 432 | 9530 |
| 1 Corinthians | 46 | New | 16 | 437 | 9314 |
| 2 Corinthians | 47 | New | 13 | 257 | 6077 |
| Galatians | 48 | New | 6 | 149 | 3133 |
| Ephesians | 49 | New | 6 | 155 | 3014 |
| Philippians | 50 | New | 4 | 104 | 2160 |
| Colossians | 51 | New | 4 | 95 | 1950 |
| 1 Thessalonians | 52 | New | 5 | 89 | 1854 |
| 2 Thessalonians | 53 | New | 3 | 47 | 1065 |
| 1 Timothy | 54 | New | 6 | 113 | 2314 |
| 2 Timothy | 55 | New | 4 | 83 | 1647 |
| Titus | 56 | New | 3 | 46 | 928 |
| Philemon | 57 | New | 1 | 25 | 461 |
| Hebrews | 58 | New | 13 | 303 | 6935 |
| James | 59 | New | 5 | 108 | 2331 |
| 1 Peter | 60 | New | 5 | 105 | 2405 |
| 2 Peter | 61 | New | 3 | 61 | 1549 |
| 1 John | 62 | New | 5 | 105 | 2507 |
| 2 John | 63 | New | 1 | 13 | 302 |
| 3 John | 64 | New | 1 | 15 | 303 |
| Jude | 65 | New | 1 | 25 | 610 |
| Revelation | 66 | New | 22 | 404 | 11526 |
ComparePermalink
Put chapter, verse, and word counts in perspective.
Quick answers about Bible chapter countsPermalink
How many chapters are in the Bible?Permalink
The 66-book Protestant Bible contains 1,189 chapters: 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament.
Which book has the most chapters?Permalink
Psalms has 150 chapters. Isaiah is second with 66. Matthew and Acts tie for the most chapters in the New Testament, with 28 each.
Which books have the fewest chapters?Permalink
Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude each have one chapter.
Which book has the most verses?Permalink
Psalms has 2,461 verses in this ESV-based dataset. Genesis is second with 1,533.
Which book has the fewest verses?Permalink
2 John has 13 verses in this ESV-based dataset.
Which book has the most words?Permalink
Psalms has 41,273 words in this ESV-based dataset. Jeremiah is second with 40,544.
Which book has the fewest words?Permalink
2 John has 302 words in this ESV-based dataset. 3 John follows with 303.
Why do verse and word counts differ between translations?Permalink
Translations use different wording, and some editions handle verse numbering and textual variants differently. Chapter counts remain more consistent, while verse and word totals can vary.
Are all Bible chapters about the same length?Permalink
Chapter length varies dramatically. Psalm 117 has two verses, while Psalm 119 has 176. Genre and density also shape the reading experience, so chapter count estimates scope more reliably than reading time or difficulty.
The 10 Bible books with the most chaptersPermalink
The chart compares chapter count. Rankings by verse count or word count produce a different order.
How to use chapter countsPermalink
Chapter count helps you estimate a book’s scope and build a realistic reading schedule. Reading pace also depends on chapter length, genre, density, and the kind of attention a passage invites. Four chapters of narrative, poetry, prophecy, and theological argument create very different reading experiences.
Chapter and verse divisions were added after the biblical texts were written. They are valuable reference tools. Let the book’s genre, argument, and context guide the way you read within those divisions.
Books grouped by chapter countPermalink
This list includes every chapter count represented among the 66 books of the Protestant Bible.
- 1 chapter: Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
- 2 chapters: Haggai
- 3 chapters: Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 2 Thessalonians, Titus, 2 Peter
- 4 chapters: Ruth, Jonah, Malachi, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Timothy
- 5 chapters: Lamentations, 1 Thessalonians, James, 1 Peter, 1 John
- 6 chapters: Galatians, Ephesians, 1 Timothy
- 7 chapters: Micah
- 8 chapters: Song of Solomon
- 9 chapters: Amos
- 10 chapters: Ezra, Esther
- 12 chapters: Ecclesiastes, Daniel
- 13 chapters: Nehemiah, 2 Corinthians, Hebrews
- 14 chapters: Hosea, Zechariah
- 16 chapters: Mark, Romans, 1 Corinthians
- 21 chapters: Judges, John
- 22 chapters: 1 Kings, Revelation
- 24 chapters: Joshua, 2 Samuel, Luke
- 25 chapters: 2 Kings
- 27 chapters: Leviticus
- 28 chapters: Matthew, Acts
- 29 chapters: 1 Chronicles
- 31 chapters: 1 Samuel, Proverbs
- 34 chapters: Deuteronomy
- 36 chapters: Numbers, 2 Chronicles
- 40 chapters: Exodus
- 42 chapters: Job
- 48 chapters: Ezekiel
- 50 chapters: Genesis
- 52 chapters: Jeremiah
- 66 chapters: Isaiah
- 150 chapters: Psalms
No Bible book has exactly 30 chapters.
ChoosePermalink
Turn what you’ve learned into a realistic next step.
What do you want to do next?Permalink
Choose a good place to beginPermalink
Start with a book that fits what you are curious about and the kind of reading you need right now.
Build a plan that fits real lifePermalink
Choose your scope, schedule, pace, and catch-up days, then generate a printable plan.
Understand what you readPermalink
Use Chapter by Chapter for book and chapter summaries, context, key ideas, and connections as you read.
Keep the map beside youPermalink
Get the free Bible Book Map + Reading Guide so you can compare all 66 books, choose a useful next step, and build a sustainable reading rhythm.
About the dataPermalink
Chapter counts follow the 66-book Protestant canon. Verse and word counts use the ESV-based dataset that powers this page and may differ in other translations or editions.
Reviewed: July 11, 2026. Found a possible error? Contact VerseNotes.
