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66 Books · 1,189 Chapters · 31,102 KJV Verses

How Many Books, Chapters & Verses Are in the Bible?

A 66-book Protestant Bible has 1,189 chapters and 31,102 KJV verses. See every book’s count and why totals can vary.

Quick answer

A Protestant Bible has 66 books, 1,189 chapters, and 31,102 verses.

31,102 is the commonly cited KJV total; verse counts can vary by translation and numbering tradition.
Old Testament
39 books · 929 chapters · 23,145 verses
New Testament
27 books · 260 chapters · 7,957 verses

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Bible counts, explained

How many books, chapters, and verses are in the Bible?

The familiar answer—66 books, 1,189 chapters, and 31,102 verses—describes a particular collection and numbering system. This guide explains those totals, shows their Old and New Testament breakdowns, and identifies where another canon or translation can produce a different number. For the history behind chapter divisions, manuscripts, and printing, continue with the Bible History Facts guide.

A quick reference

10 Bible statistics, with the counting basis included

These numbers use the 66-book Protestant canon unless another basis is named. The final column matters: it shows exactly which Bible, numbering system, or book division the number describes.

StatisticCountCounting basis
Books in the Protestant BibleThe collection is arranged as 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books.6666-book Protestant canon
Chapters in the Protestant BibleThe Old Testament contains 929 chapters and the New Testament contains 260.1,189Common Protestant chapter division
Verses in the KJVThe standard count is 23,145 Old Testament verses and 7,957 New Testament verses.31,102King James Version verse numbering
PsalmsPsalms has more chapters than any other book in the 66-book Protestant Bible.150Common Protestant and Jewish numbering
Verses in Psalm 119Its 22 sections each contain eight verses and follow the Hebrew alphabet.176Common English verse numbering
Verses in Psalm 117By verse count, it is the shortest chapter in common English Protestant Bibles.2Common English verse numbering
One-chapter booksThey are Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.566-book Protestant canon
Primary biblical languagesThe biblical texts were written primarily in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.3Languages of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament texts
New Testament GospelsMatthew, Mark, Luke, and John form the opening four books of the New Testament.427-book New Testament canon
Minor Prophet booksChristian Old Testaments print them as 12 books; the Hebrew Bible counts them together as the Book of the Twelve.12Protestant book division, with Hebrew canon note

The complete lookup table

Chapters and verses in each book of the Bible

This table uses the 66-book Protestant canon and standard KJV verse numbering. Scroll to compare every book’s chapter and verse total.

TestamentBookChaptersVerses
OldGenesis501,533
OldExodus401,213
OldLeviticus27859
OldNumbers361,288
OldDeuteronomy34959
OldJoshua24658
OldJudges21618
OldRuth485
Old1 Samuel31810
Old2 Samuel24695
Old1 Kings22816
Old2 Kings25719
Old1 Chronicles29942
Old2 Chronicles36822
OldEzra10280
OldNehemiah13406
OldEsther10167
OldJob421,070
OldPsalms1502,461
OldProverbs31915
OldEcclesiastes12222
OldSong of Solomon8117
OldIsaiah661,292
OldJeremiah521,364
OldLamentations5154
OldEzekiel481,273
OldDaniel12357
OldHosea14197
OldJoel373
OldAmos9146
OldObadiah121
OldJonah448
OldMicah7105
OldNahum347
OldHabakkuk356
OldZephaniah353
OldHaggai238
OldZechariah14211
OldMalachi455
NewMatthew281,071
NewMark16678
NewLuke241,151
NewJohn21879
NewActs281,007
NewRomans16433
New1 Corinthians16437
New2 Corinthians13257
NewGalatians6149
NewEphesians6155
NewPhilippians4104
NewColossians495
New1 Thessalonians589
New2 Thessalonians347
New1 Timothy6113
New2 Timothy483
NewTitus346
NewPhilemon125
NewHebrews13303
NewJames5108
New1 Peter5105
New2 Peter361
New1 John5105
New2 John113
New3 John114
NewJude125
NewRevelation22404

The basis comes before the number

Why do Bible statistics differ?

Bible statistics are reproducible only when the source text and counting rules are stated. Two careful counters can reach different totals because they are measuring different collections or editions.

  • CanonProtestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish collections do not divide or include every book identically.
  • Verse numberingSome traditions combine, divide, or number individual verses differently.
  • TranslationDifferent English wording changes word totals even when the passage is the same.
  • Counting rulesHeadings, book titles, notes, bracketed words, and punctuation may be included or excluded.

Bible books, chapters, and verses measure different things

Books belong to a canon, while chapter and verse numbers are navigation systems added long after the biblical texts were written. Chapter totals remain relatively stable among common Protestant editions, but verse numbers can shift slightly between textual and translation traditions.

66 booksThe Protestant canon: 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books.
1,189 chaptersThe common Protestant division: 929 Old Testament and 260 New Testament chapters.
31,102 versesThe standard KJV count: 23,145 Old Testament and 7,957 New Testament verses.
Not universal totalsAdditional books and different numbering systems change the result.

The most variable statistic

“How many words are in the Bible?” needs a translation first

Text

Choose the edition

KJV, WEB, and other translations use different English wording. Editions may also differ in spelling, paragraph headings, and editorial material.

Method

Choose what counts

A reproducible total must say whether book titles, superscriptions, bracketed words, footnotes, and punctuation are part of the count.

For that reason, Bible Facts does not publish one universal word total. Translation and counting method are always attached to the number.

Sources and counting methodology

The headline chapter and verse totals are checked against Bible Gateway’s guide to Bible chapters and verses and the KJV Study text statistics. Individual book structures are also compared with the biblical text. Every statistic in the full collection stores its canon, translation, and counting basis as separate fields.

Bible Statistics FAQ

How many books are in the Bible?

A Protestant Bible contains 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Catholic and Orthodox canons contain additional books, so the total depends on the Christian tradition being counted.

How many chapters are in the Bible?

The standard 66-book Protestant Bible contains 1,189 chapters: 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament. Bibles that include Deuterocanonical or additional Orthodox books contain more.

How many verses are in the Bible?

The commonly cited KJV total is 31,102 verses. Verse totals and numbering can vary slightly between translations and textual traditions, so a precise count should always name its version.

Why do Bible statistics differ between websites?

Sites may count different canons, translations, verse-numbering systems, headings, footnotes, book titles, or editorial additions. Word counts vary especially widely because translation wording and counting rules are not identical.

What is the longest chapter in the Bible?

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter by verse count in common English Protestant Bibles, with 176 verses arranged in 22 sections of eight verses.

What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?

Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter by verse count in common English Protestant Bibles, with two verses.

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