By The Water
The Bible has 1,189 chapters and 31,102 verses across its 66 books. In the King James text that is 789,593 words — about 65 hr 48 min of reading at 200 words a minute. Psalms is the longest book with 150 chapters; 3 John is the shortest with 294 words. The full table below gives the chapters, verses, word count and reading time for every book.
Every book of the Bible: chapters, verses, words and reading time
| Book | Chapters | Verses | Words | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 50 | 1,533 | 38,265 | 3 hr 11 min |
| Exodus | 40 | 1,213 | 32,684 | 2 hr 43 min |
| Leviticus | 27 | 859 | 24,541 | 2 hr 3 min |
| Numbers | 36 | 1,288 | 32,893 | 2 hr 44 min |
| Deuteronomy | 34 | 959 | 28,351 | 2 hr 22 min |
| Joshua | 24 | 658 | 18,853 | 1 hr 34 min |
| Judges | 21 | 618 | 18,966 | 1 hr 35 min |
| Ruth | 4 | 85 | 2,574 | 13 min |
| 1 Samuel | 31 | 810 | 25,048 | 2 hr 5 min |
| 2 Samuel | 24 | 695 | 20,599 | 1 hr 43 min |
| 1 Kings | 22 | 816 | 24,512 | 2 hr 3 min |
| 2 Kings | 25 | 719 | 23,519 | 1 hr 58 min |
| 1 Chronicles | 29 | 942 | 20,365 | 1 hr 42 min |
| 2 Chronicles | 36 | 822 | 26,069 | 2 hr 10 min |
| Ezra | 10 | 280 | 7,440 | 37 min |
| Nehemiah | 13 | 406 | 10,480 | 52 min |
| Esther | 10 | 167 | 5,633 | 28 min |
| Job | 42 | 1,070 | 18,098 | 1 hr 30 min |
| Psalms | 150 | 2,461 | 42,685 | 3 hr 33 min |
| Proverbs | 31 | 915 | 15,038 | 1 hr 15 min |
| Ecclesiastes | 12 | 222 | 5,580 | 28 min |
| Song of Solomon | 8 | 117 | 2,658 | 13 min |
| Isaiah | 66 | 1,292 | 37,040 | 3 hr 5 min |
| Jeremiah | 52 | 1,364 | 42,654 | 3 hr 33 min |
| Lamentations | 5 | 154 | 3,411 | 17 min |
| Ezekiel | 48 | 1,273 | 39,402 | 3 hr 17 min |
| Daniel | 12 | 357 | 11,602 | 58 min |
| Hosea | 14 | 197 | 5,174 | 26 min |
| Joel | 3 | 73 | 2,033 | 10 min |
| Amos | 9 | 146 | 4,216 | 21 min |
| Obadiah | 1 | 21 | 669 | 3 min |
| Jonah | 4 | 48 | 1,320 | 7 min |
| Micah | 7 | 105 | 3,152 | 16 min |
| Nahum | 3 | 47 | 1,284 | 6 min |
| Habakkuk | 3 | 56 | 1,475 | 7 min |
| Zephaniah | 3 | 53 | 1,617 | 8 min |
| Haggai | 2 | 38 | 1,130 | 6 min |
| Zechariah | 14 | 211 | 6,443 | 32 min |
| Malachi | 4 | 55 | 1,781 | 9 min |
| Total | 929 | 23,145 | 609,254 | 50 hr 46 min |
| Book | Chapters | Verses | Words | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | 28 | 1,071 | 23,684 | 1 hr 58 min |
| Mark | 16 | 678 | 15,166 | 1 hr 16 min |
| Luke | 24 | 1,151 | 25,939 | 2 hr 10 min |
| John | 21 | 879 | 19,094 | 1 hr 35 min |
| Acts | 28 | 1,007 | 24,245 | 2 hr 1 min |
| Romans | 16 | 433 | 9,380 | 47 min |
| 1 Corinthians | 16 | 437 | 9,462 | 47 min |
| 2 Corinthians | 13 | 257 | 6,065 | 30 min |
| Galatians | 6 | 149 | 3,084 | 15 min |
| Ephesians | 6 | 155 | 3,022 | 15 min |
| Philippians | 4 | 104 | 2,183 | 11 min |
| Colossians | 4 | 95 | 1,979 | 10 min |
| 1 Thessalonians | 5 | 89 | 1,837 | 9 min |
| 2 Thessalonians | 3 | 47 | 1,022 | 5 min |
| 1 Timothy | 6 | 113 | 2,244 | 11 min |
| 2 Timothy | 4 | 83 | 1,666 | 8 min |
| Titus | 3 | 46 | 896 | 4 min |
| Philemon | 1 | 25 | 430 | 2 min |
| Hebrews | 13 | 303 | 6,897 | 34 min |
| James | 5 | 108 | 2,304 | 12 min |
| 1 Peter | 5 | 105 | 2,476 | 12 min |
| 2 Peter | 3 | 61 | 1,553 | 8 min |
| 1 John | 5 | 105 | 2,516 | 13 min |
| 2 John | 1 | 13 | 298 | 1 min |
| 3 John | 1 | 14 | 294 | 1 min |
| Jude | 1 | 25 | 608 | 3 min |
| Revelation | 22 | 404 | 11,995 | 1 hr |
| Total | 260 | 7,957 | 180,339 | 15 hr 2 min |
Counted from the King James text shipped inside the By The Water app, in Bible order. Verse numbering follows the King James Bible; the one place editions differ is the doxology at Romans 16:25–27, which a few Bibles number as Romans 14:24–26. Word counts are of the King James text itself — the frequently quoted figure of 783,137 comes from a different edition and a different counting method, so treat any single number as approximate to within a fraction of a percent.
The Bible in numbers
| Books | 66 — 39 Old Testament, 27 New Testament |
|---|---|
| Chapters | 1,189 |
| Verses | 31,102 |
| Words (KJV) | 789,593 |
| Reading time at 200 wpm | 65 hr 48 min |
| Longest book | Psalms — 150 chapters, 3 hr 33 min |
| Shortest book | 3 John — 14 verses, 294 words |
| Longest chapter | Psalms 119 — 176 verses |
| Shortest chapter | Psalms 117 — 2 verses |
| Books with one chapter | Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, Jude |
Books in depth
Each of these has its own page: what the book is about, its key chapters, a day-by-day plan to read it on its own, and the dates you reach it in each one-year plan.
Genesis
50 chapters · 1,533 verses · 3 hr 11 min
Exodus
40 chapters · 1,213 verses · 2 hr 43 min
Job
42 chapters · 1,070 verses · 1 hr 30 min
Psalms
150 chapters · 2,461 verses · 3 hr 33 min
Proverbs
31 chapters · 915 verses · 1 hr 15 min
Isaiah
66 chapters · 1,292 verses · 3 hr 5 min
Daniel
12 chapters · 357 verses · 58 min
Matthew
28 chapters · 1,071 verses · 1 hr 58 min
Luke
24 chapters · 1,151 verses · 2 hr 10 min
John
21 chapters · 879 verses · 1 hr 35 min
Acts
28 chapters · 1,007 verses · 2 hr 1 min
Romans
16 chapters · 433 verses · 47 min
Ephesians
6 chapters · 155 verses · 15 min
James
5 chapters · 108 verses · 12 min
Revelation
22 chapters · 404 verses · 1 hr
Reading the whole thing
- Four printable one-year reading plans — blended, chronological, cover to cover and a beginner order.
- How long does it take to read the Bible? — the same word counts, turned into a daily pace.
- The 66 books of the Bible in order — the list, with what each one is.
- What order should I read the Bible in?
Paper plans work — until you miss a day
A printed plan is a good start. The trouble usually comes in February: a busy week, three unticked boxes, then six, and the plan quietly ends. By The Water has this exact plan built in, and it is designed for the days life gets in the way.
- Today's reading, readyOpen the app and today's chapters are waiting on the Today tab. No hunting for where you left off.
- Every chapter tracked and savedEach chapter you read is checked off and saved to your account, so a new phone doesn't mean starting over.
- See how far you've comeA progress ring shows how much of the Bible you've read, and how far through the current book you are.
- A finish date that moves with you“Started Jan 2027 · Estimated finish: Dec 2027” updates as you read, so you always know where you stand.
- Miss a day without falling apartThe plan picks up at your next unread chapter, not a calendar date — so a missed week never becomes a wall of overdue readings.
- Reminders and streaksA daily reminder at the time you choose, and a reading streak to keep you coming back.
Free to start: the reading plans, progress tracking, streaks and reminders are all free in the app.