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Famous stories in the Bible

Author: Bible Society, 9 May 2017

How about reading some of the Bible's best-loved and best-known stories?

The top ten favourite Bible stories

  1. The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2.1–7 and Matthew 2.1–12)
  2. Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6.9–9.17)
  3. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25–37)
  4. The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus (Mark 15.20–41; Matthew 28.1–21)
  5. The Exodus (Exodus 14.1–31)
  6. David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17.1–58)
  7. The Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5.1–22)
  8. Jesus feeds the five thousand (Mark 6.31–44)
  9. Jesus turns water into wine (John 2.1–11)
  10. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5.1–7.29)

The 100 best-known stories in the Bible

  1. Creation and the fall (Genesis 1–3)
  2. Noah and the flood (Genesis 6.9–9.17)
  3. The tower of Babel (Genesis 11.1–9)
  4. The call of Abraham (Genesis 12.1–9 and 17.1–8)
  5. Three visitors to Abraham (Genesis 18.1–15)
  6. Joseph the dreamer (Genesis 37–45)
  7. The birth of Moses (Exodus 1.8–2.10)
  8. Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3.1–15)
  9. The ten plagues (Exodus 7.6–11.10)
  10. Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 13.17–14.31)
  11. Manna and quail (Exodus 16)
  12. Exploring Canaan (Numbers 13.1—14.12)
  13. Balaam’s donkey (Numbers 22.21–38)
  14. The Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5.1–22)
  15. The death of Moses (Deuteronomy 34)
  1. Entering the Promised Land (Joshua 3)
  2. The fall of Jericho (Joshua 5.13–6.27)
  3. Deborah leads God’s people (Judges 4–5)
  4. Gideon fights the Midianites (Judges 6–7)
  5. Samson and Delilah (Judges 16)
  6. Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1–4)
  7. Israel asks for a king (1 Samuel 8)
  8. God chooses David as king (1 Samuel 16.1–13)
  9. David kills Goliath (1 Samuel 17)                      
  10. David becomes king (2 Samuel 5.1–12)
  11. David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)
  12. Solomon and the wise judgement (1 Kings 3.16–28)
  13. Solomon builds God’s temple (1 Kings 6)
  14. Israel rebels against Rehoboam (1 Kings 12.1–24)
  15. Elijah and the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18.16–46)
  16. The still small voice (1 Kings 19)
  17. Elijah is taken up to heaven in a chariot (2 Kings 2.1–12)
  18. Judah is taken into exile in Babylon (2 Kings 24—25)
  19. The people are allowed to return from exile (Ezra 1)
  1. Isaiah's vision of God (Isaiah 6.1–8)
  2. Isaiah’s prophecies about a Messiah (Isaiah 7.10–17)
  3. Isaiah’s message of comfort (Isaiah 40.1–11)
  4. The suffering servant (Isaiah 52.13—53.12)
  5. Jeremiah and the potter’s house (Jeremiah 18)
  6. Jeremiah and the new covenant  (Jeremiah 31.1–34)
  7. Ezekiel’s vision of a chariot (Ezekiel 1)
  8. Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37.1–14)
  9. Daniel and the fiery furnace (Daniel 3)
  10. Daniel and the lions’ den (Daniel 6)
  1. Hosea told to marry a prostitute (Hosea 1)
  2. Joel’s vision of the future (Joel 2.28–32)
  3. Amos’ condemnation of the king (Amos 7.10–17)
  4. Jonah (Jonah 1–4)
  1. The birth of Jesus is promised (Luke 1.26–38)
  2. Mary gives birth to Jesus (Luke 2.1–7)
  3. The shepherds and the angels (Luke 2.8–20)
  4. The visit of the wise men (Matthew 2.1–12)
  5. Jesus is taken to the temple (Luke 2.22–40)
  6. Joseph, Mary and Jesus escape to Egypt (Matthew 2.13–23)
  7. Jesus gets lost in the temple (Luke 2.41–52)
  8. John the Baptist announces Jesus (Matthew 3.1–12)
  9. Jesus is baptised (Mark 1.9–11)
  10. Jesus is tempted in the wilderness (Luke 4.1–13)
  11. Jesus calls the first disciples (Mark 1.16–20)
  12. Jesus changes water into wine (John 2.1–11)
  13. Jesus heals a paralysed man (Mark 2.1–12)
  14. Jesus talks to a Samaritan woman (John 4.4–42)
  15. Jesus calms a storm (Matthew 8.23–27)
  16. Jesus heals Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5.21–43)
  17. John the Baptist is beheaded (Matthew 14.1–12)
  18. Jesus feeds five thousand people (John 6.1–15)
  19. Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14.22–33)
  20. Peter recognises Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 8.27–30)
  21. The transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9.28–36)
  22. Jesus rescues a woman caught in adultery (John 8.1–11)
  23. Jesus heals a man born blind (John 9)
  24. The parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10.25–37)
  25. Mary, Martha and Jesus (Luke 10.38–42)
  26. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11.1–44)
  27. The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15.11–32)
  28. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16.19–31)
  29. Zacchaeus the tax collector (Luke 19.1–10)
  30. Mary anoints Jesus’ feet (John 12.1–8)
  31. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet (John 13.1–30)
  32. Jesus has a last supper with his friends (Mark 14.12–26)
  33. Jesus is arrested in the garden of Gethsemane (John 18.1–13)
  34. Peter denies Jesus (Luke 22.54–62)
  35. Jesus is crucified (Mark 15.20–41)
  36. Jesus is buried (Matthew 27.57–66)
  37. The resurrection (Matthew 28.1–15)
  38. The road to Emmaus (Luke 24.13–35)
  39. Mary meets the risen Jesus (John 20.1–18)
  40. The great commission (Matthew 28.16–20)
  41. Jesus forgives Peter (John 21)
  1. Jesus ascends into heaven (Acts 1.4–11)
  2. The Holy Spirit is sent to the disciples (Acts 2.1–13)
  3. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5.1–11)
  4. The stoning of Stephen (Acts 6.8—7.1 and 7.54–60)
  5. The conversion of Saul (Acts 9.1–19)
  6. Peter’s escape from prison (Acts 12.1–17)
  7. The council in Jerusalem (Acts 15)
  8. Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16.16–40)
  9. Paul preaches in Athens (Acts 17.16–34)
  10. Paul is shipwrecked (Acts 27.1—28.15)
  11. Paul preaches in Rome (Acts 28.16–31)

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