Christianity · the Bible
The Bible
The four Gospels in full and key chapters from the Old Testament, in English, Hindi and Marathi side by side.
Awaiting review by a scholar of this tradition. Original texts are public domain; the plain meanings and notes are written by IndiaDigital and are being checked. We describe what each tradition teaches, in its own terms, and never rank faiths. Report a correction
About the Bible
The Bible is the sacred scripture of Christians, a collection of writings composed over many centuries in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. It has two main parts: the Old Testament, which Jews know as the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh and which is also the scripture of Judaism, and the New Testament, which tells of the life and teaching of Jesus and the early Christian communities. Protestant Bibles contain 66 books, while Catholic Bibles contain 73 and Orthodox Bibles include a few more, because these traditions accept some additional Old Testament books. Christians believe the Bible is inspired by God and is a guide for faith and life, though churches differ in how they interpret it and in the role they give to church tradition. Jewish readers read the same Hebrew scriptures within their own long tradition of interpretation, without the New Testament.
Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)
📖 Genesis
Genesis, meaning 'beginnings', is the first book of the Bible and of the Torah, the five books of Moses. Jewish and Christian tradition attributes it to Moses, while many…
📖 Exodus
Exodus, the second book of the Torah, tells how God frees the Israelites from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses and makes a covenant with them at Mount Sinai…
📖 Psalms
The Book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers used in worship by Jews and Christians for thousands of years. Many psalms carry headings linking them with Ki…
📖 Proverbs
Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings and instructions about how to live well, belonging to the wisdom writings of the Hebrew Bible. Tradition associates it with King …
📖 Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes is a reflective wisdom book in which a speaker called Qohelet, 'the Teacher' or 'the Preacher', considers the meaning of life, work, pleasure and death, ofte…
New Testament
📖 Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and tells the story of Jesus from his genealogy and birth to his death and resurrection. Early church traditi…
📖 Mark
The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and moves quickly from Jesus's baptism through his ministry in Galilee to his death and resurrection in Jerusalem. …
📖 Luke
The Gospel of Luke is the longest of the Gospels and the first part of a two-volume work that continues in the Acts of the Apostles. Tradition attributes both books to Lu…
📖 John
The Gospel of John differs in style from the other three Gospels, presenting Jesus through seven 'signs' and long reflective speeches, including the 'I am' sayings such a…
📖 1 Corinthians
First Corinthians is a letter written by the apostle Paul, around 53 to 55 CE, to the Christian community he had founded in the Greek city of Corinth. Scholars across tra…
Famous verses
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The opening words of the Bible, read by Jews and Christians as declaring that God is the creator of everything.
Exodus 20:3“You shall have no other gods before me.
The first of the Ten Commandments, the foundation of worship of one God in Judaism and Christianity.
Psalms 23:1A Psalm by David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.
Perhaps the best-loved line of the Psalms, picturing God as a caring shepherd; it is read in hospitals, homes and funerals.
Proverbs 3:5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
A widely memorised call to trust God wholeheartedly rather than relying only on one's own judgement.
Ecclesiastes 3:1For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
A famous reflection that life has its seasons, often quoted at times of change, loss and new beginnings.
Matthew 5:9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
One of the Beatitudes, honouring those who make peace; it is often quoted by people of many faiths.
Matthew 6:9Pray like this: “‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
The opening of the Lord's Prayer, the prayer Jesus taught his disciples and the one most widely prayed by Christians of every tradition.
Matthew 7:12Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
Known as the Golden Rule; similar teachings appear in many religious and ethical traditions of the world.
Matthew 22:39A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Jesus names love of neighbour as the second great commandment, quoting the Torah (Leviticus 19:18).
Luke 15:20“He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.
The heart of the parable of the Prodigal Son: a father running to welcome home a son who had gone astray, an image of forgiveness and mercy.
John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Probably the most quoted verse of the New Testament; many Christians regard it as a summary of their faith in God's love shown in Jesus.
John 14:6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
A central statement of Christian belief about Jesus; Christian thinkers have understood what it means for people of other faiths in different ways.
1 Corinthians 13:4Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
The start of Paul's description of love, often read at weddings in India and around the world.
1 Corinthians 13:13But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
Paul's conclusion that faith, hope and love endure, and that love is the greatest of them.
World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. Indian Revised Version (IRV) Hindi 2019, Bridge Connectivity Solutions, CC BY-SA 4.0, eBible.org; cross-references in brackets removed. Indian Revised Version (IRV) Marathi 2019, Bridge Connectivity Solutions, CC BY-SA 4.0, eBible.org; cross-references in brackets removed. eBible.org. Book introductions, chapter guides and quizzes: IndiaDigital, awaiting review by a Christian scholar.
Corrections from members of every tradition are welcome at support@indiadigital.org. Last checked: .