Books of the Bible in Japanese: 66 Names and Common Variants

If you want to look up Bible references in Japanese, the book names can feel unfamiliar at first. Seisho [聖書] means Bible, and people often use the phrase seisho no shomei when they want the names of the individual books. This guide lists the 66 standard book names in Japanese, explains the main naming patterns, and shows why some translations do not use exactly the same wording.

This matters for more than religious study. Once you notice recurring endings such as -ki [記], -sho [書], fukuinsho [福音書] and tegami [手紙], Bible references become much easier to recognize in articles, subtitles, dictionaries and study material. If you are also learning how Japanese writing works, it helps to review our guide to hiragana and katakana and the basic use of kanji such as 人.

One detail worth knowing early is that Japanese Bible names vary a little by translation. Modern lists from the Japan Bible Society prefer forms such as マタイによる福音書 and 使徒言行録, while other widely used editions may print マタイの福音書 or 使徒の働き. The book is still the same. What changes is the translation tradition and editorial style.

How Bible book names work in Japanese

Japanese titles often tell you what kind of book you are reading. Historical books commonly end in 記 or 誌, prophetic books often end in 書, the four Gospels include 福音書, many New Testament letters use 手紙, and Revelation appears as ヨハネの黙示録. Once you spot those patterns, even unfamiliar titles start to make sense.

For quick orientation, remember these core words: 旧約聖書 means Old Testament, 新約聖書 means New Testament, 章 is chapter, and 節 is verse. If you come across Bible topics inside broader articles about religions in Japan or Christian vocabulary, these terms appear constantly.

Japanese Bible Names of the 66 Books

Old Testament books in Japanese

New Testament books in Japanese

Why some Japanese Bible names look different

The biggest source of confusion is not the language itself, but the translation tradition. A modern ecumenical list may use 詩編, while older or evangelical material may print 詩篇. You may also see コヘレトの言葉 instead of 伝道者の書, マタイによる福音書 instead of マタイの福音書, and 使徒言行録 instead of 使徒の働き. When you compare study tools, always check which Japanese edition the source is following.

That difference becomes especially clear in the New Testament letters. The Japan Bible Society list writes them as letters to believers or communities, such as ローマの信徒への手紙, while some Protestant editions prefer forms like ローマ人への手紙. Neither is a mistake. They reflect different translation choices for the same biblical books.

Useful Bible study words in Japanese

• 聖書 — Bible
• 旧約聖書 — Old Testament
• 新約聖書 — New Testament
• 章 — chapter
• 節 — verse
• 福音書 — Gospel
• 手紙 — epistle or letter
• 黙示録 — Revelation or Apocalypse

If your goal is Japanese study rather than theology, start by memorizing a few high-frequency names such as 創世記, 詩編, マタイによる福音書 and ヨハネの黙示録. After that, it becomes much easier to recognize references in songs, essays, subtitles and cultural discussions that mention the Bible in Japanese.