Bible chapters and verses were added by translators. They are "logical" divisions of Bible books that help us to look up passages as well are recall important scriptures. Recalling scripture is a difficult task for many people. It is most important to know the general location of key scriptures. Memorizing chapter and verse is a next step but without constant practice the details can quickly become lost.

Here is a recommended approach to beginning Bible scripture memorization:

(1) Obtain a top quality lifetime wide margin Bible (see list below). It may be expensive. It should be a King James Version. Why KJV? Because all major Bible aids are based on the KJV. Also because King James translation errors have been identified and you can mark them correctly in your Bible. (See Study No. 122.) Guard this precious main Bible. Lengthen its life by using a zipper Bible case. You will use many other translations, but this main KJV Bible will be the centerpiece for all your Bible Study for the rest of your life.

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(2) Exercise care in marking your main Bible. Marking techniques are a separate topic not covered in this article. Marked portions should help you memorize and look up scriptures. You should use special colored pencils or accountant’s fine point ink pens, that do not "bleed" through the pages.

(3) Memorize the subject matter of key Bible chapters. In many cases, there is no need to memorize a specific verse if you can paraphrase the passage and locate its chapter. Rapid fire chapter and verse memorization may be impressive, but the constant work to maintain this skill could perhaps be better spent on other endeavors.

(4) Books, chapters and verses written on a sheet of paper or memory cards are only peripheral tools. Memorization is "getting familiar" with your main lifetime Bible. When I think of the Ten Commandments, I recall Exodus 20, which begins in the middle of the first column of the right hand page of my Oxford Wide Margin Bible. I can close my Bible and "see" Exodus 20 and a general outline of the Ten Commandments. That is memorization. You can do this too. You can say with David, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" Psalms 119:11.

The following list of "Key Bible Chapters" will help you begin the process of Bible scripture memorization. May the Almighty speed the day when He says, "I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts," Hebrews 8:10.

Genesis 6 Why God brought Flood: interracial marriage

Genesis 10 Dividing the Nations (Shem, Ham, Japheth); Nimrod

Genesis 26 Abraham obeyed God’s commandments, statutes & laws

Genesis 49 Blessing of 12 Tribes of Israel, possible identity of tribes of Israel today:

Tribe Possible Identity

Reuben France

Gad Switzerland

Simeon &Asher Belgium & Luxembourg

Levi Scattered

Judah Scattered & in Israel

Naphtali Sweden

Zebulun Holland

Ephraim Britain

Issachar Finland

Manasseh United States

Dan Denmark & Ireland

Benjamin Norway, Iceland

Exodus 12 & 13 Institution of Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread

Exodus 15 Healing Covenant

Exodus 16 Sabbath: Preparing the day before; manna from heaven

Exodus 20 Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5)

Exodus 23 Healing; Seven Year Land Rest; feasts three times in the year; (Exodus 34, Deuteronomy 16)

Exodus 31 My Sabbaths . . . a sign of God’s people (Ezekiel 20)

Exodus 34 Feasts three times in the year

Exodus 35 Sabbath: Kindle no fire

Leviticus 11 Meats, Clean and Unclean (Deuteronomy 14)

Leviticus 23 Feast Days: All of them (Numbers 28-29)

Leviticus 25 Sabbatical year: Jubilee year

Leviticus 26 Blessings and Cursings; Four seven times punishments (Deuteronomy 28)

Leviticus 27 Redemption of Tithes

Numbers 9 Second Passover instituted: if you could not take the first Passover (II Chronicles 30)

Numbers 18 First Tithe

Numbers 30 Vows

Deuteronomy 5 Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 12 Second Tithe; God hates pagan customs

Deuteronomy 13 Dreamer of Dreams, False Prophets (Deuteronomy 18)

Deuteronomy 14 Meats, Clean and Unclean; Second & Third tithe

Deuteronomy 15 7th year release; poor people

Deuteronomy 28 Blessing and Cursing Chapter

Joshua 5 Passover kept at Gilgal in the plains of Jericho

II Samuel 12 Adultery (David and Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba); fasting

II Samuel 13 Fornication (Amnon and Tamar, brother and sister)

I Kings 12 Revolt of the Ten Tribes of Israel; counterfeit Feasts

II Kings 1 Ahaziah sick, called a doctor, and died

II Kings 2 Elijah is taken up by a whirlwind

II Kings 20 Hezekiah sick unto death, prayed to God, wept sore, and was HEALED plus given 15 years longer life.

II Chronicles 16 Asa sick, sought not God, sought physicians and DIED

II Chronicles 30 Hezekiah kept Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread in the Second Month

II Chronicles 35 Josiah kept Passover and Feast of Unleavened bread

Nehemiah 8 Day of Trumpets and Feast of Tabernacles

Nehemiah 13 Sabbath a rest day with no servile work, nor buying and selling (Jeremiah 17)

Psalms 103 Healing: forgiveness of all sins, healing of all diseases

Psalms 119 God’s Law is Good!

Proverbs 31 Virtuous Woman

Ecclesiastes 12 The whole man: Fear God and Keep His Commandments

Isaiah 1 Your Appointed Feast Days My Soul Hates (Isaiah 5)

Isaiah 2 Millennium: Teach us His Ways (Micah 4)

Isaiah 3 Modern Women; Children ruling parents

Isaiah 8 To the Law and to the testimony (The Bible): if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them

Isaiah 11 Millennium: children with wild animals

Isaiah 14 Fall of Lucifer or Satan (Ezekiel 28)

Isaiah 28 Precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little

Isaiah 47 Daughter of Babylon; False Church (Revelation 17)

Isaiah 58 Fasting: PURPOSE and HOW to fast; Sabbath; HOW to keep the Sabbath Day

Isaiah 65 White throne judgment depicted by the one hundred year period; Eating Swine’s flesh

Isaiah 66 Sabbath’s and New Moons kept in the Millennium; Eating Swine’s Flesh.

Jeremiah 7 No sacrifices on the Feast Days when originally instituted

Jeremiah 10 The Christmas Tree

Jeremiah 17 Sabbath: bear no burden on the Sabbath Day; heart desperately wicked

Jeremiah 23 False Prophets (Jeremiah 14 and 50, Ezekiel 13,34); a future Exodus

Jeremiah 46 IN VAIN shall you use many medicines, for you shall not be cured (Jeremiah 30, no healing medicines)

Ezekiel 4 Each day is a year in prophecy fulfilled (Numbers 14)

Ezekiel 5 Prophecy by thirds: Pestilence & famine, Sword, Scattering

Ezekiel 8 Easter Sunrise Service

Ezekiel 20 Sabbaths a sign between God and His people; rebellion and pollution of sabbaths; they were given over to live by statutes that were not good

Ezekiel 28 Fall of Lucifer (Satan)

Ezekiel 34 False Prophets

Ezekiel 37 Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel 38, 39 Gog and Magog: their future attack on Israel

Ezekiel 40-48 Restoration of Israel (12 tribes) after Christ comes

Daniel 2 Great Image

Daniel 3 Nebuchadnezzar’s Image of Gold; Fiery Furnace

Daniel 5 Handwriting on the wall

Daniel 6 Lion’s Den

Daniel 7 Four Beasts: lion = Babylon, bear = Persia, leopard = Greece, terrible beast = Rome

Daniel 8 Ram (Persia) and He-Goat (Grecia)

Daniel 9 Seventy Weeks Prophecy; Crucifixion on Wednesday

Daniel 11 Prophecy of Kings of the North and South

Daniel 12 Resurrection of many who sleep into everlasting life or everlasting contempt; knowledge shall be increased; words closed up and sealed till the times of the end

Hosea 2 False Holy Days (Days of Balaam)

Hosea 4 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

Joel 2 God’s Army (of locusts)

Amos 3 Surely the Eternal God will do nothing but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets

Amos 8 Famine of hearing of the words of the Eternal

Zechariah 14 Millennium: keeping the Feast of Tabernacles

Matthew 4 Jesus tempted (Luke 4)

Matthew 5, 6, 7 Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 12 Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath Day (Mark 2); unpardonable Sin; three days and three nights

Matthew 13 Parable of Sower; why Jesus spoke in parables

Matthew 15 In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men

Matthew 19 Divorce and Remarriage; if you will enter into life, keep the commandments

Matthew 23 Scribes and Pharisees; tithing

Matthew 24 Olivet Prophecy; signs of Christ’s Return (Mark 13, Luke 21)

Matthew 25 Parable of the Ten Virgins; Parable of Talents

Matthew 26 The Passover; institution of the bread and wine (Mark 14, Luke 22, John 13, I Cor. 11)

Matthew 28 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world

Mark 1 Sabbath: Preach Kingdom of God and Christ (Luke 4)

Mark 10 Blessing of children

Mark 16 And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and Preach the Gospel to every creature. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following; healing

Luke 14 Baptism: count the cost; marriage supper

Luke 16 Lazarus and the Rich man

Luke 18 Parable of Pharisee and Publican

Luke 19 Parable of the Pounds: authority over cities

John 1 In the beginning was the Word; no man has seen God at any time.

John 3 Born again; for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (verse 16); no one goes to heaven when they die (verse 13)

John 6 No man can come to the Son unless the Father draws him; if you don’t eat flesh, drink blood of Savior, you have no life in you

John 7 Feast of Tabernacles; Last Great Day living waters

John 8 Before Abraham was, I AM

John 13-17 Jesus' Last Supper and last instructions before His death

John 14 Verily, verily I say unto you, He who believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father

Acts 1 Second coming of Christ (Revelation 11 & 19)

Acts 2 Pentecost: Coming of the Holy Spirit

Acts 5 To lie to the Holy Spirit; healing: shadow of Peter; obey God rather than men; Holy Spirit given to those who obey

Acts 6 First deacons ordained

Acts 7 Martyrdom of Stephen

Acts 8 Simon Magus; Ethiopian Eunuch: How can I, except some man should guide me?

Acts 9 Paul’s Conversion

Acts 10 Peter’s Vision (sheet of animals and creatures); Baptism of Cornelius

Acts 11 Gospel door opened to Gentiles: disciples first called Christians at Antioch.

Acts 12 Easter mentioned (should be translated "Passover")

Acts 13 Paul preached to Gentiles on the Sabbath

Acts 15 Council at Jerusalem on issue of circumcising Gentile converts

Acts 17 As was his custom, Paul preached on the Sabbath; Bereans received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so

Acts 18 Feast of Tabernacles kept by Paul; Apollos, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures

Acts 19 Re-baptism; anointed cloth

Acts 20 Feast of Unleavened Bread kept 29 years after Christ was crucified; Paul hasted, if it were (humanly) possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost — 30 years after death of Christ; prophesied departure.

Acts 27 Day of Atonement

Acts 28 Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all who came unto him, preaching the Kingdom of God.

Romans 1 God condemns sexual perversion (homosexuality, etc.)

Romans 2 Spiritual Circumcision

Romans 6 Baptism: death of self; sin, grace and law: we should not sin now that we are under grace; wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ

Romans 7 Woman bound to husband as long as he lives; command-ment law is spiritual, holy, just and good

Romans 8 Sons of God chapter

Romans 9-11 Israel blinded in part

Romans 12 Be a living Sacrifice; Gifts of the Spirit (I Corinthians 12)

I Corinthians 1 Divisions in the Church condemned

I Corinthians 5 Feast of Unleavened Bread: therefore let us keep the Feast; eat not with the fornicator

I Corinthians 6 Taking brethren to court condemned.

I Corinthians 7 Marriage (Romans 7, Ephesians 5)

I Corinthians 8 Meat offered to idols

I Corinthians 10 Now all these things happened unto them for examples and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come

I Corinthians 11 Long Hair; Passover: let a man examine himself lest he eats and drinks unworthily, and eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body

I Corinthians 12 Spiritual gifts (Romans 12); offices in the church

I Corinthians 13 Love Chapter

I Corinthians 14 Speaking in Tongues

I Corinthians 15 Resurrection Chapter; Day of Trumpets

I Corinthians 16 Collections on first day of the week (wrongly used by Protestants); (Romans 15:28, collection is defined as "fruit"); Pentecost: Paul’s layover at Ephesus, a Gentile city, to keep Pentecost

II Corinthians 11 Satan himself is transformed into an angel of Light; therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness

II Corinthians 12 Third heaven mentioned; Paul’s thorn in the flesh

Galatians 4 Observing days, months, times, and years

Galatians 5 Works of the flesh, and Fruit of the Spirit

Ephesians 2 By grace are you saved through faith, for we are created unto good works; law of commandments (in ordinances of men) done away: Has nothing to do with the "ceremonial" law of Moses or the Ten Commandments being annulled

Ephesians 4 One body, one faith; offices in the Church (I Corinthians 12)

Philippians 2 Let Christ’s mind be in you; work out your own salvation

Colossians 2 Don’t let any man judge you for keeping the days God made holy

I Thessalonians 4 Resurrection: dead in Christ shall rise first

I Thessalonians 5 Prove all things

II Thessalonians 2 Man of sin revealed; stand fast in the traditions you have been taught

II Thessalonians 3 Withdraw from disorderly brothers

I Timothy 3 Qualifications for elders (Titus 1)

I Timothy 4 Doctrines of Demons

I Timothy 5 Use a little wine

II Timothy 3 In last days perilous times shall come; All scripture inspired by God, profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness

II Timothy 4 Preach the word in season, out of season; time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine

Titus 2 Qualifications of lay people

Hebrews 4 There remains a Keeping of the Sabbath for the people of God

Hebrews 6 Basic doctrines of the Church

Hebrews 7 Melchizedek; Tithing

Hebrews 11 Faith Chapter

Hebrews 12 Correction with Love

Hebrews 13 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and for ever; don’t be carried about with strange doctrines

James 2 Faith without works is dead

James 3 Bridling the tongue

James 4 Cause of war: lust

James 5 Healing: call for the elders, be anointed when you are sick

I Peter 2 Christ, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps

I Peter 3 Be ready always with an answer to every one who asks you . . . with meekness and fear

II Peter 1 No private interpretation of Scripture prophecy

II Peter 2 False prophets in the true church to bring in damnable heresies, many shall follow their pernicious ways.

I John 2 He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His Commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

I John 3 Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

I John 5 For this is the love of God: that we keep His Commandments: and His Commandments are not grievous.

II John If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.

Jude Earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints.

Revelation 2, 3 Historical Stages in God’s Church: 7 Church eras

Revelation 6 Six Seals

Revelation 7 The 144,000 (Revelation 14)

Revelation 11 Two Witnesses

Revelation 12 History of the True Church

Revelation 12, 13 3 1/2 times = 42 months = 1260 days

Revelation 15, 16 Seven Last Plagues

Revelation 17 False Church (Isaiah 47)

Revelation 18 Come out of Babylon!

Revelation 19 Second Coming of Christ (Acts 1, I Thessalonians 4, Revelation 11)

Revelation 20 First Resurrection; Millennium; Satan loosed; Great White Throne Judgment

Revelation 21, 22 The New Heaven and New Earth; blessed are they that do His Commandments W

Bible Study Index