Random Old Testament Verse
A random verse from the 39 books of the Old Testament.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9KJV
Drawing from 23,145 verses
The Old Testament is the larger part of the Bible, made up of 39 books written over many centuries. It tells the story of creation, the calling of Abraham, the exodus from Egypt, the rise and fall of Israel's kings, and the promises of the prophets.
This page pulls a random verse from anywhere in those 39 books. Every click gives you a fresh reference and its full text, drawn from a pool of thousands of verses.
What you'll find in the Old Testament
The Old Testament is not one kind of book. It is a whole library.
It opens with the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), traditionally attributed to Moses. These lay out the beginnings of the world, the story of Israel, and the covenant God made with his people.
Then come the books of history, from Joshua through Esther. These follow Israel into the promised land, through the era of judges and kings, into exile, and home again.
The poetry and wisdom books sit in the middle. Job wrestles with suffering. Psalms gives us 150 songs and prayers for every season of life. Proverbs offers practical wisdom, Ecclesiastes asks hard questions about meaning, and the Song of Solomon celebrates love.
The prophets close it out, from Isaiah to Malachi. Some books are long and sweeping, like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Others, like Obadiah, fit on a single page. All of them call people back to God and point ahead with hope.
Why draw a random verse from the Old Testament?
Most of us gravitate to the same familiar passages. A random verse breaks that habit. One click might land you in a psalm of praise, the next in a law about fairness to strangers, the next in a prophet's promise of restoration.
It is a simple way to see the range of the Old Testament for yourself, and often a verse you never would have looked up turns out to be exactly worth sitting with.
When a verse lands somewhere unfamiliar, read the surrounding chapter for context. Verses like Psalms 23:1, Isaiah 41:10, and Micah 6:8 are loved for good reason, but the less famous ones have plenty to say too.
Frequently asked questions
- How many books are in the Old Testament?
- Protestant Bibles have 39 Old Testament books, from Genesis to Malachi. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include additional books called the deuterocanon, which you can explore on our Catholic Bible page. This page draws from the 39 books shared by all Christian traditions.
- Can I get a random verse from just one Old Testament book?
- Yes. The tool lets you narrow the pool to a single book, so you can draw random verses from only Psalms, only Proverbs, or any other book you choose. That is a nice way to work through the poetry or the prophets a little at a time.