The Stories — the Bible, story by story

The Bible broken into about 120 story episodes across nine eras, from Adam to the apostles. Each story has a home passage you can open in the reader, a plain-English summary, and 'Across the Bible' - every verse elsewhere that names the story's people, found by Strong's number. The threads are gathered by name, not by guess.

The Bible broken into 119 story episodes across nine eras, from Adam to the apostles. Each has a home passage, a plain-English summary, and — in the reader — every verse elsewhere that names its people, found by Strong’s number.

Primeval

• The creation (Genesis 1:1) — God makes the heavens and the earth in six days and rests on the seventh.
• Adam and Eve in Eden (Genesis 2:4-25) — God forms the man from dust, plants a garden, and makes the woman from his side.
• The fall (Genesis 3:1-24) — The serpent deceives Eve; Adam eats, and they are sent out of the garden.
• Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16) — Cain kills his brother Abel out of jealousy and is sent to wander.
• Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:21-24) — Enoch walks with God and is taken, not seeing death.
• Noah and the ark (Genesis 6:9-22) — Seeing the earth full of violence, God tells righteous Noah to build an ark.
• The flood (Genesis 7:1-24) — The waters rise and cover the earth; only those in the ark live.
• The rainbow covenant (Genesis 9:1-17) — The waters recede, and God sets the rainbow as the sign he will not flood the earth again.
• Noah's drunkenness (Genesis 9:18-29) — Noah plants a vineyard; the conduct of his sons brings blessing and curse.
• The tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) — People build a tower to make a name; God confuses their language and scatters them.

Patriarchs

• The call of Abram (Genesis 12:1-9) — God calls Abram to leave his land and promises to make him a great nation.
• Abram and Lot part (Genesis 13:1-18) — To avoid strife, Abram lets Lot choose the land; Lot moves toward Sodom.
• Melchizedek blesses Abram (Genesis 14:17-24) — After rescuing Lot, Abram is met and blessed by Melchizedek, priest of God Most High.
• God's covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:1-21) — God promises Abram offspring like the stars and seals it with a covenant.
• Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-16) — Sarai gives Hagar to Abram; Hagar flees and is met by the angel of the LORD.
• The covenant of circumcision (Genesis 17:1-27) — God renames Abram and Sarai and gives circumcision as the sign of the covenant.
• Abraham pleads for Sodom (Genesis 18:16-33) — Abraham bargains with God to spare Sodom for the sake of the righteous in it.
• Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29) — Angels rescue Lot as fire falls on the cities; Lot's wife looks back.
• Isaac born; Hagar sent away (Genesis 21:1-21) — Sarah bears Isaac in her old age; Hagar and Ishmael are sent into the wilderness.
• The binding of Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19) — God tells Abraham to offer Isaac; a ram is provided in his place.
• A bride for Isaac (Genesis 24:1-67) — Abraham's servant is led to Rebekah at the well, and she becomes Isaac's wife.
• Jacob and Esau; the birthright (Genesis 25:19-34) — Twins struggle in the womb; Esau sells his birthright for a meal.
• Jacob steals the blessing (Genesis 27:1-46) — Disguised as Esau, Jacob takes the blessing from his blind father Isaac.
• Jacob's ladder at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22) — Fleeing Esau, Jacob dreams of a stairway to heaven and meets God.
• Jacob, Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:1-30) — Jacob serves Laban for Rachel but is given Leah first, then both.
• Jacob wrestles with God (Genesis 32:22-32) — Returning home, Jacob wrestles till dawn and is renamed Israel.
• Jacob and Esau reconcile (Genesis 33:1-20) — Esau runs to meet Jacob and embraces him instead of taking revenge.
• Joseph sold by his brothers (Genesis 37:1-36) — Jacob's favorite, Joseph the dreamer, is sold into Egypt by his jealous brothers.
• Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38:1-30) — Wronged by Judah, Tamar secures her place in the line through which the kings would come.
• Joseph and Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39:1-23) — Falsely accused, Joseph is thrown into prison, yet the LORD is with him.
• Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams (Genesis 41:1-57) — Joseph reads Pharaoh's dreams and is set over Egypt to save it from famine.
• Joseph reveals himself (Genesis 45:1-28) — Joseph weeps and makes himself known to his brothers, forgiving them.
• Jacob blesses his sons (Genesis 49:1-33) — Dying, Jacob speaks over each son, foretelling a ruler from Judah.

Exodus & wilderness

• The birth of Moses (Exodus 2:1-25) — A Hebrew boy is hidden, drawn from the river, and raised in Pharaoh's house.
• The burning bush (Exodus 3:1-22) — From a bush that burns but is not consumed, God names himself and sends Moses.
• The ten plagues (Exodus 7:14) — Plague upon plague falls on Egypt as Pharaoh refuses to let Israel go.
• The Passover (Exodus 12:1-42) — Lambs are slain and blood marks the doors; the firstborn of Egypt die that night.
• Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:1-31) — The sea parts for Israel and closes over Pharaoh's army.
• Manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:1-36) — The people grumble for food; God rains down bread from heaven each morning.
• Water from the rock; Amalek (Exodus 17:1-16) — Moses strikes the rock for water, and Israel prevails while his hands are held up.
• The Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:1) — At Sinai, in smoke and thunder, God gives the ten words of the covenant.
• The golden calf (Exodus 32:1-35) — While Moses is on the mountain, the people make and worship a golden calf.
• The glory of God passes by (Exodus 33:12) — Moses asks to see God's glory and is shown his goodness and name.
• The twelve spies (Numbers 13:1) — Twelve scout the land; only Caleb and Joshua trust God to give it.
• Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16:1-50) — Korah and his company challenge Moses and Aaron and are swallowed by the earth.
• The bronze serpent (Numbers 21:4-9) — Bitten by serpents, the people look at a bronze serpent on a pole and live.
• Balaam and his donkey (Numbers 22:1) — Hired to curse Israel, Balaam is rebuked by his donkey and can only bless.
• The death of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:1-12) — Moses sees the promised land from Mount Nebo, dies, and is buried by God.

Conquest & judges

• Rahab and the spies (Joshua 2:1-24) — Rahab of Jericho hides Israel's spies and is spared by a scarlet cord.
• Crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3:1-17) — The waters stand in a heap as Israel crosses into the land behind the ark.
• The fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27) — Israel marches around the city; on the seventh day the walls fall.
• Achan's sin (Joshua 7:1-26) — Hidden plunder brings defeat until Achan's theft is found out.
• The sun stands still (Joshua 10:1-15) — God hurls hailstones and the sun halts as Joshua wins the day.
• Deborah and Barak (Judges 4:1-24) — The prophetess Deborah sends Barak to battle; Jael drives home the victory.
• Gideon and his three hundred (Judges 6:11) — With a fleece for a sign and three hundred men, Gideon routs Midian.
• Jephthah's vow (Judges 11:1-40) — Jephthah defeats Ammon but is bound by a rash vow.
• Samson and Delilah (Judges 13:1) — Set apart from birth, Samson loses his strength to Delilah, then pulls down the temple.
• Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1:1-22) — Widowed Ruth clings to Naomi: 'your people will be my people.'
• Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 2:1) — Boaz redeems Ruth, and she becomes the great-grandmother of David.

The kingdom

• Samuel is born and called (1 Samuel 1:1) — Hannah's prayed-for son Samuel hears God call him in the night.
• Israel demands a king (1 Samuel 8:1-22) — The elders ask for a king like the nations; Samuel warns them, then yields.
• Saul anointed king (1 Samuel 9:1) — Searching for lost donkeys, Saul is found and anointed Israel's first king.
• David anointed (1 Samuel 16:1-23) — Samuel anoints the shepherd boy David, and God's Spirit comes on him.
• David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1-58) — With a sling and five stones, David fells the giant of the Philistines.
• David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1) — Jonathan loves David as himself while jealous Saul hunts him.
• David spares Saul (1 Samuel 24:1-22) — David cuts Saul's robe in the cave but will not lift his hand against him.
• The death of Saul (1 Samuel 31:1-13) — Defeated on Mount Gilboa, Saul and his sons fall.
• The ark comes to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1-23) — David dances before the ark as it is brought up to the city.
• God's covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:1-29) — God promises David a house and a throne that will endure forever.
• David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-27) — David takes Bathsheba and has her husband killed to hide it.
• Nathan rebukes David (2 Samuel 12:1-25) — The prophet Nathan tells a parable, and David confesses his sin.
• Absalom's rebellion (2 Samuel 15:1) — David's son Absalom steals the kingdom; David weeps when he dies.
• Solomon's wisdom (1 Kings 3:1-28) — Given a choice, Solomon asks for wisdom and judges the case of two mothers.
• Solomon builds the temple (1 Kings 6:1-38) — Solomon raises the temple in Jerusalem, and God's glory fills it.
• The kingdom divided (1 Kings 12:1-33) — Rehoboam's harshness splits the kingdom; Jeroboam leads the north away.

The prophets

• Elijah and the drought (1 Kings 17:1-24) — Elijah shuts the sky, is fed by ravens, and raises a widow's son.
• Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:1-46) — Fire falls from heaven, and the prophets of Baal are shown to be nothing.
• The still small voice (1 Kings 19:1-21) — Worn out and afraid, Elijah meets God not in wind or fire but in a whisper.
• Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21:1-29) — Jezebel has Naboth killed for his vineyard, and judgment is spoken on Ahab's house.
• Elijah taken to heaven (2 Kings 2:1-18) — Elijah is carried up in a whirlwind, and his mantle falls to Elisha.
• Naaman healed (2 Kings 5:1-27) — The Syrian commander is cleansed of leprosy by washing in the Jordan.
• Isaiah's call (Isaiah 6:1-13) — Isaiah sees the LORD high and lifted up and is sent: 'here am I, send me.'
• Hezekiah and Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:13) — Jerusalem is besieged; Hezekiah prays, and the Assyrian army is struck down.
• Josiah and the book of the law (2 Kings 22:1) — A lost book of the law is found, and young king Josiah leads a return to God.
• Jeremiah's call (Jeremiah 1:1-19) — God appoints Jeremiah a prophet to the nations before he was born.
• The valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14) — Ezekiel prophesies, and a valley of bones comes together and lives.
• Jonah and the great fish (Jonah 1:1) — Fleeing God's call to Nineveh, Jonah is swallowed by a great fish and prays.
• Hosea and Gomer (Hosea 1:1-11) — Hosea is told to marry an unfaithful wife, a living picture of God and Israel.
• The testing of Job (Job 1:1) — A blameless man loses everything yet will not curse God.

Exile & return

• Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 1:1-21) — Taken captive, Daniel and his friends refuse the king's food and are kept faithful.
• Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2:1-49) — Daniel alone can tell and read the king's dream of a great statue.
• The fiery furnace (Daniel 3:1-30) — Three men refuse to bow to the image and walk unharmed in the fire with a fourth.
• The writing on the wall (Daniel 5:1-31) — A hand writes Belshazzar's doom on the wall during his feast.
• Daniel in the lions' den (Daniel 6:1-28) — For praying to God, Daniel is thrown to the lions, and their mouths are shut.
• Rebuilding the temple (Ezra 3:1-13) — The returned exiles lay the foundation of the second temple with weeping and joy.
• Ezra teaches the law (Nehemiah 8:1-18) — Ezra reads the law to the people, and they weep and then rejoice.
• Nehemiah rebuilds the wall (Nehemiah 2:1) — Against opposition, Nehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's wall in fifty-two days.
• Esther becomes queen (Esther 2:1-23) — A Jewish girl is made queen of Persia 'for such a time as this.'
• Haman's plot and Purim (Esther 3:1) — Haman plots to destroy the Jews, but Esther's courage turns it back on him.

The Gospels

• The annunciation and nativity (Luke 1:26) — The angel comes to Mary, and Jesus is born in Bethlehem among the shepherds.
• The visit of the magi (Matthew 2:1-23) — Wise men follow a star to the child; Herod's rage drives the family to Egypt.
• John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12) — A voice in the wilderness calls for repentance and points to the coming One.
• The baptism and temptation (Matthew 3:13) — Jesus is baptized, the Spirit descends, and he overcomes the tempter in the desert.
• Calling the first disciples (Matthew 4:18-22) — By the sea, Jesus calls fishermen to follow and become fishers of men.
• Peter's confession and the transfiguration (Matthew 16:13) — Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ; on the mountain Jesus shines in glory.
• The raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44) — Jesus weeps, then calls his dead friend out of the tomb.
• The last supper (John 13:1-30) — Jesus washes his disciples' feet and shares the bread and cup as Judas slips out.
• Gethsemane and the arrest (Matthew 26:36-56) — Jesus prays in agony and is betrayed with a kiss.
• The trial before Pilate (John 18:28) — Pilate finds no guilt yet hands Jesus over to be crucified.
• The resurrection (John 20:1-31) — The tomb is empty; the risen Jesus appears to Mary, then to his doubting disciples.

The early church

• Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47) — The Spirit falls in wind and fire, and Peter preaches as thousands believe.
• Stephen, the first martyr (Acts 6:8) — Stephen testifies before the council and is stoned, praying for his killers.
• Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-40) — Philip explains Isaiah to an Ethiopian official and baptizes him on the road.
• The conversion of Saul (Acts 9:1-31) — A light on the Damascus road turns the persecutor Saul into the apostle Paul.
• Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48) — A vision sends Peter to a Roman household, and the gospel opens to the nations.
• Paul's missionary journeys (Acts 13:1-52) — Sent out by the church, Paul and Barnabas carry the gospel city to city.
• The Jerusalem council (Acts 15:1-35) — The apostles agree the nations need not take on the law to be saved.
• Paul's voyage to Rome (Acts 27:1) — Shipwrecked but unharmed, Paul reaches Rome and preaches there freely.
• John's revelation (Revelation 1:1-20) — Exiled on Patmos, John sees the risen Christ and is told to write what he sees.

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