The word "Bible" in translation means "books", that is, it is a large book, which itself consists of several. Indeed, the whole Bible consists of many parts, which not only vary in content and style, but were also written by various authors over several centuries.
First of all, the Bible is divided into the New Testament and the Old Testament. A summary of each part, or rather a small annotation to each book can be read in the Law of God or the Orthodox Encyclopedia. The Old Testament begins with the book of Genesis.
Genesis (Old Testament), summary
“Genesis” is a book that tells about the creation of the world, the fall of man, the history of antediluvian civilization, the history of the flood. About the middle of the book, the story switches to the story of one family: the family of Abraham. It was the descendants of Abraham who became the ancestors of the entire Jewish people. It is this small nation that for centuries has maintained faith in the true God, therefore, special attention is paid to its history. The twelve sons of Jacob, Joseph, and the coming of Jews to Egypt are the highlights of the last chapters of Genesis.
Exodus (Old Testament), summary
The book of Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament. It was written by Moses, like Genesis, and begins the story from the moment when the life of the descendants of Jacob in Egypt became unbearable.
“Exodus” is the story of the flight of the chosen people from Egypt and their search for their land. In the wilderness, Moses will be given the commandments, the very ten commandments that children still teach in Sunday schools. Stories about the scattered sea, manna that descends from heaven, and about the golden calf - all from the book "Exodus".
There are 39 books in the Old Testament, and they are all very different. Not all of them are historical or statutory, like "Being" or "Exodus." There are poetic works, for example, Ecclesiastes, there are prophetic works, for example, The Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Perhaps the most famous and frequently used book is the Psalter (Old Testament). The summary of this book is difficult to convey, since it consists of verses. These verses were, of course, not written in Russian, so the translation of the rhyme and size were lost. But still, poetic images, a repentant or joyful mood, a discussion of the will of God remained.
In general, the Old Testament is the book of the Jewish people. Christians consider them prophetic, find in the text many indications that Christ is the Messiah. For them, the essence of the Old Testament is to bring the Jewish people to Christ, to accept Him as Savior. Modern Jews completely disagree with this. For Jews, the composition and text of these books is somewhat different from the Christian version.
Should I read the Bible, and if so, why?
First of all, the Bible is a book about God. If a person is interested in faith, if he wants to find out for himself the meaning of his life and what is happening in general, it is worth reading the Bible.
Many heroes of paintings, books, and even musical works are mentioned in the Bible. In order to refresh the memory of the deeds of King Saul or quickly recall all the executions of Egypt, you can read the brochure: “The Bible. Old Testament. Summary". But still, everyone should at least once read this book in full.