This verse by Mary Daly is in the public domain; copy freely.

Bible Ballad

The Early Covenant: history books:

Genesis -- when we began;

Exodus is when we ran;

Leviticus is priestly lore.

Numbers tells the sons we bore;

With Deuteronomy, we close

The tale of Moses, whom God chose.

(The Pentateuch is these books' name

The Jewish Torah is the same.)

Then Joshua said," I serve the Lord

Through all my house, he is adored."

(And Jericho fell by the shout of his men

For the praise of God was strong in them.)

Soon the Judges led in war in peace,

Deborah among them, and Gideon with fleece.

And a loyal heart with Naomi trod,

Ruth came to Judah, and to her God.

Two books of Samuel the prophet we hold

In two books the stories of Kings are told

Two more Chronicle the housing of the ark

In Solomon's temple, with seraphic spark!

There Ezra the priest, copier of books,

became a great author the way it looks!

And Nehemiah spoke at length,

"The joy of the Lord is my strength."

Though trouble for Jews is ever the tale,

Still God sends heroes that never fail.

So Tobit was healed by the angel's craft,

And Judith took sword on her people's behalf.

And Esther with beauty and wits and prayer

Protected her people from Haman's lair

And finally (twice) the Maccabees sons

Gave limb and life for the chosen ones.

The Wisdom Books

But to worship God

  as he is revealed

Takes holiness

  more than sword and shield

So Job is the teacher

  for those in sorrow

The Psalms give praise;

  the Proverbs borrow

from Solomon.  And

  Ecclesiastes writes

There's time for everything,

  days and nights,

And birth and death,

  and mourn and dance,

And build and break,

  and plans and chance.

There's time for love

  in the Song of Songs.

Then, lest we forget

  the rights and wrongs,

We seek deep Wisdom

  in Solomon's prayer

We go to her house

  and breathe her air.

Last, but not least

  (did the Jews forget?)

Ecclesiasticus

  ends the set

Of the books of widsom

  the Bible gave

While the prophets taught

  how God will save.

The Prophetic Books

Isaiah has words of comfort;

  Jeremiah speaks of grief;

His Lamentations move the heart;

  Baruch is wise though brief.

Ezechiel gives warning

  and knits to life dry bones

Daniel sees Judgement,

  the wrath and the thrones.

Hosea speaks of love

  and promise of return;

Joel foretells the Spirit

  to pour into hearts that yearn.

Amos speaks of famine

  not of bread but the Word;

Obadiah warns Edom

  of heaven's wrath incurred.

Babylon's prophet is Jonah

  (he rode in the fish -- but how?)

Micah speaks of an end to war

  when sword shall turn to plow.

"The Lord," says Nahum

  "will break the yoke."

And Habakkuk waits

  for the vision's stroke

And Zephaniah teaches us

  that God will rest within

While Haggai preaches

  a final end to sin.

Zechariah warns the shepherd,

  "Stay beside my flock!"

Malachi, the final prophet

  speaks of the marriage lock

And teaches that in the latter days

  we'll see a new Elijah

To reconcile men with sons

  before the great Messiah.

These 46 books tell the ancient story

Of our faithful God and all his glory.

The New Covenant

Countless ages come and go

The plan of God plan seems very slow

But in the Father's perfect way,

Jesus was born and slept in the hay.

Then he grew to be healer, teacher, and friend

Til he died for love, but it wasn't the end,

For he rose in glory and sent one gift --

the Spirit of Truth -- the gospel Lift.

         So Matthew wrote for the Jews in Rome

         And Mark was brief for those at home

         Luke wrote for gentiles, healing and kind

         While John grew old with tales to wind.

         The Acts of believers next are told,

         'Specially of Paul, who, brave and bold

         Traveled the sea lanes, end to end

         and wrote his letters to many a friend.

To the Romans he wrote that all works for good

And twice to Corinthinans how love's understood.

Then: 'You Galatians are crazy!  Faith is the way!'

To Ephesians: 'Praise God, and live in the Day.'

'From my heart,' dear Philippians, 'endless thanksgiving,'

-- plus a word about Jesus and humble living.

Then to Colossians, on faith, angels, friends,

Twice to Thessalonians, preparing for ends.

Two for Timothy, though he was young

One each for Titus and Philemon.

Paul's letters amaze us, from chains or free

Yet others wrote of the mystery:

         One to the Hebrews on sacrifice,

         the priesthood of Jesus, and its price.

         One came from James and two from Peter

         Three about love from John

  A note from Jude is the last epistle

  and we are almost done.

  You who read this Revelation

  knowing my word is true

  Guard your hearts through tribulation

  I will come for you.

Verse by Mary O Daly