Outline of the Old Testament

The Old Testament has thirty nine books and is broadly classified into five major sections.
Laws (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers Deuteronomy)
History (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Poetry & Wisdom (Job, Psalm, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Songs of Solomon)
Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel)
Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi)

Laws
God created the world and everything in it. He created man in his own images and gave him his first command. Man disobeyed and fell from God's presence, starting a vicious cycle of sin and redemption. When the evil deeds increased, God destroyed the human race and every living creature on Earth through a great flood. Only one family was saved. From this family God chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the three patriarchs. The Children of Jacob (Israel) became enslaved in Egypt and were freed by God through Moses. Again, God gave them laws including the "Ten Commandments". They had peace when the obeyed him and distress when they disobeyed him.

Genesis - Creation of the universe | Beginning of Mankind | Original Relationship between God and Man | Fall of Man through disobedience | Flood | Restoration through one family | Birth of Islam | Twelve tribes of Israel | Entry into Egypt | Slavery | Exodus - Ten Plagues | Journey of Israelites out of bondage from Egypt | Ten Commandments and laws | Ark of the Covenant | Worship in tabernacle | Leviticus - About Levites, a tribe chosen to do priestly duties | Sacrifices and Rituals | More laws | Numbers - First census of Israelites | More laws | Spies sent to Canaan | Two and a half tribes receive inhabitance | Deuteronomy - Still more laws | Succession of Joshua.

History
Finally they reached and inhabited the Promised Land, the land of Canaan under Joshua. Judges ruled the Israelites. The cycle of obedience and disobedience continued. Eventually the Israelites wanted a king like their neighbors. God gave them kings. David was the most successful of them. After Solomon's reign the Kingdom was split into two Israel and Judah. David's descendant ruled over Judah. Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians. Judah was taken captive by Babylon a few years later. Some of the people of Judah returned from their captivity during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. But the Israelites were without a state of their own till 1948.

Joshua - Conquest of Canaan | Inheritance for the rest of the tribes | Judges - Rule of the judges (Othniel to Samuel) | Cycle of obedience and disobedience | Ruth - Story of a Moabites woman, the great grand mother of David. | I Samuel - Anointing of the first King of Israel, Saul | II Samuel - David, King of Israel | I Kings - | Reign of Solomon � Building of temple | Split into Judah and Israel | Prophecy of Elijah | II Kings - Reign of other Kings | Prophecy of Elisha | Prophecy of most of the other prophets | Captivity of Israel | Captivity of Judah | I Chronicles - Genealogy of Israelites | More about David | II Chronicles - More about other Kings | Ezra - Return of some of the exiles from Babylon | Prophecy of Haggai and Zechariah | Nehemiah - Building of Jerusalem wall | Esther - Jewish queen of Persia.

Poetry & Wisdom
The poetic books were mainly written by David and Solomon.

Job -Life, struggle and victory of a man of God | His argument with his friends and God. | Psalm -Collection of songs and prayers, mainly of King David. | Proverbs -Words of wisdom from the wisest man, King Solomon. | Ecclesiastes - Words of wisdom from the preacher, King Solomon. | Songs of Solomon -Songs about Solomon's beloved a parallel to God's love.

Major and Minor Prophets
The classification of the prophetic books is on the size of the books rather than on the effectiveness or scope of the prophets. All the prophets prophesied from the time of the kings through the return from captivity.

Isaiah | Jeremiah | Lamentations | Ezekiel | Daniel

Hosea | Joel | Amos | Obadiah | Jonah | Micah | Nahum | Habakkuk | Zephaniah | Haggai | Zechariah | Malachi