“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”
What’s inside
- Fruit of the Spirit (p3, easy, ages 6+): 11 words, 13×13 grid. The nine fruit of the Spirit, word for word from Galatians 5:22–23.
- Jonah and the Great Fish (p4, easy, ages 6+): 13 words, 11×11 grid. Words from the book of Jonah.
- David and Goliath (p5, easy, ages 6+): 13 words, 12×12 grid. Words from 1 Samuel 17.
- The First Christmas (p6, medium, ages 9+): 18 words, 15×15 grid. Nativity words from Matthew 1–2 and Luke 2.
- The Ten Commandments (p7, medium, ages 9+): 18 words, 15×15 grid. Words from Exodus 20, 31:18 and 34:28.
- Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd (p8, medium, ages 9+): 20 words, 15×15 grid. Words from Psalm 23 (KJV).
- The Armor of God (p9, medium, ages 9+): 17 words, 15×15 grid. Words from Ephesians 6:10–18 (the puzzle keeps the KJV spelling “Armour”).
- Books of the Bible: Law & History (p10, hard, teens & adults): 14 words, 15×15 grid. Genesis to Esther: the first 17 books of the Old Testament.
- Books of the Bible: Poetry & Prophets (p11, hard, teens & adults): 22 words, 17×17 grid. Job to Malachi: the last 22 books of the Old Testament.
- Books of the Bible: New Testament (p12, hard, teens & adults): 20 words, 17×17 grid. All 27 New Testament books (20 names to find).
- Answer keys (p13–17): every word highlighted in its grid, two puzzles per page, plus the answer to each bonus question
- Make your own word search (p18): a blank 12×12 grid with a word-bank box
- Start-here page (how to play, the three levels, ideas for families and classes) and a closing page
Bible word searches for kids (easy)
Puzzles 1–3 (Fruit of the Spirit, Jonah and the Great Fish, David and Goliath) only go across and down, use an 11–13-square grid with large letters (about 25–30 pt squares on US Letter, 29–32 pt on A4), and have 11–13 words. Good for ages 6 and up, or as a large-print puzzle for older eyes. Each one ends with an easy bonus question (for example, “How many smooth stones did David choose from the brook?”).
Medium puzzles: Christmas, Ten Commandments, Psalm 23, Armor of God
Puzzles 4–7 add diagonal words but never go backwards: 17–20 words in a 15×15 grid. The Christmas puzzle uses nativity words from Matthew 1–2 and Luke 2 (Bethlehem, swaddling, frankincense, myrrh…), which makes it a ready-made Advent or Christmas-party activity.
Hard Bible word searches for adults: books of the Bible
Puzzles 8–10 hide the names of all 66 books, across three grids: Law & History (Genesis–Esther), Poetry & Prophets (Job–Malachi) and the New Testament (Matthew–Revelation). Words run in all eight directions, including backwards. Numbered books are listed once (for example, “Samuel (1 & 2)”, and “John” covers the Gospel and 1–3 John), so the three puzzles have 14 + 22 + 20 = 56 names to find. Pair them with the free Books of the Bible printable to learn the order.
Word lists and theme verses
Here is the word list and KJV theme verse for every puzzle. Words keep their KJV spellings (honour, neighbour, saviour, armour).
1. Fruit of the Spirit (Easy)
Words (11), from Galatians 5:22-25: Faith, Fruit, Gentleness, Goodness, Joy, Longsuffering, Love, Meekness, Peace, Spirit, Temperance.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
2. Jonah and the Great Fish (Easy)
Words (13), from Jonah 1–4: Fish, Gourd, Jonah, Joppa, Lots, Mariners, Nineveh, Prayed, Sea, Ship, Tarshish, Tempest, Worm.
“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
3. David and Goliath (Easy)
Words (13), from 1 Samuel 17: Bear, Brook, David, Elah, Goliath, Jesse, Lion, Philistine, Saul, Shield, Sling, Stones, Sword.
“And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.”
4. The First Christmas (Medium)
Words (18), from Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 2 and Luke 2:1-20: Angel, Bethlehem, Emmanuel, Frankincense, Glory, Gold, Herod, Inn, Jesus, Joseph, Manger, Mary, Myrrh, Nazareth, Saviour, Shepherds, Star, Swaddling.
“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
5. The Ten Commandments (Medium)
Words (18), from Exodus 20:1-21, Exodus 31:18 and Exodus 34:28: Commandments, Covet, Father, Gods, Graven, Holy, Honour, Image, Lord, Moses, Mother, Neighbour, Sabbath, Sinai, Steal, Stone, Tables, Witness.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.”
6. Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd (Medium)
Words (20), from Psalm 23:1-6: Anointest, Comfort, Cup, Goodness, Green, House, Lord, Mercy, Pastures, Paths, Restoreth, Righteousness, Shadow, Shepherd, Soul, Staff, Still, Table, Valley, Waters.
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
7. The Armor of God (Medium)
Words (17), from Ephesians 6:10-18: Armour, Breastplate, Faith, Feet, Gospel, Helmet, Peace, Praying, Righteousness, Salvation, Shield, Spirit, Stand, Strong, Sword, Truth, Wiles. The puzzle page keeps the KJV spelling: it is titled “The Armour of God” and the grid hides ARMOUR.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
8. Books of the Bible: Law & History (Hard)
Words (14), from the KJV list of books, Genesis to Esther: Chronicles (1 & 2), Deuteronomy, Esther, Exodus, Ezra, Genesis, Joshua, Judges, Kings (1 & 2), Leviticus, Nehemiah, Numbers, Ruth, Samuel (1 & 2).
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
9. Books of the Bible: Poetry & Prophets (Hard)
Words (22), from the KJV list of books, Job to Malachi: Amos, Daniel, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Haggai, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Job, Joel, Jonah, Lamentations, Malachi, Micah, Nahum, Obadiah, Proverbs, Psalms, Song of Solomon, Zechariah, Zephaniah.
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
10. Books of the Bible: New Testament (Hard)
Words (20), from the KJV list of books, Matthew to Revelation: Acts, Colossians, Corinthians (1 & 2), Ephesians, Galatians, Hebrews, James, John (+ 1, 2 & 3 John), Jude, Luke, Mark, Matthew, Peter (1 & 2), Philemon, Philippians, Revelation, Romans, Thessalonians (1 & 2), Timothy (1 & 2), Titus.
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
Every word list was checked word by word against its KJV passage, and the book names against the 66-book KJV list.
How to use the printable
- Print at 100% (“Actual size”) on plain paper. For a large-print copy, print a puzzle page on tabloid (11 × 17 in) or A3 with “Fit to page”.
- Pick a level: easy for young children, medium for ages 9 and up, hard for teens and adults.
- Circle each word and tick it off in the word bank. Then read the theme verse together and answer the bonus question.
- Check the answers on pages 13–17. Finish by making your own puzzle on page 18 from a favourite Bible story.
Bible word search answer keys
Every puzzle has a full answer key with each word highlighted in the grid (pages 13–17, two puzzles per page) and the answer to the bonus question with its Bible reference. Teachers can print the puzzles and keep the key pages for themselves.
Found every word? Now hide them in your heart.
Keep memorizing Scripture with the Scripture Memory Cards ($7.99).
Want to read a whole passage slowly? Use the SOAP Bible Study Journal ($12.99), pray every day with the 30-Day Prayer Journal ($9.99), or get all three in the Starter Bundle ($24.99).
Related reading: Bible verses for kids · fruit of the Spirit · Christmas · armor of God · courage · studying · teachers · Bible study guide
Also free: Bible crossword puzzles · Books of the Bible printable · Ten Commandments printable · Christmas Bible trivia · Armor of God study · Bible verse bookmarks · Christian Christmas coloring pages
Frequently asked questions
Are these Bible word search printables really free?
Yes. All 19 pages are free to download and print for personal, family, classroom, homeschool and church use. Please share the page link rather than the file, and don’t resell it.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. Pages 13–17 show every word highlighted in each grid, plus the answers to the 10 bonus questions.
What ages are the puzzles for?
The three easy puzzles (across and down only, large letters) suit ages 6 and up. The four medium puzzles add diagonals and suit ages 9 and up. The three hard books-of-the-Bible puzzles use all eight directions, including backwards, for teens and adults.
Do the hard puzzles have words going backwards?
Only the three hard puzzles (pages 10–12). Easy puzzles go across and down, and medium puzzles add diagonals but never run backwards. Each page shows a small direction compass and says which directions to look in.
Which Bible translation are the words from?
The King James Version. Every word in the themed puzzles appears in its KJV passage (for example, Psalm 23 or Ephesians 6:10–18), so some spellings are British: honour, neighbour, saviour, armour.
Is there a books of the Bible word search?
Yes, three of them: Genesis to Esther, Job to Malachi, and all 27 New Testament books. Numbered books such as 1 and 2 Samuel are listed once, so you find 56 names that cover all 66 books.
Is there a Christmas Bible word search?
Yes. Puzzle 4, “The First Christmas”, hides 18 nativity words from Matthew 1–2 and Luke 2, including Bethlehem, manger, swaddling, shepherds, frankincense and myrrh.
Can I print it in large print?
The easy puzzles already use large letters. For any puzzle, print the page on tabloid (11 × 17 in) or A3 paper with “Fit to page” to make the grid about 30–40% bigger.
Free for personal, family, classroom and church use. Please share the page link rather than the file, and don’t resell. Scripture from the King James Version (public domain in the US).
