Where to buy an Ethiopian Bible in English

By EthiopianBibleBooks · Sources checked November 2, 2026

You can buy English books marketed as the Ethiopian Bible through online booksellers, or buy named translations of its distinctive books through their publishers and bookshops. Choose the edition before choosing the seller. Searching only for “Ethiopian Bible” can bring up a Bible compilation, a Book of Enoch, an Amharic Bible, or a workbook—four different purchases.

For a first English purchase, a practical route is a familiar Bible for shared books plus an identified translation of Enoch or Jubilees. For a single-volume compilation, check its contents and translation credits before ordering. Our English edition guide explains the choices by reading goal.

Our commercial interest: We are preparing our own independent study guide and intend to earn money from its sales. It is a companion workbook, not a translation of the Ethiopian Bible. The external sources below are ordinary reference links. See our advertising disclosure.

Start with the kind of book you need

The church’s published canon has 81 entries under its own grouping, including texts many English readers do not already own. An attractive cover and a large advertised book count do not tell you which texts a commercial edition supplies. Compare the listing with the source-mapped books list. Source: church’s canon page.

Two exact editions you can search by ISBN

These are identifiable translations of individual books. Neither is a complete Ethiopian Bible. We verified their publisher listings; we have not conducted a physical-copy review.

Use the ISBN for the format you want. The publisher lists different ISBNs for the ebooks: 9781451424379 for 1 Enoch and 9781506467047 for Jubilees. A paperback search and an ebook search can therefore lead to different product records even when the title is the same. [Sources: the publisher records above.]

The reason to begin with these records is identification. They give you a title, translator, publisher, format, and edition to match against a seller’s offer. They also make it easier to ask a local bookshop or library for the right book.

Buying on Amazon: check the selected edition

Amazon can be a convenient seller, but the search results are not a canon catalogue. Before adding a book to your basket:

1. Select the format you actually want. Check whether the active choice is paperback, hardcover, Kindle, or audiobook.
2. Match the title, translator, publisher, and ISBN. Do this again after changing formats. Similar covers and titles can conceal different editions.
3. Open the available preview. Find the title page, copyright page, contents, and one ordinary text page.
4. Check the distinctive books. If Meqabyan matters to you, confirm that the edition contains Ethiopian Meqabyan rather than assuming that any heading called “Maccabees” is sufficient.
5. Check the seller’s offer. Look at condition, delivery location, total cost, and the applicable returns terms before paying.

Save the exact edition details rather than relying on the search phrase to find the same book later. For a gift, those details also let the recipient exchange or replace the same edition.

If readability or binding is the deciding factor, use our large-print and physical-format guide to check type size, hardcover, and leather claims before ordering.

Buying through a bookshop or directly from a publisher

Give a bookshop the ISBN, not just “the Ethiopian Bible.” Ask it to confirm the language and binding on the order. If an edition has several volumes, confirm whether the quoted offer is for one volume or the set.

Publisher pages are especially useful for scholarly translations because they can supply sample contents and introductions. The Fortress listing for 1 Enoch, for example, links to samples of its contents, preface, introduction, and opening chapter. Those samples help you judge the approach before ordering through whichever seller you prefer. Source: Fortress Press’s 1 Enoch listing.

For an Amharic or Ge’ez edition intended for worship or parish study, ask a knowledgeable parish contact to identify the edition first. An English-language retail title is not evidence that the book has church approval. Read what “complete” means if that claim is central to your purchase.

Borrow or read a sample before buying

You do not need to buy a large compilation to find out whether you enjoy reading Enoch. Project Gutenberg supplies a free English text of R. H. Charles’s Book of Enoch in online and downloadable reading formats. It identifies the text as public domain in the United States. That gives you an inexpensive way to try an older translation before deciding whether to buy a newer one. Source: Project Gutenberg record.

Ask your library about borrowing named editions or requesting them through another library. For lawful free texts, see our PDF and online reading guide. A free historical translation can be useful, while a modern edition may offer a different translation and more recent textual scholarship.

What should you buy first?

If your interest began with Enoch, start with Enoch. If you want to compare Genesis with Jubilees, start with a Bible you know and a named Jubilees translation. If your goal is understanding the whole canon, begin with the books list and identify which texts you want to read next.

For readers who prefer a sequence of readings and questions, we are preparing a separate companion focused on Enoch, Jubilees, Meqabyan, and the canon. See our planned study guide. We will earn money from its sales; its final title, contents, and Amazon listing are not yet confirmed.

Questions before you order

Can I buy a complete Ethiopian Bible in English?

English compilations are sold under that description, but evaluate each edition’s contents and sources. We have not verified a church-authorized English translation covering every entry in the church’s published 81-book list. That is a verification limit, not a claim that every commercial compilation is useless.

Is an Ethiopian Bible study guide the Bible itself?

Usually the description “study guide” means a companion that explains or assigns readings. Check whether it contains selected passages, full texts of particular books, or no scripture text. Do not assume that a workbook includes all 81 books.

Should I choose the edition with the most books?

Choose by identifiable contents and translation quality. A publisher can count or group books differently. The 81-versus-88 explanation shows why the number alone cannot settle the purchase.

Sources and method

This guide uses church and publisher records to identify content and editions. It does not report hands-on testing, seller ratings, current stock, or a price survey.

• Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church: The Bible.
• Fortress Press: 1 Enoch, ISBN 9780800699109.
• Fortress Press: Jubilees, ISBN 9781506467030.
• Project Gutenberg: The Book of Enoch, ebook 77935.