use strict; use warnings; my $ctr=0; my %books=map{$_=>++$ctr}( 'Genesis','Exodus','Leviticus','Numbers','Deuteronomy','Joshua', 'Judges','Ruth','1 Samuel','2 Samuel','1 Kings','2 Kings', '1 Chronicles','2 Chronicles','Ezra','Nehemiah','Esther', 'Job','Psalm','Proverbs','Ecclesiastes','Song of Solomon', 'Isaiah','Jeremiah','Lamentations','Ezekiel','Daniel', 'Hosea','Joel','Amos','Obadiah','Jonah','Micah','Nahum', 'Habakkuk','Zephaniah','Haggai','Zechariah','Malachi', 'Matthew','Mark','Luke','John','Acts','Romans','1 Corinthians', '2 Corinthians','Galatians','Ephesians','Philippians', 'Colossians','1 Thessalonians','2 Thessalonians','1 Timothy', '2 Timothy','Titus','Philemon','Hebrews','James','1 Peter', '2 Peter','1 John','2 John','3 John','Jude','Revelation'); my @sorted= map{$_->[0]} sort{$a->[1]<=>$b->[1]} map{chomp;/^(\d?\s?\w+)\s+(\d+)/;[$_,10000*$books{$1}+$2]} ; print "$_\n" for @sorted; __DATA__ Acts 4:29-31 Numbers 14:10 Luke 1:20 John 16:15 Acts 2:4 1 Peter 1:22 Psalm 56:3 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4, 1, 11 Ephesians 3:18, 19 Ephesians 4:14, 13, 17, 18; 5:15, 16 Matthew 24:24 Colossians 2:6-8 Hebrews 10:35-39 Hebrews 4:10-12 Philippians 1:6, 27-29 Matthew 7:6-12, 15 Philippians 2:13-15