Short answer: Cite the Bible by book, chapter and verse, and name the version the first time you quote it. In MLA you also list the edition in your works cited. In APA the Bible is cited in the text only, with the version and year on first mention. In Chicago it is usually cited in a note or in parentheses, with no bibliography entry unless you used a study edition. Check your assignment, because the style guide your instructor names always wins.
In This Article
Students ask me this more than almost anything else, usually the night before a paper is due. The Bible is not an ordinary book. It is a library of sixty-six books, copied and translated for centuries, and nearly every page is divided into chapters and verses that are the same in every edition. That shared numbering is a gift, and every major style guide takes advantage of it.
People in the pews kept asking the same questions about how to handle Scripture, and citation is a practical one. Below is how the three most common styles treat it, plus the habits that apply to all of them.
How Do You Write Book, Chapter And Verse?
Start here, because every style builds on it. A Bible reference has three parts: the book (Genesis, John, Romans), the chapter number, and the verse number or range. Most American styles put a colon between chapter and verse, so John chapter 3, verse 16 becomes John 3:16. A run of verses uses a hyphen: Genesis 1:1-3. Separate verses that are not next to each other with commas: Luke 10:25, 27, 29.
Books with numbers in the title get the number first, written as an Arabic numeral: 1 Corinthians, 2 Timothy. Short books with only one chapter, such as Jude or Philemon, are cited by verse only.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NIV)
Notice what is not in a citation: the page number. Page numbers differ between editions, but the chapter and verse do not, so a reader holding any copy of the same translation can find your passage in seconds.
Abbreviations
You may abbreviate the books of the Bible in parenthetical citations and notes, and you should spell them out in your running sentences. Gen., Exod., Matt., Rom. and 1 Cor. are standard. Abbreviations for versions follow the same logic: NIV for the New International Version, ESV for the English Standard Version, KJV for the King James Version. Spell the version out in full the first time. Your style guide lists the exact abbreviations it accepts, so look there rather than guessing.
How Do You Cite The Bible In MLA?
MLA treats the Bible like a book with a named edition. The first time you cite it, put the title of the version in the parentheses, italicized, then the book, chapter and verse. After that, the book, chapter and verse alone are enough, as long as you keep using the same version. If you switch translations to compare wording, name each one.
MLA is the one style that does not use a colon: the current MLA Handbook (9th edition) separates chapter and verse with a period, so an in-text citation looks like (New International Version, John 3.16) the first time and (John 3.16) after that. Some instructors still accept the colon from older habits, so if yours asks for it, follow the instructor and stay consistent.
MLA also expects a works cited entry for the edition you used. The entry starts with the title of the version in italics, followed by any editors, the publisher and the year. A named study Bible gets the same treatment, and if you quoted its notes, cite the notes by the person who wrote them. If you read the text online, the website is added as the container. Our NIV Study Bible review shows why the edition matters, since the study notes in a study Bible are the work of editors, not the biblical authors.
How Do You Cite The Bible In APA?
APA is the simplest. In APA 7 the Bible and other classical religious texts are cited in the text only and generally do not appear in the reference list. On first mention, include the version and the year of that version in parentheses, then the book, chapter and verse, using a colon. After the first citation, just give the book, chapter and verse.
If you are quoting a specific edition with its own notes or commentary, such as a study Bible, treat that edition as a source and put it in your reference list, because the commentary has authors and the Scripture text alone does not. APA also asks you to use the same version throughout, and to say so if you change.
How Do You Cite The Bible In Chicago Style?
Chicago comes in two flavors, and the Bible is handled lightly in both. In the notes and bibliography system, the Bible is usually cited in the text or a footnote, with the book abbreviated, the chapter and verse separated by a colon, and the version named in the first note. A bibliography entry is generally not needed for the Bible itself, though you would list a study edition if you relied on its notes.
In author-date papers, the same applies: cite the verse in parentheses, name the version at first use, and skip the reference list entry unless you used a particular annotated edition. A footnote also gives you room to add a short comment, for instance noting that a verse reads differently in another translation.
| Style | Where It Goes | Version Named | Works Cited Or Reference Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLA | Parentheses in text | First citation, in italics | Yes, for the edition you used |
| APA 7 | Parentheses in text | First citation, with the year | No, unless a study edition is used |
| Chicago | Footnote, endnote or parentheses | First note or first mention | Usually no, unless a study edition is used |
Do You Need A Works Cited Entry?
It depends on the style, and the table above is the quick answer. The deeper principle is that you cite the source of what you quote. The words of Scripture in a given translation are shared, so many styles treat them as a classic text that needs no entry. But the moment you quote a translator's footnote, a study note, a commentary or an introduction, you are quoting a person, and that person gets credit.
I would also say this for any paper you write: tell your reader which translation you are using. Wording changes how an argument reads. A line that sounds absolute in one version can read more gently in another, and your reader deserves to know which one you are leaning on. If you are unsure which translation fits your assignment, choosing the right Bible is a good starting point, and what a study Bible is explains when you will need extra citations for notes.
Quoting Versus Referring
You do not need quotation marks when you simply refer to a passage ("Paul writes about love in 1 Corinthians 13"), but you still give the reference. When you quote the words themselves, use quotation marks for short quotes and a block quote for longer ones, and keep the wording exactly as it appears in your chosen version. Do not mix wording from two translations inside the same quotation.
Verses That Differ Between Versions
A few verses are numbered or worded differently from one translation to the next. The most famous example is Matthew 17:21, which older English Bibles include in the main text and many modern ones move to a footnote because the earliest manuscripts disagree. If your verse is one of these, naming the version protects you. Our article on how to understand the Bible explains why translators sometimes make these choices.
Key Bible Verses About God's Word
- Psalm 119:105: God's word lights the path we walk.
- 2 Timothy 3:16: all Scripture is breathed out by God and useful for teaching.
- Isaiah 40:8: the word of our God stands forever.
- Matthew 4:4: Jesus tells us we live on every word from God.
- Hebrews 4:12: the word of God is living and active.
- John 17:17: Jesus prays that his people be sanctified by the truth of the word.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you properly cite the Bible in an essay?
Name the book, chapter and verse in the text, and name the version the first time you quote it. After that, the book, chapter and verse alone is usually enough. Whether you also need a works cited or reference entry depends on your style: MLA asks for one, APA and Chicago generally do not for the Bible itself.
Do you italicize the names of Bible books or the word Bible?
No. In the major styles the word Bible and the names of its books are not italicized or put in quotation marks. What does get italicized in MLA is the title of a specific version or study edition, such as a named study Bible, when it appears in a works cited entry or the first in-text citation.
Should I cite a Bible verse from a website like Bible Gateway?
You can, but you are really citing the translation, so name the version in the text. If your instructor wants the website, MLA lets you list it as the container. Many writers prefer a printed or reputable digital edition of a named translation because the wording is the same everywhere in that version.
Why is Matthew 17:21 missing in some Bibles?
Verse 21 appears in older English translations but is left out of the main text of many modern ones, usually with a footnote. Early manuscripts differ on whether it belongs there, and translators weigh that evidence differently. If you cite it, name your version, since the verse number may be absent or footnoted. See How Many Bible Versions Are There? for why versions differ.
Which Bible version should I cite for an academic paper?
Use whatever your instructor requires. If there is no requirement, choose a translation that suits the assignment, state it clearly, and stay with it throughout. Our guide to choosing the right Bible explains the differences between the main translations.
