How to Cite the Bible in APA Style
When you quote or paraphrase the Bible, APA requires in-text citations and a reference page entry.
- APA in-text citations for the Bible include the Bible Version in Italics and Title Case, the year of publication, the Book Name, and the chapter and verse numbers separated by a colon.
- APA reference page entries for the Bible include the Bible Version in Italics and Title Case, the year, the Publisher, and (if accessed online) a URL.
When citing a classic version of the Bible that’s been reprinted, include the original and current publication dates in the reference entry and in-text citations.
In the reference entry, include the reprinted date after the version title. At the end of the entry, include in parentheses “(Original work published year).” In-text citations for reprinted versions should include the original year and the reprinted year, separated by a slash.
| In-text citations | Reference list entry |
|---|---|
| The preacher’s sermon referred to “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (King James Bible, 1769/2024, Eccles. 3:4). |
King James Bible. (2024). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)
|
The examples below will help you format APA Bible citations correctly, or you can try QuillBot’s free APA Citation Generator. Also, QuillBot’s Notepad can help you take notes online to keep track of relevant source information.
APA in-text citations for the Bible
As with any type of source, you can use narrative citations or parenthetical citations for Bible verses. Whichever type you use, the Bible version is always in italics and title case (all important words are capitalized).
- In APA narrative citations, the Bible version is part of the narrative of the sentence. The year goes in parentheses after the version title. The book name, chapter number, and verse number are in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
- In APA parenthetical citations, all of these elements are together in parentheses at the end of the sentence. Use commas between the title, year, and book name. You can use the full name or the abbreviations provided below.
| Narrative Bible citation | Parenthetical Bible citation |
|---|---|
| The King James Bible (1769/2024) said to “love thy neighbor” (Matt. 22:39). | “Love is patient and kind” (English Standard Version Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4). |
APA abbreviations for books in the Bible
The following Bible abbreviations are optional in APA citations. APA doesn’t state a preference in the 7th Edition, but it includes in-text citation examples with both full and abbreviated book names. If you cite more than one book, just remember to stay consistent with abbreviations or full book names throughout your paper.
| Book | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Genesis | Gen. |
| Exodus | Ex. |
| Leviticus | Lev. |
| Numbers | Num. |
| Deuteronomy | Deut. |
| Joshua | Josh. |
| Judges | Judg. |
| Ruth | Ruth |
| 1 Samuel | 1 Sam. |
| 2 Samuel | 2 Sam. |
| 1 Kings | 1 Kings |
| 2 Kings | 2 Kings |
| 1 Chronicles | 1 Chron. |
| 2 Chronicles | 2 Chron. |
| Ezra | Ezra |
| Nehemiah | Neh. |
| Esther | Est. |
| Job | Job |
| Psalms | Ps. |
| Proverbs | Prov. |
| Ecclesiastes | Eccles. |
| Song of Solomon | Song |
| Isaiah | Isa. |
| Jeremiah | Jer. |
| Lamentations | Lam. |
| Ezekiel | Ezek. |
| Daniel | Dan. |
| Hosea | Hos. |
| Joel | Joel |
| Amos | Amos |
| Obadiah | Obad. |
| Jonah | Jonah |
| Micah | Mic. |
| Nahum | Nah. |
| Habakkuk | Hab. |
| Zephaniah | Zeph. |
| Haggai | Hag. |
| Zecheriah | Zech. |
| Malachi | Mal. |
| Matthew | Matt. |
| Mark | Mark |
| Luke | Luke |
| John | John |
| Acts | Acts |
| Romans | Rom. |
| 1 Corinthians | 1 Cor. |
| 2 Corinthians | 2 Cor. |
| Galatians | Gal. |
| Ephesians | Eph. |
| Philippians | Phil. |
| Colossians | Col. |
| 1 Thessalonians | 1 Thess. |
| 2 Thessalonians | 2 Thess. |
| 1 Timothy | 1 Tim. |
| 2 Timothy | 2 Tim. |
| Titus | Titus |
| Philemon | Philem. |
| Hebrews | Heb. |
| James | James |
| 1 Peter | 1 Pet. |
| 2 Peter | 2 Pet. |
| 1 John | 1 John |
| 2 John | 2 John |
| 3 John | 3 John |
| Jude | Jude |
| Revelation | Rev. |
| Books of the Apocrypha | |
| 1 Maccabees | 1 Macc. |
| 2 Maccabees | 2 Macc. |
