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apa citation king james bible

As anyone who has ever written a paper for a college class knows, there are certain style rules and guidelines to be followed depending on which discipline you are in. Such style rules ensure consistency in formatting and publishing and address details such as comma placement, capitalization, references and in-text citations. One of the most commonly used styles is the APA style, which is the style preferred by the American Psychological Association. APA style is style that is generally used for disciplines such as the social sciences, education and psychology.

Origins of APA Style

For many college students, learning APA style can be tricky. The specifics of the style often trip up even the best writers, since it is difficult to remember whether titles should be in italics or not, how references should be alphabetized and how to cite citations, which can vary depending upon where they appear.

According to the APA, the style originated in 1929, when a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers decided to establish a simple set of procedures, or style rules, to bring uniformity to the elements of scientific writing to increase the ease of reading comprehension.

Some of the procedures they decided upon can be challenging. Plus, there are various online tools and style generators out there that can help. We’ve gathered a few of them here.

Online Citation Machines

It takes just a few clicks to find any number of reliable citation machines that help writers be sure their papers conform to APA style. In general, a citation machine website helps students and professionals properly credit the information that they use. As any good student knows, proper credits are essential to presenting a strong paper, because they cite the sources used, giving credit where credit is due and not plagiarizing.

Avoid Plagiarism at All Costs

In a reference paper, article, blog post or any other published work, writers must give credit to their sources. Failing to do so, even if you have completely reworded the information or summarized the information, is considered to be plagiarism. A good rule of thumb is to cite sources extensively, because even if you think you have an original thought, you may actually be paraphrasing something you’ve read elsewhere. It is safe to say that you cannot cite too many sources.

Citation Machine Ensures APA Conformity

Citation Machine is a free online tool that students, researchers, teachers and publishers can use to see how well their paper conforms to APA style guidelines.

The site is extremely clear about the two types of APA citations and provides a good summary. The first kind of citation is called an in-text or parenthetical citation. These citations must be included when you use information from someone else’s work in your own paper. They are used in the main body of your paper and must be placed immediately after the information you have borrowed.

The second kind of citation is a reference citation and is included with all other full citations at the end of your paper on the last page. They are alphabetical and listed one after the other. They’re the full citations for the in-text citations included in the body of your paper.

BibMe Details APA Style

BibMe is another free online citation generator for APA style. Along with citation guidelines, it spells out ways in which paper elements such as publication dates and titles should be structured. For example, publication dates should place the date that the source was published in parentheses, after the author’s name. If no date is available, you should write n.d. In parentheses, which stands for no date.

Book titles should capitalize just the first letter of the first word in the title. Do the same for the subtitle. The first letter of any proper nouns should be capitalized and italicized. Each should end with a period.

Check Every Last Detail

Learning APA style on your own can be daunting. Fortunately, you can learn more about it while making sure that paper is correct and that you properly cite each and every one of your sources by using online tools developed for this exact purpose.

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apa citation king james bible

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How to Cite the Bible in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on December 9, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 16, 2022.

To cite the Bible in 7th edition APA Style , use the general book citation format , omitting the author element and listing the specific version used (not just “The Bible”) as the title. Include a URL if you accessed an online version.

To cite a specific passage from the Bible, include an abbreviated book title followed by a chapter and verse number in the in-text citation.

Table of contents

Biblical abbreviations in in-text citations, original publication dates, frequently asked questions about apa style citations.

To cite a specific book of the Bible, a standard abbreviation is used for the title of each book; the full list can be found here . These abbreviations should be used in combination with chapter and verse numbers in your in-text citations. No page numbers are used.

Chapter and verse numbers are listed as numerals separated by a colon , after the abbreviated book title. So a citation of the seventh verse of the second chapter of the Book of Joshua looks like this:

To cite a range of verses, use an en dash and do not repeat the chapter number:

If you’re citing a classic version of the Bible, you’ll generally be referring to a modern reprint of that version, rather than the original. The first date you list in your reference is the date of the reprint, and the date of original publication appears at the end.

In your in-text citations, this order is reversed; the original date is listed first, then the date of the edition used, separated by a slash.

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apa citation king james bible

Yes, in the 7th edition of APA Style , versions of the Bible are treated much like other books ; you should include the edition you used in your reference list .

Previously, in the 6th edition of the APA manual, it was recommended to just use APA 6 in-text citations to refer to the Bible, and omit it from the reference list.

Like most style guides , APA recommends listing the book of the Bible you’re citing in your APA in-text citation , in combination with chapter and verse numbers. For example:

Books of the Bible may be abbreviated to save space; a list of standard abbreviations can be found here . Page numbers are not used in Bible citations.

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Caulfield, J. (2022, June 16). How to Cite the Bible in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/bible/

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APA Referencing - Education & Counselling students: Bible

How to reference the Bible

Apa 7th edition.

More information on the APA website

How to reference the Bible (APA7)

The Bible is treated like a book with no author. In the in-text citation, the original year of publication is given, along with the publication year of the current version or reprinting, separated by a forward slash. When referring to a verse or passage, give the Bible reference instead of page numbers.  Refer to the copyright page in the version of the Bible you are using to find the details for your citation.  Copyright information for many versions is available on https://biblegateway.com/versions .

The first time you cite the Bible in a paper, provide the full title. If you wish to abbreviate the title for subsequent citations, give the abbreviation in square brackets. Choose narrative or parenthetical style for each citation. See the examples below for a variety of formats.

In-text citation examples

Narrative Citation

Title  (Date of Original Publication/Date of Publication)

Parenthetical Citation

( Title, Date of Original Publication/Date of Publication)

Parenthetical Citation with bible reference

( Title , Date of Original Publication/Date of Publication, Book Chapter:Verse)

Quotation with Citation and Abbreviation

( Title  [ Abbrev ], Date of Publication, Book Chapter:Verse)

NB: 1982 is the original publication date and the date of this edition of the NKJV. 

More information --  Abbreviating titles and organisation names

Reference list examples

Title.  (Date of Publication). Publisher. (Original work published date)

King James Version

NB: 1611 is the original publication date. 2011 is the date of this edition of the King James Version. 

New King James Version

Multiple references in the same citation

Multiple bible references in the same citation.

If citing multiple verses of the the Bible in one in-text citation, list the books in biblical order separated by a comma.

In-text citation

Reference list

Biblical and non-biblical references in the same in-text citation

Biblical and non-biblical references in the same in-text citation.

When inserting more than one biblical and non-biblical references at the same point, use the same set of parentheses. List the Bible references first, in biblical order, and then the author references, in alphabetical order. Use a semi-colon to separate each reference.

Examples from NIV with abbreviated title

Abbreviated title.

Narrative citation first time cited

Narrative citation for second and following citations

Parenthetical citation first time cited

Parenthetical citation for second and following citations

Reference for an online Bible

Online bible.

Example 1  King James Bible

Title. ( Date of Publication). Name of Website. URL. (Original work published date)

Example 2 Bible Gateway 

Bible app on mobile device

Reference the version of the Bible on the app, not the app itself. Use a similar format to a print Bible. If the publisher is not provided, give a website URL, as for an online Bible. Copyright information for many versions is available on https://biblegateway.com/versions .

Title. ( Date of Publication). Publisher. (Original work published date)

University of Portland Clark Library

Thursday, February 23: The Clark Library is closed today.

APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Biblical Sources

Table of Contents

Bible dictionary, single-volume commentary, multi-volume bible commentary, book-length commentary in a series.

Citing the Bible  

Bible Chapters and Verses

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

In the Body of a Paper

Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir , author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.

Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.

The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.

Sarna, N. M. (2008). Exodus, book of. In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale bible dictionary (Vol. 2, pp. 689- 700). Yale University Press.

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Sarna, 2008) 

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

(Sarna, 2008, p. 690)

Browning, W. R. F. (2009). Daniel, book of. In A Dictionary of the Bible (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199543984.001.0001/acref9780199543984-e-485

Example: (Browning, 2009) 

(Author's Last Name, Year) - if the online source does not provide page numbers then omit the page number from the in-text citation

(Browning, 2009) 

A single-volume commentary is a book that contains chapters covering each of the books of the Bible.

Perkins, P. (1990). The gospel according to John. In R. E. Brown, J. A. Firzmyer, & R. E. Murphy (Eds.),  The new Jerome biblical commentary (pp. 942-85) .  Prentice-Hall.

Example: (Perkins, 1990)

(Perkins, 1990, p. 955) 

Franklin, E. (2001). Luke. In J. Barton and J. Muddiman (Eds.),  Oxford bible commentary . Oxford University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uportland/reader.action?docID=10269141

Example: (Franklin, 2001)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number) -  if the online source does not provide page numbers then omit the page number from the in-text citation

(Franklin, 2001) 

A multi-volume commentary is a set of multiple books that contains chapters covering each of the books of the Bible.

Perkins, P. (1994). Mark. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), The New interpreter’s bible (Vol. 8, pp. 507-734). Abingdon Press.

Example: (Perkins, 1994) 

(Perkins, 1994, p. 601) 

A book-length commentary is a book that includes commentary on just one book of the Bible (and sometimes only part of one book of the Bible).

Vinson, R. B. (2008). Luke . Smyth & Helwys bible commentary. Smyth & Helwys. 

Example: (Vinson, 2008) 

(Vinson, 2008, p. 302)

Vinson, R. B. (2008). Luke . Smyth & Helwys bible commentary. Smyth & Helwys. https://login.uportland.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=942774&sit e=ehost-live&scope=site

Citing the Bible

Citing the Version of the Bible

The first time you paraphrase or quote from the Bible, identify which version of the Bible that you used. Include both the original and republished publication dates in the reference. You do not need to repeat the version name in subsequent references. Then cite the Bible in your reference list.

King James Bible . (2017). King James Bible Online . https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)

In the body of your paper, include a sentence similar to this:

The researchers consulted the Bible (King James Version, 1769/2017) to provide items for the development of their religious values assessment.

Citing Biblical Chapters and Verses

When referring to books of the Bible within the body of your paper:

Note: it isn't necessary to add a period after the abbreviated book name. Include a space between the book name and the chapter number, and include a colon between the chapter number and the verse(s).

Citing Introductions, Annotations, or Supplemental Content in the Bible

Bibles that have annotations, introductions, or other supplemental content should cite the editors in place of authors. If the supplemental content is written by someone other than the editors of the book, then cite the content as a chapter within a book.

Carr, D. M. (2010). Introduction to Genesis. In M. D. Coogan, M. Z. Brettler, C. Newsom, & P. Perkins (Eds.),  The new Oxford annotated bible with apocrypha: New revised standard version (pp. 7-11). Oxford University Press. 

Kaiser, W. C., Jr., & Garrett, D. (Eds.). (2006).  NIV archaeological study bible: An illustrated walk through biblical history and culture . Zondervan.

In-Text citations:

(Carr, 2010)

(Carr, 2010, p. 8)

(Kaiser & Garrett, 2006, Genesis 1:20)

(Kaiser & Garrett, 2006, footnote to Genesis 1:12, p. 4)

See the APA "Religious Work References" page for more guidance.

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / How to Cite the Bible in APA

How to Cite the Bible in APA

The Bible is a frequently used source of information for many types of papers, but is referencing it the same as citing a book? This page will help you format citations for the Bible based on APA 7th edition guidelines.

Guide overview

Citing a bible (print or ebook), citing a translated bible, citing a bible on a website, apa in-text bible citations, apa reference page entry for a bible.

Reference page citations for the Bible are similar to that of a book; however, Bible texts are treated as not having an author.

However, if an editor or translator contributed to the text, then they must be included following the same citation conventions as a book.

In terms of dates, you must include the current version’s date after the title. For the original publication date, include the republished date only (if provided), as the date of publication for the Bible and for other religious texts is uncertain.

Reference page structure:

Bible name. (Year published). Publisher. URL (Original work published year)

Reference page PRINT Bible example:

King James Bible. (2019). Christian Art Publishers. (Original work published 1769)

Bible name (Translator’s F. M. Last name, Trans.). (Year published). Publisher.

Reference page example:

The holy Bible translated from the Latin Vulgate (R. Challoner, Trans.). (2017). Andesite Press.

If there is no site/page published date, use “n.d.” which stands for “no date.”

Bible name. (Year published). Publisher or Website Name. URL (Original work published year)

Holy Bible – American Standard Version. (n.d.). Holy-Bible.online. https://holy-bible.online/asv.php (Original work published 1901)

In-Text Citation Structure:

When quoting or paraphrasing specific excerpts from the text, use the name/version of the Bible, the year(s) (remember to write the original publication year, a slash, and then the year of the version you are using), the chapter name, the verse, and then the line.

( Version name , Year, Chapter name line:verse)

In-Text Citation Example:

The Bible extols the virtues of love; “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” ( King James Bible , 1769/2019, 1 Corinthians 13:4).

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

Citation Examples

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To cite a bible verse in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the bible version, year, chapter number, verse number, and/or URL (uniform resource locator). The templates for in-text citations and reference list entry of a bible verse along with examples are given below:

In-text citation templates and examples:

Set the bible version in italics along with the year. Include the biblical abbreviation for the book, chapter number, and verse number. There is no need to include the page number.

Bible version (Year, Book Name Chapter #:Verse #)

GOD’S WORD Translation (1995, Ruth 4:1)

Parenthetical:

( Bible Version , Publication Year, Book Name Chapter #:Verse #)

( GOD’S WORD Translation , 1995, Ruth 4:1)

Reference list entry template and example:

Title of the Bible Version . (Year). Publisher. URL

GOD’S WORD Translation . (1995). Bible Study Tools. https://www.biblestudytools.com/gw/ruth/4.html

The Bible is italicized both in the in-text citation and in the reference list entry.

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American Psychological Association

Religious Work References

This page contains reference examples for religious works, including the following:

1. Religious work

The Bhagavad Gita (E. Easwaran, Trans.; 2nd ed.). (2007). The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation.

King James Bible . (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)

2. Annotated religious work

Kaiser, W. C., Jr., & Garrett, D. (Eds.). (2006). NIV archeological study bible: An illustrated walk through biblical history and culture . Zondervan.

apa citation king james bible

This guidance is  new  to the 7th edition.

apa citation king james bible

APA Writing Guide: Books and Ebooks

Print and Electronic Books

Physical books and e-books are cited exactly the same except when a DOI is provided. See example 3 below for an example of a citation that includes a DOI.

Template: 

Author’s last name, First Initial. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capitalize first letter of

the word after the colon and italicize . Publisher. 

Example 1 :

Boyer, P. (1994). When time shall be no more: Prophecy belief in modern American culture . Harvard University Press.

Prior, K. S. (2018). On reading well: Finding the good life through great books . Brazos Press.

Brown, L. S. (2018). Feminist therapy (2 nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000092-00

Chapter from an Edited Book

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter. In A. A. Editor & B. B.

Editor (Eds.),  Title of book  (pages of chapter). Publisher.

Note: When listing page numbers of a chapter or essay in parentheses, abbreviate pages to pp.

Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and women's gender role journeys: A metaphor for

healing, transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Ed.),  Gender issues across

the l ife cycle  (pp. 107-123). Springer.

Book with an Edition or Volume Number

Author’s last name, First initial. (Year of publication). Title of work (edition number). Publisher.  

Fiske, S. T., Gilbert, D. T., & Lindzey, G. (2010). Handbook of social psychology (5 th ed., Vol. 1). John Wiley & Sons.                                                                        https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119

Citing the Bible

When quoting the Bible, you must cite the Bible version in the body of the paper and include it in your reference list. When citing the Bible the in-text citation should follow the order of the template as shown below.

Template: Bible Version , Date of Publication, Book chapter and verse. Example: ( New Living Translation , 1996/2015, Luke 6:31)

Please see the sample student paper or sample graduate paper for a detailed discussion of citing the Bible. Below are some examples of the hard copy references and online references of some common Bible versions. The citations are the same for both, as they contain the version name and the year(s) of publication.  If you are using a different version, format your citation by following the examples given below (be sure to include a hanging indent which this webpage cannot feature):

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APA Style Quick Guide

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Find your librarian, schedule a research appointment, today's hours : , in-text citations:.

Template :  

(Bible Version, Date of Publication, Book chapter and verse)

Parenthetical

( English Standard Version Bible , 2001, Luke 6:31)

( New International Version , 1978/2011, Ephesians 3:20)

( King James Bible , 1769/2017, Ecclesiastes 12:12)

Narrative Citation

Luke 6:31 ( English Standard Version Bible , 2001)

Ephesians 3:20 ( New International Version , 1978/2011)

Ecclesiastes 12:12 ( King James Bible , 1769/2017)

Bibliography Entries:

When quoting the Bible you must cite the Bible version in the in-text and reference citations. Bibles will be referenced according to the type of source used whether a hard, printed copy of the Bible or an online version. 

Hard Copy/Printed Examples:

English Standard Version.  (2001). Crossway Bibles.

New International Version Bible.  (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978)

King James Bible.  (2017). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1769)

Online/Web Examples:

English Standard Version Bible . (2001). ESV Online.  https://esv.literalword.com/

New International Version Bible . (2011). The NIV Bible.  https://www.thenivbible.com  (Original work published 1978)

King James Bible . (2017). King James Bible Online.  https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/  (Original work published 1769)

Concordances & Lexicons

There is no strict advice in the APA Style Manual about citing concordances or lexicons. The Research Librarians decided to model these entries similar to dictionary citations. The APA website offers specific guidance on how to structure dictionary entries. You can structure your concordance or lexicon entries in a similar fashion, as follows:

Template: Name of Concordance. (Publication date). Number & word. Access point . Retrieval date, retrieval link.

Template: Author/editor/publisher. (Publication date). Number & word. Name of concordance or lexicon (edition, page number).

How to Cite the Bible in APA: General Rules for Different Sources

Citation of Bible sources is necessary because of the existence of multiple versions and editions of the Bible. Basically, the authors of the Bible’s original version did not use English. Consequently, translations to the English language may vary to some extent. Furthermore, the English language has changed extensively in syntax, grammar, and spelling since the first English translation of the Bible. Then, the need to maintain the link between quoted or paraphrased texts and the author’s argument forces writers to direct readers to a particular piece of text, which aligns with their critical analysis. In turn, the APA style has specific rules for referencing Bible sources. Hence, people need to learn how to cite the Bible in APA. As a result, the title of the Bible, publication year, and publisher’s name are fundamental bibliographical elements for any Bible citation.

Referencing the Bible Sources for Different Formats in APA

How to cite the Bible in APA

1. Citing the Printed Bible in APA

Reference List Entry

Structure :

Title of the Bible . (Republication year). Publisher’s Name. (Original publication year).

King James Bible . (2020). Royal Family Publication Society. (Original work published 1831).

In-Text Citation

Parenthetical: ( King James Bible , 1831/2020)

Narrative: King James Bible (1831/2020) documents the principles of early English churches.

In-Text Appearance :

Matthew concludes his sermon with rhetorical questions:

A long quotation that may not agree with the terms of free use outlined in the copyright license. This quotation can be a half a page or longer. 1

1 From King James Bible (1 Peter 12-47), 1831/2020, Royal Family Publication Society. Copyright 2020 by the Royal Family Publication Society. Reprinted with permission.

2. Using the Online Bible

Title of the page. (Online publication year). Name of the site. Universal resource locator (Original publication year)

Christian Community Bible . (2017). Christian Community Bible Online. https://christiancommunitybible.com/ (Original work published 1990)

Parenthetical: (Christian Community Bible, 1990/2017)

Narrative: There are missing chapters in the Christian Community Bible (1990/2017), which are present in older versions of the bible.

1 Adapted from Christian Community Bible (John 8:1-18), 1990/2017, Christian Community Bible Online (https://christiancommunitybible.com/). Copyright 2017 by Leeway Publishers. Adapted with permission.

3. Referencing the E-Book Bible in APA

Title of the E-Book . (Publication year). Publisher’s Name. Universal resource locator

New King James Version . (2016). Craig & Hart Publication House. https://craigandhart/ebook_123

Parenthetical: ( New King James Version , 2016)

Narrative: According to the New King James Version (2016), Paul’s visit to the new world complicated his view of Christianity.

1 From New King James Version (Songs of Solomon 20: 3-40), 2016, Craig & Hart Publication House (https://craigandhart/ebook_123). Copyright 2016 by Craig & Hart Publication House. Reprinted with permission.

4. Organizing the Translated Bible

Title of the Bible (Translator’s Name, Trans.). (Publication year). Publisher’s Name.

Jehovah Bible (B. S. Longshot, Trans.). (2012). Cambridge University Press.

Parenthetical: ( Jehovah Bible , 2012)

Narrative: The Jehovah Bible (2012) has many graphic illustrations that complement the text.

1 Adapted from Jehovah Bible (Psalms 2:20-55), by B. S. Longshot (Trans.), 2012, Cambridge University Press. Copyright 2012 by Cambridge University Press. Adapted with permission.

5. Citing the Second or Later Bible Editions

Title of the Bible (edition). (Publication year). Publisher’s Name.

The Christian Scriptures (3rd ed.). (2019). Wiley & Partners.

Parenthetical: ( The Christian Scriptures , 2019)

Narrative: The Christian Scriptures (2019) instills a sense of authenticity in its readers because it uses old English.

1 From The Christian Scriptures (3rd ed., Daniel 12:23-43), 2019, Wiley & Partners. Copyright 2019 by Wiley & Partners. Reprinted with permission.

Subsequent In-Text Citations

The first in-text citation may differ from subsequent in-text citations within the same paragraph. Typically, all in-text citations follow standards of the author-year in-text citation format when citing the Bible in APA. However, authors may choose to eliminate the year in subsequent narrative citations. In turn, if writers choose to provide a narrative citation as the first citation in a paragraph, subsequent narrative citations may exclude the year. Also, this rule is applicable within a single paragraph, see the illustration below.

Example 1. New King James Version (1892/2014) explains … . According to the New King James Version (1892/2014), … .

Example 2. According to the New King James Version (1892/2014), … . New King James Version (1892/2014) depicts … .

Example 3. Jesus explains … ( New King James Version , 1892/2014). At the baptism, … ( New King James Version , 1892/2014).

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How to Cite the King James Bible

Classical works pose a special problem for citation because they often have no identifiable author, can come in many versions and translations, use verses or cantos and do not use page numbers. The Bible is such a work. It comes in different versions including the King James version and is organized by books, chapters and verses. The two major citation styles – MLA and APA – treat the King James Bible differently from other types of references and have special rules for citation.

Cite the Bible verse in the text. Following that in parentheses list the version of the Bible in italics, a comma, the book name, a period (if it is abbreviated), the chapter number, a period, and the verse number. The book need not be abbreviated if it is short.

For example, “Mark” would not be abbreviated but “Ezekiel” would be abbreviated to “Ezek.”

The complete example might look like this: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (King James Version, John 3.16).

Cite subsequent mentions in the text of the same or different verse without including the Bible version.

It is assumed that you are referring to the same Bible version throughout your paper unless otherwise noted.

For example:

“He that believeth on him is not condemned” (John 3.18).

Cite the name and version of the Bible in the “Works Cited” list at the end of your paper and italicize it. Add a period after the name. Add the location and name of publisher, a comma and the year published.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Iowa Falls, IA: World Bible Publishers, 2001.

Reference the verse, then cite the book, chapter and verse number in the first in-text reference to the Bible. Abbreviate the name of the book and add a period if it is long – for example, abbreviate “Ezekiel” to “Ezek.”

Add the chapter number, followed by a colon, and verse number. Add the version of the Bible you are referencing.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, King James Version).

Omit the version of the Bible on subsequent in-text citations even if you are using other books, chapters and verses from the Bible. It is assumed you are using the same version of the Bible throughout.

“And he taught them many things by parables” (Mark 4:2).

Omit the Bible from the reference list at the end of your paper. APA style does not require you to list classical works, including the Bible, in the reference list. However, confirm with your professor or editor whether he might require you to do so anyway.

Need help with a citation? Try our citation generator .

Danielle Cort has been a freelance writer since 2008, specializing in psychology, health, education and parenting. She has published articles in "Family" magazine. Before becoming a freelance writer, Cort worked in the public policy research sector, conducting research, creating surveys and budgets. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in social psychology from the University of Massachusetts.

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