Each of the 18 King James verses below is quoted word for word and followed by the in-text citation pattern you would use for it in an APA paper.
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 (KJV)
The most quoted verse in the Bible makes a good first example of how to cite a Bible verse in APA. In an APA paper you would close the sentence with (King James Bible, 1769/2017, John 3:16). Notice the version, an edition date, and then the book with chapter and verse.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalms 23:1 (KJV)
Psalm 23 is quoted constantly in essays on comfort and grief. Here is how to cite a Bible verse in APA for this psalm: (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Psalms 23:1). Use the same book spelling throughout your paper, and keep the colon between chapter and verse with no spaces.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 (KJV)
Opening verses are often cited in papers on creation or origins. How to cite a Bible verse in APA in narrative style? Put the reference in the sentence: Genesis 1:1 (King James Bible, 1769/2017) opens with God as creator. The version appears once, right after the first reference.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
This quotation spans two verses, and that changes how to cite a Bible verse in APA here: use an en dash for the range, (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Proverbs 3:5–6). Never write verses 5 and 6 with a comma when they are consecutive; the dash shows the run of text.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (KJV)
When you learn how to cite a Bible verse in APA, remember that if you already cited the King James Bible earlier in the paper, many writers shorten later citations to the book and verse alone, such as (Romans 8:28). Confirm the exact rule for repeated citations on the official APA Style site or with your instructor.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:13 (KJV)
Even with a numbered or multi-word book name, how to cite a Bible verse in APA stays simple. Write (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Philippians 4:13) on first use. There is no page number, because the same verse sits on different pages in every printed Bible.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)
Here is how to cite a Bible verse in APA when a quotation is short. Keep it in quotation marks inside your sentence and place the citation before the final period: Jeremiah wrote of “thoughts of peace” (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Jeremiah 29:11). Quote the text exactly as printed in your version.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)
At forty words or more a quotation becomes a block quote, and how to cite a Bible verse in APA changes with it. Start it on a new line, indent it, drop the quotation marks, and put the citation after the final punctuation: (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Isaiah 41:10).
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9 (KJV)
Because this verse is long, how to cite a Bible verse in APA here follows the block quotation pattern. Keep the original spelling, including whithersoever, since a quote must match the source. Cite it as (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Joshua 1:9) with the book name written out.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
Matthew is a Gospel with several similar parallels in Mark and Luke, so how to cite a Bible verse in APA depends on the exact chapter and verse. A precise citation reads (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Matthew 11:28), letting the reader find the saying without guessing.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalms 46:1 (KJV)
Psalm numbers in the KJV can differ from some other traditions, so how to cite a Bible verse in APA starts with naming your version clearly. A complete example is (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Psalms 46:1). The version name tells readers which numbering and wording you followed.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
How to cite a Bible verse in APA from a long sentence like this one: use a quotation introduced by a signal phrase. For example, Paul urged believers to be transformed (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Romans 12:2). Quote the whole clause if you need the full thought.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
Here the range 8–9 is two consecutive verses, so use an en dash: (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Ephesians 2:8–9). If you ever need to know how to cite a Bible verse in APA for verses that are not next to each other, separate them with a comma instead, as in 2:8, 10.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalms 119:105 (KJV)
The longest psalm shows how to cite a Bible verse in APA with a three-digit verse number. The pattern does not change: (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Psalms 119:105). Always check the chapter and verse numbers against your version before submitting, since a small typing slip points readers to the wrong text.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)
A book with a leading number, such as 1 Corinthians, shows how to cite a Bible verse in APA with the numeral kept and a space: (King James Bible, 1769/2017, 1 Corinthians 13:13). If you abbreviate book names in parentheses, abbreviate every book the same way across the paper.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
Hebrews has no known named author, which is one reason the Bible is cited by book and verse rather than by an author’s surname. How to cite a Bible verse in APA for Hebrews is simply (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Hebrews 11:1), with no author and no page.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Matthew 28:19 (KJV)
This verse ends in a colon in the KJV, because the sentence continues into the next verse. For how to cite a Bible verse in APA when you quote only part, end your own sentence with the citation and a period: (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Matthew 28:19). Do not add words the text does not contain.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)
A verse about Scripture itself is often cited in theology papers. How to cite a Bible verse in APA follows the same shape here: (King James Bible, 1769/2017, 2 Timothy 3:16). Once the version is established, later mentions can usually point to the book and verse only.
If you only need the quick version of how to cite a bible verse in APA, it is this: put a parenthetical citation after the quotation that names the Bible version, an edition year, the book, and the chapter and verse. An example is (King James Bible, 1769/2017, John 3:16). Everything else in this guide explains why each piece is there and what to do in less common situations.
APA is the style from the American Psychological Association, used widely in psychology, education, nursing, and the social sciences. Its seventh edition is the current standard for most classes. Because the Bible is a major religious work with many editions, APA treats it a little differently from an ordinary book, and that is why Bible citations look short and have no author.
This page reflects my understanding of how to cite a Bible verse in APA 7. Style rules can have small details that change between guides and instructors, so for anything high stakes, such as a thesis or a journal submission, check the official APA Style website at apastyle.apa.org or ask your instructor which format they expect.
Most sources in an APA paper have a named author and a publication date. The Bible does not fit that pattern. It was written over centuries by many people and is printed in countless translations. Putting a single modern author in your citation would be inaccurate, so the style names the version instead.
This is also why the Bible is grouped with other classical and religious works. APA asks you to identify which edition or translation you used, because the same verse can read quite differently from version to version. A reader should be able to tell whether you quoted the KJV, the NIV, or another translation.
Understanding this reasoning makes how to cite a Bible verse in APA easier to remember. When you cite a Bible verse in APA, you are not crediting an author; you are pointing the reader to a specific wording in a specific edition, at a specific place in the text.
How to cite a Bible verse in APA in the text usually involves three or four parts separated by commas inside parentheses: the version name, the year or years of the edition, the book name, and the chapter and verse. For the King James text that looks like (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Genesis 1:1).
The version tells the reader which translation you used. The date tells them which edition. The book and the chapter and verse tell them where to look inside the text. Together they work like an address, which is why they replace the author and page number you would use for most other books.
A simple habit helps: write the version first, the location last. If you drop any part by accident, the citation either loses its meaning or cannot be found. When you are unsure which parts your instructor requires, ask before you start the final draft.
The first rule of how to cite a Bible verse in APA is to name the Bible version in the citation. This site uses the King James Version, so the version name could be written as King James Bible or King James Version, depending on how your edition is titled. Use the title that appears on the edition you actually used, and be consistent from start to finish.
Abbreviations such as KJV, NIV, and ESV are common in everyday writing and in Bible study. Whether APA wants the full name spelled out at first use, or accepts the abbreviation, is something I would verify on apastyle.apa.org or with your instructor rather than guess. Spelling it out the first time is a safe approach.
If you compare two translations in one paper, name each version every time you switch. A reader who sees a verse quoted without a version might assume the wrong translation, which can change the meaning of the quotation. You can explore wording differences in our guide to Bible verses about Bible study.
The rules for how to cite a Bible verse in APA leave out page numbers for a practical reason: the Bible has no fixed pagination. The same verse might be on page 842 in one printing and page 1,016 in another, and it might be on a screen with no pages at all. Chapter and verse stay the same across nearly every edition.
That is the heart of how to cite a bible verse in APA correctly. Instead of p. 52, you give the book, the chapter, and the verse. These divisions are the universal way to locate a passage, whether the reader owns a pocket Bible, a study Bible, or an app.
If you have been told to add a page number, it is probably because the instructor wants you to cite a study edition with commentary, where a note on a specific page matters. For the biblical text itself, the chapter and verse are what readers need.
A colon between the chapter and the verse, with no spaces, is part of how to cite a Bible verse in APA: John 3:16, not John 3 16 or John 3.16. This convention is the same one used in most Bible study materials, so it will feel familiar if you already read Scripture regularly.
The book name comes first, then a space, then the chapter number, a colon, and the verse number. For books with a number in the title, such as 1 Samuel or 2 Timothy, keep the numeral with a space before the book name: 2 Timothy 3:16.
Double check each reference against your source. A single transposed number can send a reader to a completely different verse, and it can also make your quotation look careless. Reading the verse aloud next to your citation is a quick way to catch these slips.
When you need to know how to cite a Bible verse in APA across several verses in a row, use an en dash between the first and last verse number: Proverbs 3:5–6. The dash tells readers that every verse in the span is included. A hyphen is often used in casual typing, but the en dash is the typographically correct mark.
For a passage inside one chapter, you can place the range after the colon, as in Psalms 23:1–3. If your range crosses chapters, you will include both chapter numbers, as in Genesis 1:31–2:3. This pattern shows exactly where the passage starts and where it ends.
Resist the temptation to cite a whole chapter when you quote only a line. The narrower your citation, the easier it is for readers to verify it. For more short passages worth quoting, browse the best Bible verses and practice writing the citation for each one.
Sometimes how to cite a Bible verse in APA gets trickier because one sentence draws on verses that are not side by side. When they are in the same chapter, separate them with a comma, as in Ephesians 2:8, 10. A comma signals that the verses are separate rather than consecutive, which is the opposite of what the en dash says.
If you cite verses from different chapters of the same book, list each chapter and verse in full, separated by a semicolon, such as Romans 8:28; 12:2. For verses from different books, the full reference of each appears in sequence. Keep the order logical, often the order they appear in the Bible.
Long strings of citations in one set of parentheses are hard to read. If a sentence needs more than three or four references, consider splitting it into two sentences or moving some references into a second sentence. Clarity is a good test of a well-built citation.
Two shapes of in-text citation are open to you when you decide how to cite a Bible verse in APA. A parenthetical citation puts the version and reference in parentheses at the end of the sentence: God created the heavens and the earth (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Genesis 1:1). The period goes after the closing parenthesis.
A narrative citation weaves the reference into the sentence itself: In Genesis 1:1 (King James Bible, 1769/2017), the Bible opens with creation. Here the book and verse are part of your sentence, and the version and year sit in parentheses right after.
Neither form is better. Choose the one that reads naturally for the sentence at hand. Using both in the same paper keeps the writing from sounding repetitive. If you want help with reading the verses themselves before you cite them, our page on Bible verses about reading Scripture is a good start.
Many writers wonder, when deciding how to cite a Bible verse in APA, whether to write out the book names or use short forms such as Gen., Ps., or Rom. In Bible study notes, abbreviations are common because they save space, especially inside parentheses. In a formal paper, however, you should follow the guidance your instructor or the official APA Style site gives for your situation.
What matters most is consistency. If you write Psalms 23:1 in one place, do not write Ps. 23:1 in another. Choose spelled-out names or a single set of abbreviations and apply it throughout. Mixed forms make a paper look unpolished and can confuse readers.
I am not certain of APA’s exact wording on which abbreviations are preferred, so I will not invent a list here. Spelling the book out fully is always understandable, and it is the safest default when you are not sure what an assignment requires.
This is the question about how to cite a Bible verse in APA that causes the most disagreement. As I understand APA 7, major classical and religious works such as the Bible are usually cited in the text with the version identified, and an entry in the reference list is not always required. Some instructors, schools, and journals nevertheless want one.
The safest way to approach how to cite a bible verse in APA when you are unsure is to ask your instructor, then check the official APA Style site. If your professor says to include a reference entry, add one for each version you used. If they say in-text only, you can skip it.
Either way, the in-text citation does the main work of pointing readers to the verse. A reference entry, when used, simply adds publication details of the edition. The next section shows a commonly used pattern, with the reminder to verify it against your requirements.
If you do need a reference list entry, a commonly used pattern puts the Bible title first, followed by the year in parentheses, the title or publisher details, and a link if you used an online edition. An example would be: King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769).
Notice the original publication date appears at the end in parentheses, and that the in-text citation shows both years separated by a slash: 1769/2017. The first year is the original and the second is the edition you used. This is the general APA approach for republished works.
I am presenting this as an example of the pattern for how to cite a Bible verse in APA, not as official wording. Details such as the publisher name or whether to include a URL depend on the specific edition you consulted. Please compare your entry with the examples at apastyle.apa.org before submitting a graded paper.
When a quotation of forty words or more is set as a block quotation, how to cite a Bible verse in APA changes too. Start it on a new line, indent the whole block, and leave off the quotation marks. Because the block stands alone, you may introduce it with a sentence that ends in a colon.
For a block quotation, the citation goes after the closing punctuation of the quoted text, not before it. So the quoted sentence ends with its normal period, followed by the parenthetical citation, and no extra period after the parenthesis. This is a small difference but a very common error.
Most single verses are shorter than forty words, so you will use block quotations only for long passages, such as a group of verses from a psalm. Knowing how to cite a bible verse in APA in both a short quotation and a block quotation prepares you for any paper length.
A study Bible adds introductions, footnotes, maps, and commentary to the biblical text. If you quote only the Scripture, you cite the version and the verse as usual. If you quote a footnote or study note, the author of that note matters, because the commentary is not part of the biblical text.
For notes, how to cite a Bible verse in APA shifts toward the edited-book pattern, and the citation usually needs the editor or note author and the page, much like any other edited book. Because the details vary, check the APA Style site for how to cite an edited book or a chapter in an edited work, and apply that pattern to the study note.
Keep the distinction clear in your writing. Say which words come from Scripture and which come from the commentator. Mixing them can make it look as if the Bible itself says something that is actually only a scholar’s opinion.
After the first citation, how to cite a Bible verse in APA gets simpler, since repeating the full version information in every citation can feel clumsy. As I understand APA’s guidance, once you have established the version, later citations in the same paper can usually be shortened to the book, chapter, and verse, such as (Romans 8:28), as long as you keep using that same version.
If you switch to another translation, say so right away and include its version name in the next citation, so the reader is never confused about which wording they are reading. Switching quietly is one of the most common reasons for a lost point.
Because this shortening rule is a detail you should not guess about, confirm it with your instructor or apastyle.apa.org. When in doubt for a short paper, repeating the full citation is never wrong, only a little longer. For help finding verses worth citing, see popular Bible verses.
When working out how to cite a Bible verse in APA, you may wonder why the example citations show two years separated by a slash. For a work that has been republished, APA generally shows the original publication year and the year of the edition you used. For the King James text, 1611 is the first printing, though many modern editions follow later revisions.
The examples on this page use 1769/2017 only as a pattern, because many editions of the King James text follow the 1769 standard text. Your own paper should use the dates from the actual edition you consulted, not the dates I picked for illustration.
If your edition lists no clear date, look at the copyright page or the website footer. When no date can be found, APA has a convention for undated works, so check the official APA Style site for the correct way to handle that situation.
Many students read the Bible on a website or an app instead of in print. When you do, how to cite a Bible verse in APA looks the same as for a printed Bible: version, edition year if known, book, chapter and verse. The medium does not change how the verse is cited.
Where the medium matters is the reference list entry, if you use one. An online edition normally includes a link, and an app may need its title and publisher. Use the details of the edition you actually read, not a different one that you happened to find first.
Websites like Bible Gateway, Bible Hub, Bible Study Tools, and Blue Letter Bible are great for finding verses and comparing translations, and you can use them to confirm the exact wording of the King James text. Always copy the quotation exactly, then check it again against the source.
The most frequent mistake in how to cite a Bible verse in APA is leaving out the version name. Without it, a reader cannot know which translation you quoted. Close behind is adding a page number out of habit, when chapter and verse are what the style expects for the Bible.
Other slips include using a period or a space between chapter and verse instead of a colon, writing a range with a comma, and mixing abbreviations with full book names. Also watch for quotations that do not match the wording of the version you named, which is easy to do when you remember a verse from a different translation.
A quiet mistake is forgetting that a quotation must be exact. The King James text uses older forms like thee, thou, and saith, and you should not modernize them inside quotation marks. If you want modern wording, paraphrase it in your own words and still cite the verse.
Before you turn in the paper, run through a short checklist for how to cite a Bible verse in APA. Did you name the version the first time? Did you use a colon between chapter and verse? Did you use an en dash for consecutive verses and a comma for separate ones? Did you avoid page numbers? Did you quote the text exactly?
Next, check consistency. Are book names spelled or abbreviated the same way everywhere? Does each citation match a quotation in the paper? Do block quotations of forty words or more have no quotation marks and the citation after the final punctuation? These small checks add up to a clean paper.
Finally, check your requirements. Whether you need a reference list entry and how subsequent citations should look are decisions to confirm with your instructor or at apastyle.apa.org. Knowing how to cite a bible verse in APA is partly knowing where to look when a rule is uncertain.
Learning how to cite a Bible verse in APA is about honesty and clarity, but quoting Scripture well goes a little further. Read the verse in its chapter before you quote it, so that you do not lift a line out of context and make it say something it does not. A careful citation respects both the reader and the text.
Memorizing the verses you plan to quote can also help. When you know a verse well, you are less likely to misquote it. Our page of Bible verses to memorize offers short passages that are easy to learn and easy to cite correctly.
Whether you are writing for a class, a church study, or a personal project, the goal of learning how to cite a bible verse in APA is to let readers find and check what you quote. If you have a question this guide does not answer, the official APA Style site is the final word.
If you are writing a paper or study guide, these related pages on thebibleverses.us may also help: Bible verses about Bible study, Bible verses about reading Scripture, Bible verses to memorize, best Bible verses, popular Bible verses, Bible verses about meditation on Scripture, Bible verses about wisdom, Bible verses about faith, Bible verses about love, Bible verses about hope.
To study these verses in more depth, try Bible Gateway, Bible Hub, Bible Study Tools, Blue Letter Bible.
To follow how to cite a Bible verse in APA in the text, place the version, the edition year, the book, and the chapter and verse in parentheses after the quotation, for example (King James Bible, 1769/2017, John 3:16). There is no author and no page number. Use the title and dates of the edition you actually used.
No. How to cite a Bible verse in APA does not use page numbers, because the Bible has no standard pagination, and the same verse falls on different pages in different editions. Use the book, chapter, and verse instead, with a colon between the chapter and verse, so any reader can find the passage in any edition.
As I understand how to cite a Bible verse in APA 7, the Bible is typically cited in the text with the version identified, and a reference entry is not always required. Some instructors still ask for one, so confirm your requirements and check the official APA Style site at apastyle.apa.org.
For how to cite a Bible verse in APA across several verses, use an en dash for consecutive verses, such as Proverbs 3:5–6, and a comma for verses that are not next to each other, such as Ephesians 2:8, 10. For different chapters, separate the references with a semicolon and give each chapter and verse in full.
When deciding how to cite a Bible verse in APA, use the title that matches your edition, and be consistent. Spelling the full version name at first use is a safe approach, and the official APA Style site is the place to confirm whether abbreviations like KJV are accepted in your situation.
How to cite a Bible verse in APA after a switch means naming the new version in the first citation, so readers know the wording changed. If you compare translations side by side, include the version name every time. Shortened citations that leave the version out only work while you stay with a single version.
