Citing the Bible in MLA comes down to naming the version you read. Wording differs between translations, so your Works Cited entry starts with the version's title in italics, and your first in-text citation repeats it along with the book, chapter, and verse:
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016.
In-text(English Standard Version, Gen. 1.1)
After that first citation, the book, chapter, and verse are enough, such as (Gen. 1.3). The rules below follow the MLA Handbook, 9th edition, and cover print, study, online, and app versions. For the general citation rules this builds on, see how to cite in MLA format.
Works Cited Format for the Bible
MLA treats a Bible like any book: the version title takes the place of the author and title. Use the full title printed on the title page, not just “Bible.”
| Version Type | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Print Bible | Title of Version. Publisher, Year. | The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016. |
| Study Bible with editors | Title of Version. Edited by First Last, Publisher, Year. | Title of Study Bible. Edited by First Last, Publisher, Year. |
| Online Bible | Title of Version. Website Name, URL. | New International Version. Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com. |
| Bible app | Title of Version. App Name, version, Publisher, Year. | Follow the app's About or Info screen for the version and publisher. |
List each version you quote as its own entry, and alphabetize them by the first main word of the title, skipping A, An, and The. Build the entry quickly with the Works Cited Generator using the book source type.
In-Text Citations for Bible Verses
Bible in-text citations use book, chapter, and verse instead of page numbers, with a period between chapter and verse.
| Situation | MLA In-Text Citation |
|---|---|
| First citation | (English Standard Version, Ps. 23.1) |
| Later citations, same version | (Ps. 23.4) |
| Range of verses | (John 3.16-17) |
| Verses across chapters | (Gen. 1.1-2.3) |
| Switching to another version | (New International Version, Matt. 5.9) |
When you name the book in your own sentence, spell it out instead of abbreviating it: In Psalms, the writer describes the Lord as a shepherd (English Standard Version, Ps. 23.1). Abbreviations belong only inside the parentheses.
The MLA In-Text Citation Generator handles book, chapter, and verse locators as well as pages.
MLA Abbreviations for Books of the Bible
MLA lists standard abbreviations for use inside parentheses. Short book names, such as Mark, Luke, John, and Acts, are not abbreviated.
| Old Testament | MLA Abbreviation | New Testament | MLA Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | Gen. | Matthew | Matt. |
| Exodus | Exod. | Mark | Mark |
| Leviticus | Lev. | Luke | Luke |
| Numbers | Num. | John | John |
| Deuteronomy | Deut. | Acts | Acts |
| Joshua | Josh. | Romans | Rom. |
| Judges | Judg. | 1 Corinthians | 1 Cor. |
| 1 Samuel | 1 Sam. | Galatians | Gal. |
| Psalms | Ps. (one psalm), Pss. (several) | Ephesians | Eph. |
| Proverbs | Prov. | Philippians | Phil. |
| Ecclesiastes | Eccles. | Hebrews | Heb. |
| Isaiah | Isa. | James | Jas. |
| Jeremiah | Jer. | Revelation | Rev. |
For books not listed here, check the abbreviation list in the MLA Handbook or ask your instructor which list your course follows.
Formatting Rules to Remember
- Italics: italicize the title of a specific version, such as English Standard Version. Do not italicize the word Bible on its own or the names of individual books, such as Genesis or Romans.
- Punctuation: separate chapter and verse with a period (John 3.16), not a colon. Use a comma between the version title and the book in the first citation.
- Multiple versions: if you quote from more than one translation, name the version in every citation so readers know which wording you used.
- Long passages: quotations longer than four lines follow the normal MLA block quote rules, with the citation after the final punctuation. See MLA Block Quote Format for details.
- Other sacred texts: the Qur'an, Torah, and other scriptures follow the same idea: cite the specific edition or translation in Works Cited and use the text's own divisions, such as chapter and verse, in your in-text citations.
Common Mistakes When Citing the Bible
| Mistake | Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Colon between chapter and verse | (Gen. 1:1) | (Gen. 1.1) |
| Leaving out the version in the first citation | (John 3.16) | (English Standard Version, John 3.16) |
| Listing just “Bible” in Works Cited | Bible. | The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016. |
| Italicizing book names | Genesis describes... | Genesis describes... |
| Abbreviating in your sentence | In Gen., the story begins... | In Genesis, the story begins... |
| Adding page numbers | (Ps. 23.1, p. 512) | (Ps. 23.1) |
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