How do I cite the Bible in APA 7?, by Ask About Life & How-To on YouTube. 3 min 49 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 49 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Check whether you need a citation. Any direct quote, paraphrase or specific fact taken from the Bible needs both an in-text citation and a reference list entry.
Start the reference entry with the title of the Bible in italics, then the version in parentheses, a period, the year, a period, and the publisher.
Add the original publication year at the end for reprinted editions, for example King James Bible. (2017). Thomas Nelson. (Original work published 1769).
For an online Bible, replace the publisher with a retrieval date and the URL, for example King James Bible. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2024, from https://www.biblegateway.com
Write the in-text citation with the title, year and chapter and verse instead of a page number, like (King James Bible, 1769/2017, John 3:16).
Shorten the title in later citations, for example (KJV, 1769/2017, John 3:16), so long titles do not clutter your paragraphs.
Italicise the Bible title in both the reference entry and the in-text citation, and leave the version in plain text inside parentheses.
Alphabetise the entry by its title in your reference list, and keep the same edition and version for every citation in the paper.
Tips and common mistakes
Capitalise Bible and other scripture titles, but do not capitalise words like verse or chapter.
Use a colon between chapter and verse, and abbreviate book names such as 1 Cor. 13:1 if your reader will recognise them.
Never use page numbers for scripture, because editions number pages differently.
If you quote two different versions, give each one its own reference entry.
Questions
Do I have to cite the Bible in APA 7?
Yes, if you quote it, paraphrase it or take a specific fact from it. Treat it like any other book and give both an in-text citation and a reference entry.
What does a Bible in-text citation look like?
It gives the title, the year and the chapter and verse, such as (King James Bible, 1769/2017, John 3:16). No page number is used.
How do I cite a Bible I read on a website?
Add the retrieval date and URL in place of the publisher. Use n.d. for the year if the site does not give one.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
