How to cite the Bible
Name the translation and the book, chapter and verse. APA and MLA also list the edition you used; Chicago usually puts it only in the text.
APA 7
In text:
MLA 9
In text:
Chicago 17
Publishers and years are the editions most often cited; use the details of the Bible you actually read, and check your instructor’s rules.
Questions
How do you cite the Bible in APA style?
List the edition you used in your references, for example: New International Version Bible. (2011). Zondervan (Original work published 1978). In the text, give the version, both years and the passage: (New International Version Bible, 1978/2011, John 3:16).
How do you cite the Bible in MLA style?
In the text, give the version the first time with the passage, using a period between chapter and verse: (New International Version, John 3.16); after that just (John 3.16). In Works Cited: The Holy Bible: New International Version. Zondervan, 2011.
How do you cite the Bible in Chicago style?
Chicago puts Bible references in notes or in the text, with the version abbreviated: John 3:16 (NIV). The Bible is usually not listed in the bibliography.
Do I italicize the Bible?
No. “Bible” and the names of its books are not italicized; a specific edition’s title can be, depending on the style.