How do I cite the Bible in an academic paper?

Consider your options!

As with all questions of citation, everything depends on the style you are using. Many courses and disciplines at Iliff use the Chicago Manual of Style. Some sources and classes in biblical studies will require the manual of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). Find much more on these considerations here.

When citing the Bible, some points you might make in your paper will depend heavily on the translation of the Bible you are using or you might use more than one translation in a single paper. In either case, you should cite the translation you are using for verses. For some purposes, naming the abbreviation will be enough, eg. NRSV, NIV, KJV. For those translations without a standard abbreviation, a full citation in whatever style you are using is preferred. Find a list of standard abbreviations of English biblical translations here.

If the single translation you are using is already established in the paper or unimportant to the point you are making, cite the abbreviation of the book of the Bible, chapter number followed by a colon, followed by the verse number or range, like so:

The first creation story in the Bible begins with a bang and a breath (Gen 1:1-2).

This is the book of Genesis, the first chapter, the first verse. If the translation I was using where important to the reference, I would cite it:

(Gen 1:1 NRSV)

or

Gen 1:1 (NRSV) if I put this reference in a footnote.

It is preferred that you use abbreviations in your citation rather than spelling out the names of books. Here is a list of acceptable abbreviations for biblical books here.However, do spell out books of the Bible without chapter and verses. If I discuss the book of Genesis, for example, I write out the whole word.

Some biblical books have numbers in front of them. Do not begin a sentence with a numeral; spell them out. The following sentences, from the SBL manual, are correct:

• The passage in 1 Cor 5 is often considered crucial.
• The passage, 1 Cor 5, is often considered crucial.
• First Corinthians 5:6 is a crucial text.

Unless you are using usual translations, it is not usually required that you include the Bible in your reference list or bibliography. This is often left to your discretion or that of your instructor.