Turabian 9th Edition: Using the BIBLE

In the footnote

If you use only one Bible version throughout your assessment, note this in the first footnote. After this first footnote, the version no longer needs to be included. 

    Jeremiah speaks of 'great and unsearchable things you do not know' (Jer 33:3 ESV).1

In the assessment text

No footnote is necessary if just a reference is given to a Bible verse in a sentence. Readers can look up the Bible reference and translation rather than write the whole verse. The Bible reference is placed in brackets.

      In his writings, Paul continually encourages the early believers to stand firm in the faith (1 Cor 16:13; Gal 5:1; Eph 6:14; 2 Thess 2:15).

In the bibliography

The Bible does not need to be included in the bibliography. However, if you are referencing study notes, commentary, articles, maps or other materials found in a Bible, include the full referencing information in your bibliography.

      The advice that each of Job's friends gave represents a well-known way of understanding and dealing with suffering.1

 Bibliography

Life Application Study Bible. Large Print ed. Wheaton, ILL: Tyndale House, 1996.

Additional Information

•  Do not include the page numbers for Bible verses
• When referring to whole chapters or books of the Bible, write the complete name- do not shorten, underline, italicise or put in quotations: 

             The Old Testament contains books of poetry.

              This passage is taken from the New American Standard Bible.

              Exodus 20 contains the Ten Commandments.

•  Use hyphens to indicate a series of verses- Gen 1:2; John 1:1
• Use a hyphen if all verses in a range are being used- Rom 12:1-4 (every verse from 1 to 4 is being referenced)
• Use a comma to separate verses if not using a whole section of verses- Rom 12:1, 4 (only verses 1 and 4 are being referenced)
• Including the facts of the publication (city, publisher, date) in a Bible footnote is unnecessary.

Other Scared Texts

Adapt the general pattern for biblical references as appropriate, as many of these texts are divided into parts similar to the Bible's.

Capitalise the names of the works themselves but italicise the names of their parts

       Qur'an, al-Baqarah

Do not abbreviate the names of these works or their parts