Bible API

Knowledge & Research · Bible API results · public source

Official docs

Live lookup

Type a real query, scan the cards and confirm the key details before opening the full source.

Quick examples

What the response contains

Try John 3:16, Psalm 23:1, and Romans 8:28 and use the returned fields to identify the right record.

Fields worth checking

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Bible API results
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The reference identifies the returned passage

The URL receives a reference such as John 3:16 and returns reference, text, and a verses list. Each verse can include book_id, book_name, chapter, verse, and text. Use the reference returned by the source to verify the excerpt before quoting it; do not assume that an approximate search found the intended book, chapter, or range.

Encode spaces and reference characters when building the URL.
Use book_id, chapter, and verse to structure a short citation.
Treat text as a transcription of the returned translation, not an interpretation.

The translation is part of the result

The response includes translation_id, translation_name, and translation_note. John 3:16, for example, returned World English Bible with the Public Domain note; translation=kjv returned KJV for the same reference. Keep the translation identified when displaying an excerpt, because wording, punctuation, and rights can vary across versions.

Do not mix verses from different translations without identifying them.
Show translation_name when reproducing text for a reader.
Check translation_note before reusing content beyond a simple link.

A query error is not an absent passage

A malformed reference can return HTTP 400 with error, detail, and why. That means the API could not interpret the request, not that a particular passage does not exist. Show a correction message and keep the original query visible so the person can adjust book, chapter, or verse.

Do not present an error body as biblical text.
Validate the response before accessing verses or text.
For study or religious guidance, also consult the desired edition and context.