Hallelujah! How to Cite Those Biblical Bad Boys (Chicago Style)
So, you're wrangling a research paper and need to drop a divine quote from the good book. But hold on there, pilgrim, before you just slap "John 3:16" in your text and call it a day, there's a whole citation rodeo to navigate. Fear not, fellow wordsmiths, for this here guide will have you citing scripture smoother than Moses parting the Red Sea (or should that be the Reed Sea? Research that one yourself).
The Basics: Abbreviating Like a Boss
First things first, you gotta ditch the full book names. "Genesis" becomes "Gen," "Exodus" transforms into "Exod," and so on. Imagine trying to write a research paper with every band name spelled out in full - The Rolling Stones becomes "The Rolling Stones," Led Zeppelin becomes "Led Zeppelin," you get the picture. Editors would weep.
Here's a handy cheat sheet to keep those abbreviations righteous:
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
- Matthew
- Mark
- Luke
- John
- Acts
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
- Hebrews
- James
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- 1 John
- 2 John
- 3 John
- Jude
- Revelation
Pro Tip: Memorize these or keep a mini-reference sheet handy. Trust me, it'll save you from those "wait, is it 'Exod' or 'Exodus'?" moments.
Chapter and Verse: The Holy Grail of Citation
Now that you've got your abbreviation game on point, it's time to pinpoint the exact words you want to quote. This is where chapter and verse come in, like a heavenly GPS. Separate the chapter number and verse number with a colon ( : ), like this: John 3:16. Easy peasy.
Need to cite a whole bunch of verses? No problem, just use an en dash (–) to connect them. For example, referencing the creation story: Gen 1:1-5.
But wait, there's more! If you're quoting from multiple chapters that aren't consecutive, you can use a comma to separate them. For instance, analyzing Jesus' teachings on love: John 13:34-35, 15:12.
The Big Kahuna: Version, Version, Version
The Bible comes in a whole lotta flavors, from the King James Version to the New International Version. Since interpretations can vary, it's important to specify which version you're using.
First Time, Full Name: The first time you cite a verse, write out the full name of the version in parentheses after the verse reference. For example: As the Psalmist declares, "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing" (Psalm 23:1, New International Version).
Subsequent Citations: After that first time, you can use a common abbreviation for the version. Here are a few popular ones:
- **NIV
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