In church, in books and online, you will often see Bible references such as John 3:16, Psalm 23 or 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. If you are new to the Bible, these can look like a code. This guide shows you how to read and find them in a few seconds.
The three parts of a reference
A reference usually has three parts:
- The book — for example, John.
- The chapter — the number before the colon, for example 3.
- The verse — the number after the colon, for example 16.
So John 3:16 means the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (KJV)
In some countries and older books a full stop is used instead of a colon (John 3.16). It means the same.
Step by step: finding a verse
- Find the book. Use the contents page at the front of your Bible, which lists each book and the page it starts on. Many Bibles also have a thumb index — small tabs on the page edges.
- Find the chapter. Chapter numbers are printed large at the start of each chapter, and usually at the top of each page as well.
- Find the verse. Verse numbers are the small numbers within the text.
With practice, you will learn roughly where each book is. The Psalms are near the middle of the Bible; the New Testament begins about three-quarters of the way through.
Reading different kinds of references
| Reference | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Psalm 23 | The whole of Psalm 23 |
| Romans 8:28 | Romans chapter 8, verse 28 |
| 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 | First Corinthians, chapter 13, verses 4 to 7 |
| Matthew 5:3, 5, 9 | Matthew chapter 5, verses 3, 5 and 9 |
| John 14:1–15:11 | From John 14:1 through to John 15:11 |
| Genesis 1–3 | Genesis chapters 1 to 3 |
| Philippians 4:13 (NIV) | Philippians 4:13 in the New International Version |
Books with numbers
Some books share a name and are numbered: 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings, 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, 1, 2 and 3 John, and so on. The number comes before the book name. Don't confuse 1 John (a short letter near the end of the Bible) with John 1 (the first chapter of John's Gospel).
One-chapter books
A few books have only one chapter: Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John and Jude. References to these sometimes give just the verse, such as Jude 3 or Philemon 10.
Psalms and Proverbs
We speak of a single psalm, but the book is Psalms. So "Psalm 91" refers to one psalm in the book of Psalms.
Abbreviations
Books, articles and study Bibles often abbreviate book names: Gen. for Genesis, Matt. for Matthew, Rom. for Romans, Rev. for Revelation. See our full list of Bible book abbreviations.
Tips to get faster
- Learn the books in groups — the Law, History, Wisdom, Prophets, Gospels, Letters. See the 66 books of the Bible.
- Play a "Bible drill" with children: call out a reference and see who finds it first.
- Use a Bible with a thumb index if you often need to find passages quickly.
- Use a concordance to find a verse when you remember only a few words. See Bible reference books explained.
Remember the context
Once you find a verse, read a few verses before and after it. That helps you understand what it really means. Read more about chapters and verses.