A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, Ninth edition - Kate L. Turabian 2018
The bible and other sacred works
Abbreviations
Style
When you refer in text to whole chapters or books of the Bible or the Apocrypha, spell out the names of the books but do not italicize them.
Jeremiah 42—44 records the flight of the Jews to Egypt.
The Revelation of St. John the Divine, known as Revelation, closes the New Testament.
When you cite biblical passages by verse (see 17.5.2 and 19.5.2), abbreviate the names of the books, using arabic numerals if they are numbered (2 Kings). Also use arabic numerals for chapter and verse numbers, with a colon between them. Since versions of the scriptures do not all use the same names and numbers for books, identify the version you are citing. Depending on the context, you may either spell out the name of the version, at least on first occurrence, or use abbreviations (see 24.6.4), as shown here.
✵ Song of Sol. 2:1—5 NRSV
✵ Ruth 3:14 NAB
The following sections list both traditional and shorter abbreviations for the books of the Bible, arranged in alphabetical order. If you are unsure which form of abbreviation is appropriate, consult your instructor. Where no abbreviation is given, use the full form.
24.6.1 Jewish Bible / Old Testament
Note that the abbreviation for Old Testament is OT.
Traditional |
Shorter |
Full name |
✵ Amos |
✵ Am |
✵ Amos |
✵ 1 Chron. |
✵ 1 Chr |
✵ 1 Chronicles |
✵ 2 Chron. |
✵ 2 Chr |
✵ 2 Chronicles |
✵ Dan. |
✵ Dn |
✵ Daniel |
✵ Deut. |
✵ Dt |
✵ Deuteronomy |
✵ Eccles. |
✵ Eccl |
✵ Ecclesiastes |
✵ Esther |
✵ Est |
✵ Esther |
✵ Exod. |
✵ Ex |
✵ Exodus |
✵ Ezek. |
✵ Ez |
✵ Ezekiel |
✵ Ezra |
✵ Ezr |
✵ Ezra |
✵ Gen. |
✵ Gn |
✵ Genesis |
✵ Hab. |
✵ Hb |
✵ Habakkuk |
✵ Hag. |
✵ Hg |
✵ Haggai |
✵ Hosea |
✵ Hos |
✵ Hosea |
✵ Isa. |
✵ Is |
✵ Isaiah |
✵ Jer. |
✵ Jer |
✵ Jeremiah |
✵ Job |
✵ Jb |
✵ Job |
✵ Joel |
✵ Jl |
✵ Joel |
✵ Jon. |
✵ Jon |
✵ Jonah |
✵ Josh. |
✵ Jo |
✵ Joshua |
✵ Judg. |
✵ Jgs |
✵ Judges |
✵ 1 Kings |
✵ 1 Kgs |
✵ 1 Kings |
✵ 2 Kings |
✵ 2 Kgs |
✵ 2 Kings |
✵ Lam. |
✵ Lam |
✵ Lamentations |
✵ Lev. |
✵ Lv |
✵ Leviticus |
✵ Mal. |
✵ Mal |
✵ Malachi |
✵ Mic. |
✵ Mi |
✵ Micah |
✵ Nah. |
✵ Na |
✵ Nahum |
✵ Neh. |
✵ Neh |
✵ Nehemiah |
✵ Num. |
✵ Nm |
✵ Numbers |
✵ Obad. |
✵ Ob |
✵ Obadiah |
✵ Prov. |
✵ Prv |
✵ Proverbs |
✵ Ps. (plural Pss.) |
✵ Ps (plural Pss) |
✵ Psalms |
✵ Ruth |
✵ Ru |
✵ Ruth |
✵ 1 Sam. |
✵ 1 Sm |
✵ 1 Samuel |
✵ 2 Sam. |
✵ 2 Sm |
✵ 2 Samuel |
✵ Song of Sol. |
✵ Sg |
✵ Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) |
✵ Zech. |
✵ Zec |
✵ Zechariah |
✵ Zeph. |
✵ Zep |
✵ Zephaniah |
24.6.2 Apocrypha
The books of the Apocrypha are included in Roman Catholic but not Jewish or Protestant versions of the Bible. Note that the traditional abbreviation for Apocrypha is Apoc. (no shorter abbreviation).
Traditional |
Shorter |
Full name |
✵ Bar. |
✵ Bar |
✵ Baruch |
✵ Bel and Dragon |
✵ — |
✵ Bel and the Dragon |
✵ Ecclus. |
✵ Sir |
✵ Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) |
✵ 1 Esd. |
✵ — |
✵ 1 Esdras |
✵ 2 Esd. |
✵ — |
✵ 2 Esdras |
✵ Jth. |
✵ Jdt |
✵ Judith |
✵ 1 Macc. |
✵ 1 Mc |
✵ 1 Maccabees |
✵ 2 Macc. |
✵ 2 Mc |
✵ 2 Maccabees |
✵ Pr. of Man. |
✵ — |
✵ Prayer of Manasses (Manasseh) |
✵ Song of Three Children |
✵ — |
✵ Song of the Three Holy Children |
✵ Sus. |
✵ — |
✵ Susanna |
✵ Tob. |
✵ Tb |
✵ Tobit |
✵ Wisd. of Sol. |
✵ Ws |
✵ Wisdom of Solomon |
✵ — |
✵ — |
✵ Additions to Esther (Rest of Esther) |
24.6.3 New Testament
Note that the abbreviation for New Testament is NT.
Traditional |
Shorter |
Full name |
✵ Acts |
✵ — |
✵ Acts of the Apostles |
✵ Apoc. |
✵ — |
✵ Apocalypse (Revelation) |
✵ Col. |
✵ Col |
✵ Colossians |
✵ 1 Cor. |
✵ 1 Cor |
✵ 1 Corinthians |
✵ 2 Cor. |
✵ 2 Cor |
✵ 2 Corinthians |
✵ Eph. |
✵ Eph |
✵ Ephesians |
✵ Gal. |
✵ Gal |
✵ Galatians |
✵ Heb. |
✵ Heb |
✵ Hebrews |
✵ James |
✵ Jas |
✵ James |
✵ John |
✵ Jn |
✵ John (Gospel) |
✵ 1 John |
✵ 1 Jn |
✵ 1 John (Epistle) |
✵ 2 John |
✵ 2 Jn |
✵ 2 John (Epistle) |
✵ 3 John |
✵ 3 Jn |
✵ 3 John (Epistle) |
✵ Jude |
✵ — |
✵ Jude |
✵ Luke |
✵ Lk |
✵ Luke |
✵ Mark |
✵ Mk |
✵ Mark |
✵ Matt. |
✵ Mt |
✵ Matthew |
✵ 1 Pet. |
✵ 1 Pt |
✵ 1 Peter |
✵ 2 Pet. |
✵ 2 Pt |
✵ 2 Peter |
✵ Phil. |
✵ Phil |
✵ Philippians |
✵ Philem. |
✵ Phlm |
✵ Philemon |
✵ Rev. |
✵ Rv |
✵ Revelation (Apocalypse) |
✵ Rom. |
✵ Rom |
✵ Romans |
✵ 1 Thess. |
✵ 1 Thes |
✵ 1 Thessalonians |
✵ 2 Thess. |
✵ 2 Thes |
✵ 2 Thessalonians |
✵ 1 Tim. |
✵ 1 Tm |
✵ 1 Timothy |
✵ 2 Tim. |
✵ 2 Tm |
✵ 2 Timothy |
✵ Titus |
✵ Ti |
✵ Titus |
24.6.4 Versions of the Bible
These abbreviations cover many standard versions of the Bible. If the version you are citing is not listed here, consult your instructor.
✵ ARV |
✵ American Revised Version |
✵ ASV |
✵ American Standard Version |
✵ AT |
✵ American Translation |
✵ AV |
✵ Authorized (King James) Version |
✵ CEV |
✵ Contemporary English Version |
✵ DV |
✵ Douay Version |
✵ ERV |
✵ English Revised Version |
✵ EV |
✵ English version(s) |
✵ JB |
✵ Jerusalem Bible |
✵ NAB |
✵ New American Bible |
✵ NEB |
✵ New English Bible |
✵ NRSV |
✵ New Revised Standard Version |
✵ RSV |
✵ Revised Standard Version |
✵ RV |
✵ Revised Version |
✵ Vulg. |
✵ Vulgate |
24.6.5 Other Sacred Works
Many sacred works of other religious traditions are divided into parts similar to those of the Bible. Capitalize and set in roman type the names of the works themselves (Qur’an [or Koran], Vedas), but italicize the names of their parts (al-Baqarah, Rig-Veda). Although there is no widely accepted method for abbreviating the names of these works or their parts, you may punctuate citations from them similarly to those from the Bible (see also 17.5.2 and 19.5.2). If a work has multiple numbered divisions, you may substitute periods or commas for colons or make other adaptations to clarify the location of the cited passage.
✵ Qur’an 2:257 or Qur’an 2 (al-Baqarah): 257
✵ Mahabharata 1.2.3
If your paper is in religious studies, consult your instructor for more specific guidance.