Bible API

Parameters

Provide ref, or set random or daily to true.

• ref  optional

  One or more references, separated by commas or semicolons (up to 10 per call): John 3:16, jn 3:16-18, 1 Cor 13:4-7, Psalm 23, Genesis 1-3, Rom 8:28-9:2, John 3:16, 18; 4:1-6, Ruth (a whole book) or Ps 119:1-end. Book names and abbreviations work in English and in the language of each translation, e.g. Juan 3:16, Jean 3:16 or 约翰福音 3:16. With random=true, ref sets where the random verse comes from, e.g. Psalms, John 14, OT or NT.

• translation  optional

  Translation id from the translations table, or up to 5 comma-separated ids to compare translations side by side, e.g. bsb,kjv. Default bsb.

• include_verse_numbers  optional

  true (default) puts each verse number in brackets, e.g. [16], before the verse in text. false returns the text without numbers.

• include_formatting  optional

  true adds headings, paragraph starts, poetry lines and the words of Jesus to each verse, and puts paragraph and line breaks in text. Default false.

• include_footnotes  optional

  true adds each verse's translator footnotes. Default false.

• include_strongs  optional

  true adds each verse's words with their Strong's numbers, in bsb, kjv, web, asv, wlc, tr and byz. Default false.

• random  optional

  true returns one random verse, from anywhere in the Bible or from within ref.

• daily  optional

  true returns the verse of the day: the same verse for every caller on a given date.

• date  optional

  With daily=true: the date of the verse of the day (YYYY-MM-DD). Default today.

• tz  optional

  With daily=true: the IANA time zone that decides what "today" is, e.g. America/New_York. Default UTC.

Headers

• X-Api-Key  required

  API Key associated with your account.

Response

The /v1/bible endpoint returns a JSON object with the following fields, or an error if the request is unsuccessful (see error codes).

• reference

  The references returned, in standard form, e.g. John 3:16–17. Several references are separated by ; .

• date

  With daily=true: the date of the verse of the day (YYYY-MM-DD).

• passages

  One passage for each reference and translation, in the order requested.

• passages[].reference

  The passage's reference.

• passages[].translation

  The passage's translation: an object with the translation's id, name and language (a language code such as en).

• passages[].book

  The book name in the translation's own language.

• passages[].book_code

  The standard three-character book code, e.g. JHN for John. It is the same in every translation.

• passages[].text

  The whole passage as one string, with verse numbers in brackets unless include_verse_numbers=false.

• passages[].verses

  Every verse of the passage, with its chapter, verse and text, plus the optional fields below.

• passages[].verses[].verse_end

  When a translation combines several verses into one, the last verse number it covers.

• passages[].verses[].headings

  With include_formatting=true: headings before the verse, each with a type (section, subsection, major, psalm_title, speaker or acrostic) and its text.

• passages[].verses[].paragraph_start

  With include_formatting=true: true when a new paragraph starts at this verse.

• passages[].verses[].lines

  With include_formatting=true: the verse's poetry lines, each with its text and indent level.

• passages[].verses[].words_of_jesus

  With include_formatting=true, in red-letter translations such as kjv and web: the words of Jesus in the verse, each with its start and end character position in the verse text and the quoted text.

• passages[].verses[].footnotes

  With include_footnotes=true: the verse's footnotes, as a list of strings.

• passages[].verses[].words

  With include_strongs=true: the verse's words in order, each with its text and its strongs numbers, e.g. ["G25"].

• passages[].previous

  The reference just before the passage (the previous chapter when you request whole chapters), for "previous" navigation; null at the start of the translation.

• passages[].next

  The reference just after the passage (the next chapter when you request whole chapters), for "next" navigation; null at the end of the translation.

• warnings

  When relevant: a list of notices, each with a code and a message, e.g. when a translation numbers a passage differently. See warning codes.

Parameters

Provide q or similar_to.

• q  optional

  What to search for, up to 500 characters: words, a "quoted phrase", OR and NOT, word* for words starting with word, or a Strong's number such as G26 or H7225.

• mode  optional

  keyword (verses with every word), phrase (the exact words in order), semantic (verses with the same meaning, even in different words) or hybrid (keyword and meaning combined). Default hybrid for English translations and keyword for the others. Meaning-based search understands English queries; other languages use keyword search.

• translation  optional

  One translation id from the translations table. Default bsb.

• ref  optional

  Search within books, chapters or ranges, e.g. Psalms or Matthew 5-7, or within OT or NT.

• similar_to  optional

  A reference, e.g. John 3:16. Returns the verses closest in meaning to it, each with a score.

• limit  optional

  Number of results to return (1-50). Default 10.

• offset  optional

  Number of results to skip, for paging. Default 0.

Headers

• X-Api-Key  required

  API Key associated with your account.

Response

The /v1/biblesearch endpoint returns a JSON object with the following fields, or an error if the request is unsuccessful (see error codes).

• query

  The search query, when q is used.

• similar_to

  The reference, when similar_to is used.

• mode

  The search mode used: keyword, phrase, semantic, hybrid, strongs (a Strong's number search) or similar (a similar_to search).

• translation

  The translation searched: an object with the translation's id, name and language (a language code such as en).

• total

  The total number of matching verses, for keyword, phrase and strongs searches. Use it with limit and offset to page through the results.

• results

  The matching verses, best match first (Strong's number searches in Bible order).

• results[].reference

  The verse's reference, e.g. Matthew 6:34.

• results[].book

  The book name in the translation's own language.

• results[].book_code

  The standard three-character book code, e.g. MAT.

• results[].chapter

  The chapter number.

• results[].verse

  The verse number.

• results[].text

  The verse text.

• results[].score

  For semantic and similar_to searches: how close the verse is in meaning, where higher is closer (1 is the maximum).

• warnings

  When relevant: a list of notices, each with a code and a message, e.g. PARTIAL_MATCH when no verse contains every word and verses with any of the words are shown. See warning codes.

Parameters

Provide quote or text.

• quote  optional

  The quoted words to check, up to 2,000 characters. Three or more words give the most reliable result.

• ref  optional

  The reference the quote is attributed to, e.g. John 3:16. When the words are at another reference, the verdict is wrong_reference.

• translation  optional

  Translation ids to check against, comma-separated, e.g. kjv or kjv,web. Default: every translation in the quote's language.

• text  optional

  A block of text up to 20,000 characters. Every reference written as book, chapter and verse (e.g. John 3:16) is found and the quotation in quotation marks next to it is checked. Send long text with POST.

Headers

• X-Api-Key  required

  API Key associated with your account.

POST Requests

/v1/bibleverify also accepts POST with the same parameters as a JSON object in the request body, sent with the Content-Type: application/json header. Use it for long text:

{"text":"In John 3:16 we read: \"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.\""}

Response

The /v1/bibleverify endpoint returns a JSON object with the following fields for a quote, or with count and references for a text, or an error if the request is unsuccessful (see error codes).

• quote

  The quote that was checked.

• claimed_reference

  When ref is sent: the claimed reference, in standard form.

• verdict

  The result of the check:

  Verdict	Meaning
  exact	The quote matches a complete verse word for word.
  partial	The words are exact and cover part of a verse.
  minor_variation	A few words differ from the Bible text.
  paraphrase	The meaning matches a verse, in different wording.
  wrong_reference	The words are real, but they are at a different reference than ref. reference gives the real location.
  not_found	No verse matches the quote.
  known_non_biblical	A popular saying that is not in the Bible, such as "God helps those who help themselves". note explains where it comes from.

• reference

  Where the words actually are; null for not_found and known_non_biblical.

• translation

  The translation of the closest match: an object with the translation's id, name and language (a language code such as en).

• bible_text

  The Bible text at reference in that translation.

• similarity

  How closely the words match bible_text, from 0 to 1, where 1 is identical wording.

• meaning_similarity

  When the quote matches a verse by meaning rather than by wording: how close the meaning is, from 0 to 1. similarity is then null.

• diff

  A word-by-word comparison with bible_text, as a list of runs: same (with text), changed (with the quote words and the bible words), missing (bible words the quote leaves out) and extra (quote words that are not in the Bible text). Omitted for exact matches.

• other_matches

  Up to three matches in other translations, each with its reference, translation id and similarity.

• note

  An explanation, when useful, e.g. where a known non-biblical saying comes from.

• count

  With text: the number of references found.

• references

  With text: every reference found, in the order they appear.

• references[].reference

  The reference, in standard form.

• references[].start

  The character position in text where the reference starts.

• references[].end

  The character position in text just after the reference.

• references[].matched_text

  The reference as written in text.

• references[].valid

  true when the reference exists, e.g. false for John 22:1.

• references[].note

  When valid is false: why, e.g. John has 21 chapters.

• references[].quote

  The quotation next to the reference, or null.

• references[].verification

  The check of that quotation, with the same fields as a quote check, or null when there is no quotation next to the reference.