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Reference Formatting

Scriptura supports flexible Bible reference formatting to make verse lookup easy and forgiving.

Supported Formats​

You can reference verses in several common ways:

  • Book Chapter:Verse
    • John 3:16
  • Book Chapter
    • Psalm 23
  • Verse ranges
    • Romans 8:1-11
  • Multiple verses
    • Matthew 5:3,5,7
  • Books with numbers
    • 1 Corinthians 13
    • 2 Timothy 3:16

Dashes and en-dashes are both accepted.

Book Name Variations​

Scriptura recognizes:

  • Full book names (Genesis)
  • Common abbreviations (Gen)
  • Numbered books (1 John, First John)

If a reference is ambiguous or invalid, Scriptura will let you know.

Error Handling​

If Scriptura cannot parse a reference:

  • You’ll receive a clear error message
  • The command will not silently fail

This helps ensure accuracy when sharing scripture.