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Bibliography: Sacred Texts

The MLA Handbook does not directly address the matter of quoting from sacred texts. It does contain a list of abbreviated titles (see below) that should be used in the parenthetical citation of books of the Bible, however.

This Guide for Writing Research Papers suggests that once it is clear which edition or version of the Bible (or other sacred text) you are using - which you can establish within the text of your paper, within a footnote, or in the Works Cited page (see below) - parenthetical documentation of quoted language from the scriptures needs to include the book, chapter, and verse.

Works Cited

The Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version.
New York: New American Library, 1962.

Holy Qur'an. Trans. M. H. Shakir. Elmhurst,
NY: Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, n.d.

(The titles of sacred scriptures are generally neither italicized nor underlined.)

In-Text Citation

The prophet says that good and bad measures will be dealt by God with a just hand: "For thus says the Lord: Just as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them" (Jer. 32.42).

"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah and the last day and the angels and the Book and the prophets, and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars" (al-Baqarah 2:177.4).

If the book of the Bible (or other sacred text) is clear from the context, only the chapter and verse need be cited.

The MLA Handbook suggests the following abbreviations for books of the Bible:

The Old Testament Books

Gen.	Genesis
Exod.	Exodus
Lev.	Leviticus
Num.	Numbers
Deut.	Deuteronomy
Josh.	Joshua
Judg.	Judges
Ruth	Ruth
1 Sam.	1 Samuel
2 Sam.	2 Samuel
1 Kings	1 Kings
2 Kings	2 Kings
1 Chron.	1 Chronicles
2 Chron.	2 Chronicles
Ezra	Ezra
Neh.	Nehemia
Esth.	Esther
Job	Job
Ps.	Psalms
Prov.	Proverbs
Eccles.	Ecclesiastes
Song Sol (also Cant.)	Song of Solomon (also Canticles)
Isa.	Isaiah
Jer.	Jeremiah
Lam.	Lamentations
Ezek	Ezekial
Dan.	Daniel
Hos.	Hosea
Joel	Joel
Amos	Amox
Obad.	Obadiah
Jon.	Jonah
Mic.	Micah
Nah.	Nahum
Hab.	Habakkuk
Zeph.	Zephaniah
Hag.	Haggai
Zech.	Zechariah
Mal.	Malachi

The New Testament Books

Matt.	Matthew
Mark	Mark
Luke	Luke
John	John
Acts	Acts
Rom	Romans
1 Cor.	1 Corinthians
2 Cor.	2 Corinthians
Gal.	Gatlatians
Eph.	Ephesians
Phil.	Philippians
Col.	Colossians
1 Thess.	1 Thessalonians
2 Thess.	2 Thessalonians
1 Tim.	1 Timothy
2 Tim.	2 Timothy
Tit.	Titus
Philem.	Philemon
Heb.	Hebrews
Jas.	James
1 Pet.	1 Peter
2 Pet.	2 Peter
1 John	1 John
2 John	2 John
3 John	3 John
Jude	Jude
Rev. (also Apoc.)	Revelation (also Apocalypse)

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