Looking Up Bible Verses

What is Bible Study?

The Bible Study tool is a free, public page for looking up any Bible verse and comparing it across multiple translations. No account is required to search or read verses. If you want to save your findings to a study session for later reference, you'll need to be logged in.

Bible Study page showing the search bar, version picker, and results grid — The Bible Study page with search input, version badges, and comparison results

Searching for Verses

The search bar uses smart autocomplete to help you build a valid Bible reference step by step. You do not need to memorize exact formatting.

Start typing a book name

Click the search bar and begin typing the name of a book (for example, "John" or "Psalm"). A dropdown will appear with matching book names. Select one.

Pick a chapter

After selecting a book, the autocomplete prompts you to choose a chapter number. Type or select the chapter you want.

Pick a verse or range

Finally, choose a specific verse or enter a verse range (for example, "16" for a single verse or "1-6" for a range).

Run the search

Press Enter or click the arrow button to the right of the search bar. Results appear in a grid below.

Using the autocomplete search to look up a verse

Tip

You can also type a complete reference directly, such as John 3:16, Psalm 23:1-6, or 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. The input accepts single verses, verse ranges, and books that start with a number.

Comparing Translations

By default, the WEB (World English Bible) translation is selected. You can add more translations so that every search returns results from all of them side by side.

Open the version picker

On desktop, click the collapsible translations panel below the search bar to expand it. On mobile, tap the version count button in the bottom action bar to open a slide-up panel.

Toggle translations on or off

Each translation has a checkbox-style toggle. Click a translation to add or remove it. Selected translations are highlighted.

Filter the list

If you're looking for a specific translation, use the search box at the top of the version picker to filter by name or abbreviation.

Version picker panel expanded showing available translations with checkboxes — Expand the version picker to toggle translations on or off

Selecting multiple translations for side-by-side comparison

Note

At least one translation must remain selected at all times. You cannot deselect the last one. The WEB translation is selected by default when you first visit the page.

After searching, the results appear in a two-column grid. Each card displays the translation name in its header and the full verse text below. All selected translations are shown for every search.

Copying Verses

Every result card has a copy button in its header. Click it to copy the verse to your clipboard. The copied text is formatted with the verse text in quotes, followed by the reference and translation name, ready to paste into a document, message, or presentation.

Tip

The copied format looks like this: "For God so loved the world..." — John 3:16 (World English Bible)

Saving to Study Sessions

If you are logged in, you can save your search results to a study session for later reference. Sessions let you collect verses across multiple searches and organize your study.

Click the Save button

After running a search, click the Save button that appears above the results grid next to the translation count.

Choose New Session or Add to Existing

A dialog opens with two tabs. Select New Session to create a fresh session, or Add to Existing to append verses to a session you've already created.

Set a title and visibility

When creating a new session, enter a title and choose a visibility level:

Private — only you can see it
Unlisted — anyone with the link can view it
Public — visible to everyone

Review and save

A preview at the bottom of the dialog shows how many verses will be saved and which translations are included. Click Save to confirm. You'll see a success screen with a link to view the session.