Create a parenthetical citation after your quotation from a book of the Bible. Within the parenthesis, first give in italics the name of the specific edition or version of the Bible you are using, such as "King James Version" or "New Jerusalem Bible." Next, place a comma, and then give the name of the specific Bible book. Do not italicize the Bible book. Abbreviate the name of the book---for example, "I Chron." instead of "I Chronicles" or "Gen." instead of "Genesis."
Give the number of the chapter, then a period and then number of the verse or verses. To cite several verses in a row, use a hyphen. For example: "Ezek. 1. 5-8." To cite one or more verses not directly following one another use a comma: "Ezek. 1. 5, 8."
Give the italicized edition title once if you cite the same edition of the Bible more than once in your paper. For subsequent citations, just give the book, chapter and verse. As with other MLA citations, you need not repeat in the parenthetical citation information you give in the text itself. For example, "The King James version of the Bible uses the term 'leviathon' to describe what some scholars believe to be a crocodile, but others think must have been a creature now extinct. (Job 39.12-22)"
Here is an example: "The first book of the Bible says that God rested on the seventh day of creation. ("King James Version", Gen. 2.1-3) It also notes that God said His creation was "good" (Gen. 1. 12,21,25,31.)"
You will not give a specific book of the Bible on your works cited page; instead, you will create an entry for the whole Bible you are using. Place the Bible in your works cited list alphabetically by the title of your version or edition. For example, "New International Version Bible" would come after "Miller, Arthur" and before "Palmer, Michael."
Begin your entry with the name (italicized or underlined) of the Bible version or edition you used, followed by a period (everything between the underscores should be italicized and the underscores left out): _New King James Bible_.
Follow the period with names of the editor or editors, if any, followed by a period: "_New King James Bible_. John Smith and Mary Jones, eds." Look on the backside of the title page for editors' names. If no editor is listed, move on.
Add the city where the version was published, followed by a colon: " _New King James Bible_. John Smith and Mary Jones, eds. New York, NY:"
Give the name of the publisher, followed by a comma: "_New King James Bible_. John Smith and Mary Jones, eds. New York, NY: Broadman and Holman Publishers,"
Conclude with the publication year: "_New King James Bible_. John Smith and Mary Jones, eds. New York, NY: Broadman and Holman Publisher, 1982"