How do I find a verse in the Bible?
On this page we will show you how to find a Bible verse, step by step. You will learn how to find your way around a paper Bible and search for Bible verses online. We will also show you how to use the Bible app on your phone.
You can read the whole page, or you can click one of these links to jump to the part you want to read.
How to find a verse in a paper Bible
How to search for a Bible verse online
Some more Bible verses to find
What is a Bible verse?
The Bible is a very big book. In fact it is one big book made up of 66 smaller books. It would be very hard to find anything in such a big book without help. So a long time ago, people broke the books of the Bible down into smaller sections called chapters and verses. This makes it much easier for us to find our way around the Bible. Click here to learn more about how the Bible is broken down into sections.
To find a Bible verses we need a Bible reference. This is a bit like an address. It shows us how to get to the verse we are looking for. Bible verses are usually written like this:
Ephesians 3:17-18
On this website we write Bible verses like this to help you a bit more:
Ephesians chapter 3 verses 17-18
In this Bible reference, the book of the Bible is Ephesians. The chapter is chapter 3. And the verses are verses 17-18.
Now we are going to learn how to find this Bible verse in a paper Bible.
How to find a verse in a paper Bible
Step 1: Find the book
The book is Ephesians. In the front of your Bible there is a list of all the books and the pages they start on. Go to the page where the book of Ephesians starts.
Step 2: Find the chapter
Can you see the big number 1 at the start of Ephesians? That is chapter 1.
We need to find chapter 3. Look through the next few pages. Can you find a big number 3? That is chapter 3.
Step 3: Find the verse
Now we need to find verses 17-18. Can you see the little numbers above the words in chapter 3? Those are the verses. Can you find the little number 17? You have found Ephesians chapter 3 verse 17!
Now read verses 17 and 18. It should say something like this:
17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is.
Don’t worry if the words in your Bible are a bit different. All Bibles say the same things, but they use different words. Click here to learn more about why there are different Bibles.
How to search for a Bible verse online
Finding a Bible verse online is even easier! Click here to go to the BibleGateway website. In the search box, type the Bible reference: Ephesians 3:17-18. Now press the search button. If you like, you can change the Bible version too. Try an easy to read Bible like the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) or New International Reader’s Version (NIrV).
How to use the Bible app
If you have a smart mobile phone, you can download a Bible app. This means you can read the Bible on your phone. You can even listen to someone reading it to you. And it is easy to search for Bible verses too.
Apps sometimes get updated, so these steps might change. They work in March 2023.
Step 1: Download the Bible app
Go to the app store on your phone. Search for ‘Bible’. Download the one that has this picture.
Step 2: Find the list of books
In the app, tap ‘Bible’ at the bottom of the screen. Now click the Bible reference in the top left hand corner.
Step 3: Find the book and chapter
In the list of books, go down and tap ‘Ephesians’. When the chapters appear, tap ‘3’.
Step 3: Find the verses
When Ephesians chapter 3 appears on your screen, go down and look for the little number 17. Now read verses 17-18. Well done!
More tips for using the Bible app
Here are a few more tips to help you read the Bible on your phone.
You can choose a Bible with easy words in the app. Tap the letters next to the Bible reference at the top of the screen. Choose ‘ERV’, ‘NIrV’ or ‘EASY’ from the list.
You can make the words bigger too. Tap ‘Aa’ at the top of the screen. Then tap the big letter ‘A’ until the words are big enough. You can also change the font to make the words easier to read.
If you want a break from reading, you can listen to someone read the Bible to you. Find a Bible chapter first. Now tap the letters next to the Bible reference at the top of the screen. Choose ‘GNT’, then tap the listen symbol at the top of the screen. The voice will read from the start of the chapter you are in.
Some more Bible verses to find
Now you know how to find a verse in a paper Bible, online and on the Bible app. We hope this has helped you understand how to find your way around the Bible. If you want to practise, try looking for these Bible verses next:
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Who We Are
Valley of Springs is the online home of Dan and Jo Acharya.
We write devotional blogs to help you grow in your faith and trust God in difficult times.
We also provide easy read Bible study and discipleship resources for Christians with learning difficulties, intellectual disabilities and special needs.
Jo is the author of ‘Refresh: a wellness devotional for the whole Christian life’ and ‘Living Well With God: easy read Bible lessons for people who find reading hard’.