Look up and search the ESV Bible using the ESV API. Copy, paste, or browse passages and search results directly from Raycast.
Type one or more Bible references (e.g., "John 3:16", "Genesis 1:1-3") to retrieve the full passage text. Results are displayed with your chosen styling and cached for quick access.
Actions:
Search for a word or phrase across the entire ESV (e.g., "Jesus sea of Galilee"). Results show matching references with surrounding context.
Actions:
In order to call the API, you need both a free account with esv.org and permission granted to use the API with your application.
| Preference | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| ESV API Token | Your API key from api.esv.org | Required |
| Search Mode | Live Search fires API calls as you type (debounced). Search on Enter waits until you press Enter. | Live Search |
| Include passage references | Show the passage reference before the text | On |
| Include verse numbers | Show verse numbers in the passage | On |
| Include first verse number | Show the verse number for the first verse of a chapter | On |
| Include Selahs | Show "Selah" in certain Psalms | On |
| Include footnotes | Show callouts to footnotes | On |
| Include headings | Show section headings (e.g., "The Sermon on the Mount") | On |
| Indent paragraphs | Indent paragraphs with two spaces | On |
| Indent poetry | Indent poetry lines | On |
| Include copyright | Full, short, or no copyright notice | Short |
| Tabs or Spaces | Indent with spaces or tabs | Spaces |
Each command has its own Default Action preference that controls which action triggers when you press Enter.
During each Lookup Passage query, you can also choose between predefined styling options via the dropdown.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.
Users may not copy or download more than 500 verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible. View full terms of use at https://api.esv.org/.