--- type: "firecrawl-provider" description: "The Bible and classic Bible commentaries from the Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org, AO Lab). Scripture passages by reference (\"Jn 3:16-18\", \"Psalm 23\", \"Romans 8:28\") in over 500 commercially usable translations in hundreds of languages, including the King James Version (KJV), Berean Standard Bible (BSB), World English Bible (WEB), American Standard Version (ASV), Young's Literal Translation, Darby, Douay-Rheims and the JPS 1917 Tanakh, with verse-level text, footnotes and each translation's licence. Verse-by-verse commentary from established public-domain commentaries (Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Keil-Delitzsch, John Calvin) and the CC BY-SA Tyndale Open Study Notes, each with authors, tradition and publication years for citation. OpenBible.info cross references ranked by votes. Translations licensed only for non-commercial use (such as the NET Bible) are not served, and copyrighted translations that need a publisher licence (NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT) are not in the API." use_when: "The Bible and classic Bible commentaries from the Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org, AO Lab). Scripture passages by reference (\"Jn 3:16-18\", \"Psalm 23\", \"Romans 8:28\") in over 500 commercially usable translations in hundreds of languages, including the King James Version (KJV), Berean Standard Bible (BSB), World English Bible (WEB), American Standard Version (ASV), Young's Literal Translation, Darby, Douay-Rheims and the JPS 1917 Tanakh, with verse-level text, footnotes and each translation's licence. Verse-by-verse commentary from established public-domain commentaries (Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Keil-Delitzsch, John Calvin) and the CC BY-SA Tyndale Open Study Notes, each with authors, tradition and publication years for citation. OpenBible.info cross references ranked by votes. Translations licensed only for non-commercial use (such as the NET Bible) are not served, and copyrighted translations that need a publisher licence (NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT) are not in the API." categories: "Research" capabilities: 5 credits_per_call: "0-1" --- # Free Use Bible API: Bible verses, translations and commentaries (bible.helloao.org) on Firecrawl Alexandria The Bible and classic Bible commentaries from the Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org, AO Lab). Scripture passages by reference ("Jn 3:16-18", "Psalm 23", "Romans 8:28") in over 500 commercially usable translations in hundreds of languages, including the King James Version (KJV), Berean Standard Bible (BSB), World English Bible (WEB), American Standard Version (ASV), Young's Literal Translation, Darby, Douay-Rheims and the JPS 1917 Tanakh, with verse-level text, footnotes and each translation's licence. Verse-by-verse commentary from established public-domain commentaries (Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Keil-Delitzsch, John Calvin) and the CC BY-SA Tyndale Open Study Notes, each with authors, tradition and publication years for citation. OpenBible.info cross references ranked by votes. Translations licensed only for non-commercial use (such as the NET Bible) are not served, and copyrighted translations that need a publisher licence (NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT) are not in the API. - Categories: Research - Category index: [Research category](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/categories/research) - Provider key: `bible-helloao-org` - Access: Firecrawl credits - Cost: 0–1 credits per call ## More - [Human guide](https://firecrawl.dev/app/alexandria/bible-helloao-org) - [OpenAPI spec](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/openapi.json) ## Capabilities - [Get commentary](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/get_commentary): Bible commentary on a chapter or verses from an established commentary: Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (JFB), John Gill, Adam Clarke, Keil-Delitzsch (Old Testament), John Calvin, or the Tyndale Open Study Notes; for example Matthew Henry on Romans 8:28 or Keil-Delitzsch on Isaiah 53. Returns the commentator's remarks as entries, each covering a verse range, the chapter introduction, optionally the book introduction, and the commentary's authors, tradition, publication years and licence for citation. Commentary names are tolerant (Henry, JFB, Gill, Clarke, KD, Calvin). One chapter per call. - [Get cross references](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/get_cross_references): Cross references for Bible verses from the OpenBible.info dataset (about 345,000 references, CC BY 4.0): for each verse of a chapter or verse range, related passages ranked by reader votes (score), such as the cross references of John 3:16. Returns each referenced book, chapter, verse range and score; read their text with get_passage. - [Get passage](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/get_passage): Bible verses for a scripture reference: book, chapter and verse range with tolerant book names and abbreviations ("John 3:16", "Jn 3:16-18", "1 Cor 13", "Ps 23", "Rom 8:28-9:1"), or book, chapter, verse_start and verse_end. Returns each verse with its reference and text, the passage as one string, optional translator footnotes, the book, and the translation with its licence (public domain, commercial use, attribution notice). Default translation is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB); KJV, WEB, ASV, YLT, Darby, Douay-Rheims and any commercially usable id from list_translations work. Up to 5 chapters per call; an end verse past the chapter end is clamped with a warning. - [List commentaries](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/list_commentaries): The Bible commentaries the API carries: the classic public-domain commentaries of Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Keil-Delitzsch (Old Testament) and John Calvin, and the Tyndale Open Study Notes. Each has the id for get_commentary, authors with life dates, theological tradition, publication years, scope, book and chapter counts and licence. - [List translations](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/list_translations): Bible translations (versions) the API carries, filtered by language (ISO 639-3 code such as eng or spa, a two-letter code such as en, or a language name such as Spanish) and by text in the name, id or abbreviation (King James, KJV, Reina). Each has the id for get_passage, names, language, book, chapter and verse counts, and licence. Only translations whose licence allows commercial use are listed unless include_noncommercial is true; get_passage refuses the others. ## 1. Choose this provider when The Bible and classic Bible commentaries from the Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org, AO Lab). Scripture passages by reference ("Jn 3:16-18", "Psalm 23", "Romans 8:28") in over 500 commercially usable translations in hundreds of languages, including the King James Version (KJV), Berean Standard Bible (BSB), World English Bible (WEB), American Standard Version (ASV), Young's Literal Translation, Darby, Douay-Rheims and the JPS 1917 Tanakh, with verse-level text, footnotes and each translation's licence. Verse-by-verse commentary from established public-domain commentaries (Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Keil-Delitzsch, John Calvin) and the CC BY-SA Tyndale Open Study Notes, each with authors, tradition and publication years for citation. OpenBible.info cross references ranked by votes. Translations licensed only for non-commercial use (such as the NET Bible) are not served, and copyrighted translations that need a publisher licence (NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT) are not in the API. ## 2. Minimal request Call `POST https://api.firecrawl.dev/v2/scrape` with `{ alexandria: { provider, capability, options } }`. For a batch, send `{ alexandria: [...] }` with up to 10 calls. ```json { "provider": "bible-helloao-org", "capability": "bible/get_commentary", "options": { "commentary": "Matthew Henry", "reference": "Romans 8:28" } } ``` ## 3. Add provider options Use only the options needed for the task: - `book` (string): Book name, abbreviation or USFM code (John, Jn, JHN, 1 Corinthians, Song of Songs); use with chapter instead of reference. Example: `` - `chapter` (number): Chapter number, with book. Example: `10` - `commentary` (string, required): Commentary id or name: matthew-henry, jamieson-fausset-brown (JFB), john-gill, adam-clarke, keil-delitzsch (KD), john-calvin, tyndale; "Matthew Henry" and "Henry" work. Example: `` - `include_book_introduction` (boolean): Also return the commentator's introduction to the whole book (can be long). Example: `false` - `reference` (string): A Bible reference: book name or abbreviation, chapter and optional verse or range, e.g. "John 3:16", "Jn 3:16-18", "1 Cor 13", "Ps 23", "Rom 8:28-9:1", "Gen. 1:1". Single-chapter books take verses directly ("Jude 3"). Use this or book with chapter. Example: `` - `verse_end` (number): Last verse, with verse_start; defaults to verse_start. Example: `10` - `verse_start` (number): First verse, with book and chapter; omit for the whole chapter. Example: `10` ## 4. Request through your preferred interface ### JavaScript ```javascript const result = await firecrawl.scrape({ alexandria: { provider: "bible-helloao-org", capability: "bible/get_commentary", options: { commentary: "Matthew Henry", reference: "Romans 8:28", }, }, }); ``` ### Python ```python result = firecrawl.scrape_alexandria({ "provider": "bible-helloao-org", "capability": "bible/get_commentary", "options": { "commentary": "Matthew Henry", "reference": "Romans 8:28" } }) ``` ### cURL ```sh curl https://api.firecrawl.dev/v2/scrape \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FIRECRAWL_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "alexandria": { "provider": "bible-helloao-org", "capability": "bible/get_commentary", "options": { "commentary": "Matthew Henry", "reference": "Romans 8:28" } } }' ``` ### CLI ```sh firecrawl scrape 'bible-helloao-org/bible/get_commentary' \ --options '{"commentary":"Matthew Henry","reference":"Romans 8:28"}' ``` ### MCP Call the FCX MCP retrieve tool with this object: ```json { "provider": "bible-helloao-org", "capability": "bible/get_commentary", "options": { "commentary": "Matthew Henry", "reference": "Romans 8:28" } } ``` Ask for only the returned fields needed by the task. ## 5. Full request shape ```json { "provider": "bible-helloao-org", "capability": "bible/get_commentary", "options": { "commentary": "Matthew Henry", "reference": "Romans 8:28" } } ``` ## 6. Response data The response includes `success`, `provider`, `capability`, `creditsCost` and `data`. This example shows the provider payload in `data`: ```json { "book": { "english_name": "Romans", "id": "ROM", "name": "Romans" }, "book_introduction": null, "chapter": 8, "chapter_introduction": "The apostle, having fully explained the doctrine of justification, and pressed the necessity of sanctification, in this chapter applies himself to the consolation of the Lord's people. Ministers are helpers of the joy of the saints. \"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,\" so runs our commission, Isa 40:1. It is the will of God that his people should be a comforted people. And we have here such a draught of the gospel charter, such a display of the unspeakable privileges of true believers, as may furnish us with abundant matter for joy and peace in believing, that by all these immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation. Many of the people of God have, accordingly, found this chapter a well-spring of comfort to their souls, living and dying, and have sucked and been satisfied from these breasts of consolation, and with joy drawn water out of these wells of salvation. There are three things in this chapter: I. The particular instances of Christians' privileges (v. 1-28). II. The ground thereof laid in predestination (Rom 8:29, Rom 8:30). III. The apostle's triumph herein, in the name of all the saints (Rom 8:31 to the end).", "commentary": { "authors": [ "Matthew Henry (1662-1714)" ], "english_name": "Matthew Henry Bible Commentary", "id": "matthew-henry", "language": "eng", "license": { "notes": null, "notice": null, "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/" }, "name": "Matthew Henry Bible Commentary", "note": "Exposition of the Old and New Testaments. Henry completed it through Acts; Romans to Revelation were written after his death in 1714 by thirteen Nonconformist ministers.", "number_of_books": 65, "published": "1708-1710", "scope": "Old and New Testaments", "total_chapters": 1167, "tradition": "English Nonconformist (Presbyterian), Reformed", "website": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Henry" }, "entries": [ { "reference": "Romans 8:26-28", "text": "The apostle here suggests two privileges more to which true Christians are entitled: - \nI. The help of the Spirit in prayer. While we are in this world, hoping and waiting for what we see not, we must be praying. Hope supposes desire, and that desire offered up to God is prayer; we groan. Now observe,\n1. Our weakness in prayer: We know not what we should pray for as we ought. (1.) As to the matter of our requests, we know not what to ask. We are not competent judges of our own condition. Who knows what is good for a man in this life? Ecc 6:12. We are short-sighted, and very much biassed in favour of the flesh, and apt to separate the end from the way. You know not what you ask, Mat 20:22. We are like foolish children, that are ready to cry for fruit before it is ripe and fit for them; see Luk 9:54, Luk 9:55. (2.) As to the manner, we know not how to pray as we ought. It is not enough that we do that which is good, but we must do it well, seek in a due order; and here we are often at a loss - graces are weak, affections cold, thoughts wandering, and it is not always easy to find the heart to pray, Sa2 7:27. The apostle speaks of this in the first person: We know not. He puts himself among the rest. Folly, and weakness, and distraction in prayer, are what all the saints are complaining of. If so great a saint as Paul knew not what to pray for, what little reason have we to go forth about that duty in our own strength!\n2. The assistances which the Spirit gives us in that duty. He helps our infirmities, meant especially of our praying infirmities, which most easily beset us in that duty, against which the Spirit helps. The Spirit in the world helps; many rules and promises there are in the word for our help. The Spirit in the heart helps, dwelling in us, working in us, as a Spirit of grace and supplication, especially with respect to the infirmities we are under when we are in a suffering state, when our faith is most apt to fail; for this end the Holy Ghost was poured out. Helpeth, sumantilambanetai - heaves with us, over against us, helps as we help one that would lift up a burden, by lifting over against him at the other end - helps with us, that is, with us doing our endeavour, putting forth the strength we have. We must not sit still, and expect that the Spirit should do all; when the Spirit goes before us we must bestir ourselves. We cannot without God, and he will not without us. What help? Why, the Spirit itself makes intercession for us, dictates our requests, indites our petitions, draws up our plea for us. Christ intercedes for us in heaven, the Spirit intercedes for us in our hearts; so graciously has God provided for the encouragement of the praying remnant. The Spirit, as an enlightening Spirit, teaches us what to pray for, as a sanctifying Spirit works and excites praying graces, as a comforting Spirit silences our fears, and helps us over all our discouragements. The Holy Spirit is the spring of all our desires and breathings towards God. Now this intercession which the Spirit makes is, (1.) With groanings that cannot be uttered. The strength and fervency of those desires which the Holy Spirit works are hereby intimated. There may be praying in the Spirit where there is not a word spoken; as Moses prayed (Exo 14:15), and Hannah, Sa1 1:13. It is not the rhetoric and eloquence, but the faith and fervency, of our prayers, that the Spirit works, as an intercessor, in us. Cannot be uttered; they are so confused, the soul is in such a hurry with temptations and troubles, we know not what to say, nor how to express ourselves. Here is the Spirit interceding with groans that cannot be uttered. When we can but cry, Abba, Father, and refer ourselves to him with a holy humble boldness, this is the work of the Spirit. (2.) According to the will of God, Rom 8:27. The Spirit in the heart never contradicts the Spirit in the word. Those desires that are contrary to the will of God do not come from the Spirit. The Spirit interceding in us evermore melts our wills into the will of God. Not as I will, but as thou wilt.\n3. The sure success of these intercessions: He that searches the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, Rom 8:27. To a hypocrite, all whose religion lies in his tongue, nothing is more dreadful than that God searches the heart and sees through all his disguises. To a sincere Christian, who makes heart-work of his duty, nothing is more comfortable than that God searches the heart, for then he will hear and answer those desires which we want words to express. He knows what we have need of before we ask, Mat 6:8. He knows what is the mind of his own Spirit in us. And, as he always hears the Son interceding for us, so he always hears the Spirit interceding in us, because his intercession is according to the will of God. What could have been done more for the comfort of the Lord's people, in all their addresses to God? Christ had said, \"Whatever you ask the Father according to his will he will give it you.\" But how shall we learn to ask according to his will? Why, the Spirit will teach us that. Therefore it is that the seed of Jacob never seek in vain.\nII. The concurrence of all providences for the good of those that are Christ's, Rom 8:28. It might be objected that, notwithstanding all these privileges, we see believers compassed about with manifold afflictions; though the Spirit makes intercession for them, yet their troubles are continued. It is very true; but in this the Spirit's intercession is always effectual, that, however it goes with them, all this is working together for their good. Observe here.\n1. The character of the saints, who are interested in this privilege; they are here described by such properties as are common to all that are truly sanctified. (1.) They love God. This includes all the out-goings of the soul's affections towards God as the chief good and highest end. It is our love to God that makes every providence sweet, and therefore profitable. Those that love God make the best of all he does, and take all in good part. (2.) They are the called according to his purpose, effectually called according to the eternal purpose. The call is effectual, not according to any merit or desert of ours, but according to God's own gracious purpose.\n2. The privilege of the saints, that all things work together for good to them, that is, all the providences of God that concern them. All that God performs he performs for them, Psa 57:2. Their sins are not of his performing, therefore not intended here, though his permitting sin is made to work for their good, Ch2 32:31. But all the providences of God are theirs - merciful providences, afflicting providences, personal, public. They are all for good; perhaps for temporal good, as Joseph's troubles; at least, for spiritual and eternal good. That is good for them which does their souls good. Either directly or indirectly, every providence has a tendency to the spiritual good of those that love God, breaking them off from sin, bringing them nearer to God, weaning them from the world, fitting them for heaven. Work together. They work, as physic works upon the body, various ways, according to the intention of the physician; but all for the patient's good. They work together, as several ingredients in a medicine concur to answer the intention. God hath set the one over against the other (Ecc 7:14): sunergei, a very singular, with a noun plural, denoting the harmony of Providence and its uniform designs, all the wheels as one wheel, Eze 10:13. He worketh all things together for good; so some read it. It is not from any specific quality in the providences themselves, but from the power and grace of God working in, with, and by, these providences. All this we know - know it for a certainty, from the word of God, from our own experience, and from the experience of all the saints.", "verse_end": 28, "verse_start": 26 } ], "observed_at_ms": 1793154064437, "reference": "Romans 8:28", "source_url": "https://bible.helloao.org/api/c/matthew-henry/ROM/8.json" } ``` ## API reference-derived contract The following capability contract is generated from the same normalized Alexandria API reference exposed in the API spec. ### Get commentary - Capability: `bible/get_commentary` - Description: Bible commentary on a chapter or verses from an established commentary: Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (JFB), John Gill, Adam Clarke, Keil-Delitzsch (Old Testament), John Calvin, or the Tyndale Open Study Notes; for example Matthew Henry on Romans 8:28 or Keil-Delitzsch on Isaiah 53. Returns the commentator's remarks as entries, each covering a verse range, the chapter introduction, optionally the book introduction, and the commentary's authors, tradition, publication years and licence for citation. Commentary names are tolerant (Henry, JFB, Gill, Clarke, KD, Calvin). One chapter per call. - Instructions: Explain or interpret a verse or passage, prepare a sermon, Bible study or devotional, or check content for biblical accuracy against established commentators; call it for several commentaries to compare traditions. A commentary that does not cover the book or chapter is not_found; an unknown commentary name is invalid_input. - Cost: 1 credit per call - Capability file: [Get commentary](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/get_commentary) Accepted options: - `book` (string): Book name, abbreviation or USFM code (John, Jn, JHN, 1 Corinthians, Song of Songs); use with chapter instead of reference. Example: `` - `chapter` (number): Chapter number, with book. Example: `10` - `commentary` (string, required): Commentary id or name: matthew-henry, jamieson-fausset-brown (JFB), john-gill, adam-clarke, keil-delitzsch (KD), john-calvin, tyndale; "Matthew Henry" and "Henry" work. Example: `` - `include_book_introduction` (boolean): Also return the commentator's introduction to the whole book (can be long). Example: `false` - `reference` (string): A Bible reference: book name or abbreviation, chapter and optional verse or range, e.g. "John 3:16", "Jn 3:16-18", "1 Cor 13", "Ps 23", "Rom 8:28-9:1", "Gen. 1:1". Single-chapter books take verses directly ("Jude 3"). Use this or book with chapter. Example: `` - `verse_end` (number): Last verse, with verse_start; defaults to verse_start. Example: `10` - `verse_start` (number): First verse, with book and chapter; omit for the whole chapter. Example: `10` Response schema example: ```json { "book": { "english_name": "Romans", "id": "ROM", "name": "Romans" }, "book_introduction": null, "chapter": 8, "chapter_introduction": "The apostle, having fully explained the doctrine of justification, and pressed the necessity of sanctification, in this chapter applies himself to the consolation of the Lord's people. Ministers are helpers of the joy of the saints. \"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,\" so runs our commission, Isa 40:1. It is the will of God that his people should be a comforted people. And we have here such a draught of the gospel charter, such a display of the unspeakable privileges of true believers, as may furnish us with abundant matter for joy and peace in believing, that by all these immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation. Many of the people of God have, accordingly, found this chapter a well-spring of comfort to their souls, living and dying, and have sucked and been satisfied from these breasts of consolation, and with joy drawn water out of these wells of salvation. There are three things in this chapter: I. The particular instances of Christians' privileges (v. 1-28). II. The ground thereof laid in predestination (Rom 8:29, Rom 8:30). III. The apostle's triumph herein, in the name of all the saints (Rom 8:31 to the end).", "commentary": { "authors": [ "Matthew Henry (1662-1714)" ], "english_name": "Matthew Henry Bible Commentary", "id": "matthew-henry", "language": "eng", "license": { "notes": null, "notice": null, "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/" }, "name": "Matthew Henry Bible Commentary", "note": "Exposition of the Old and New Testaments. Henry completed it through Acts; Romans to Revelation were written after his death in 1714 by thirteen Nonconformist ministers.", "number_of_books": 65, "published": "1708-1710", "scope": "Old and New Testaments", "total_chapters": 1167, "tradition": "English Nonconformist (Presbyterian), Reformed", "website": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Henry" }, "entries": [ { "reference": "Romans 8:26-28", "text": "The apostle here suggests two privileges more to which true Christians are entitled: - \nI. The help of the Spirit in prayer. While we are in this world, hoping and waiting for what we see not, we must be praying. Hope supposes desire, and that desire offered up to God is prayer; we groan. Now observe,\n1. Our weakness in prayer: We know not what we should pray for as we ought. (1.) As to the matter of our requests, we know not what to ask. We are not competent judges of our own condition. Who knows what is good for a man in this life? Ecc 6:12. We are short-sighted, and very much biassed in favour of the flesh, and apt to separate the end from the way. You know not what you ask, Mat 20:22. We are like foolish children, that are ready to cry for fruit before it is ripe and fit for them; see Luk 9:54, Luk 9:55. (2.) As to the manner, we know not how to pray as we ought. It is not enough that we do that which is good, but we must do it well, seek in a due order; and here we are often at a loss - graces are weak, affections cold, thoughts wandering, and it is not always easy to find the heart to pray, Sa2 7:27. The apostle speaks of this in the first person: We know not. He puts himself among the rest. Folly, and weakness, and distraction in prayer, are what all the saints are complaining of. If so great a saint as Paul knew not what to pray for, what little reason have we to go forth about that duty in our own strength!\n2. The assistances which the Spirit gives us in that duty. He helps our infirmities, meant especially of our praying infirmities, which most easily beset us in that duty, against which the Spirit helps. The Spirit in the world helps; many rules and promises there are in the word for our help. The Spirit in the heart helps, dwelling in us, working in us, as a Spirit of grace and supplication, especially with respect to the infirmities we are under when we are in a suffering state, when our faith is most apt to fail; for this end the Holy Ghost was poured out. Helpeth, sumantilambanetai - heaves with us, over against us, helps as we help one that would lift up a burden, by lifting over against him at the other end - helps with us, that is, with us doing our endeavour, putting forth the strength we have. We must not sit still, and expect that the Spirit should do all; when the Spirit goes before us we must bestir ourselves. We cannot without God, and he will not without us. What help? Why, the Spirit itself makes intercession for us, dictates our requests, indites our petitions, draws up our plea for us. Christ intercedes for us in heaven, the Spirit intercedes for us in our hearts; so graciously has God provided for the encouragement of the praying remnant. The Spirit, as an enlightening Spirit, teaches us what to pray for, as a sanctifying Spirit works and excites praying graces, as a comforting Spirit silences our fears, and helps us over all our discouragements. The Holy Spirit is the spring of all our desires and breathings towards God. Now this intercession which the Spirit makes is, (1.) With groanings that cannot be uttered. The strength and fervency of those desires which the Holy Spirit works are hereby intimated. There may be praying in the Spirit where there is not a word spoken; as Moses prayed (Exo 14:15), and Hannah, Sa1 1:13. It is not the rhetoric and eloquence, but the faith and fervency, of our prayers, that the Spirit works, as an intercessor, in us. Cannot be uttered; they are so confused, the soul is in such a hurry with temptations and troubles, we know not what to say, nor how to express ourselves. Here is the Spirit interceding with groans that cannot be uttered. When we can but cry, Abba, Father, and refer ourselves to him with a holy humble boldness, this is the work of the Spirit. (2.) According to the will of God, Rom 8:27. The Spirit in the heart never contradicts the Spirit in the word. Those desires that are contrary to the will of God do not come from the Spirit. The Spirit interceding in us evermore melts our wills into the will of God. Not as I will, but as thou wilt.\n3. The sure success of these intercessions: He that searches the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, Rom 8:27. To a hypocrite, all whose religion lies in his tongue, nothing is more dreadful than that God searches the heart and sees through all his disguises. To a sincere Christian, who makes heart-work of his duty, nothing is more comfortable than that God searches the heart, for then he will hear and answer those desires which we want words to express. He knows what we have need of before we ask, Mat 6:8. He knows what is the mind of his own Spirit in us. And, as he always hears the Son interceding for us, so he always hears the Spirit interceding in us, because his intercession is according to the will of God. What could have been done more for the comfort of the Lord's people, in all their addresses to God? Christ had said, \"Whatever you ask the Father according to his will he will give it you.\" But how shall we learn to ask according to his will? Why, the Spirit will teach us that. Therefore it is that the seed of Jacob never seek in vain.\nII. The concurrence of all providences for the good of those that are Christ's, Rom 8:28. It might be objected that, notwithstanding all these privileges, we see believers compassed about with manifold afflictions; though the Spirit makes intercession for them, yet their troubles are continued. It is very true; but in this the Spirit's intercession is always effectual, that, however it goes with them, all this is working together for their good. Observe here.\n1. The character of the saints, who are interested in this privilege; they are here described by such properties as are common to all that are truly sanctified. (1.) They love God. This includes all the out-goings of the soul's affections towards God as the chief good and highest end. It is our love to God that makes every providence sweet, and therefore profitable. Those that love God make the best of all he does, and take all in good part. (2.) They are the called according to his purpose, effectually called according to the eternal purpose. The call is effectual, not according to any merit or desert of ours, but according to God's own gracious purpose.\n2. The privilege of the saints, that all things work together for good to them, that is, all the providences of God that concern them. All that God performs he performs for them, Psa 57:2. Their sins are not of his performing, therefore not intended here, though his permitting sin is made to work for their good, Ch2 32:31. But all the providences of God are theirs - merciful providences, afflicting providences, personal, public. They are all for good; perhaps for temporal good, as Joseph's troubles; at least, for spiritual and eternal good. That is good for them which does their souls good. Either directly or indirectly, every providence has a tendency to the spiritual good of those that love God, breaking them off from sin, bringing them nearer to God, weaning them from the world, fitting them for heaven. Work together. They work, as physic works upon the body, various ways, according to the intention of the physician; but all for the patient's good. They work together, as several ingredients in a medicine concur to answer the intention. God hath set the one over against the other (Ecc 7:14): sunergei, a very singular, with a noun plural, denoting the harmony of Providence and its uniform designs, all the wheels as one wheel, Eze 10:13. He worketh all things together for good; so some read it. It is not from any specific quality in the providences themselves, but from the power and grace of God working in, with, and by, these providences. All this we know - know it for a certainty, from the word of God, from our own experience, and from the experience of all the saints.", "verse_end": 28, "verse_start": 26 } ], "observed_at_ms": 1793154064437, "reference": "Romans 8:28", "source_url": "https://bible.helloao.org/api/c/matthew-henry/ROM/8.json" } ``` ### Get cross references - Capability: `bible/get_cross_references` - Description: Cross references for Bible verses from the OpenBible.info dataset (about 345,000 references, CC BY 4.0): for each verse of a chapter or verse range, related passages ranked by reader votes (score), such as the cross references of John 3:16. Returns each referenced book, chapter, verse range and score; read their text with get_passage. - Instructions: Find related verses or parallel passages for a verse, build a topical Bible study, or support a claim with other scripture. One chapter per call. - Cost: 1 credit per call - Capability file: [Get cross references](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/get_cross_references) Accepted options: - `book` (string): Book name, abbreviation or USFM code (John, Jn, JHN, 1 Corinthians, Song of Songs); use with chapter instead of reference. Example: `` - `chapter` (number): Chapter number, with book. Example: `10` - `limit` (number): Cross references per verse, highest score first; default 10. Example: `10` - `min_score` (number): Keep only references with at least this many net votes. Example: `10` - `reference` (string): A Bible reference: book name or abbreviation, chapter and optional verse or range, e.g. "John 3:16", "Jn 3:16-18", "1 Cor 13", "Ps 23", "Rom 8:28-9:1", "Gen. 1:1". Single-chapter books take verses directly ("Jude 3"). Use this or book with chapter. Example: `` - `verse_end` (number): Last verse, with verse_start; defaults to verse_start. Example: `10` - `verse_start` (number): First verse, with book and chapter; omit for the whole chapter. Example: `10` Response schema example: ```json { "count": 5, "dataset": { "attribution": "Cross references from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0), via the Free Use Bible API", "id": "open-cross-ref", "license_notes": "Changes were made to the data to fit the Free Use Bible API format.", "license_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "name": "Bible Cross References", "website": "https://www.openbible.info/labs/cross-references/" }, "observed_at_ms": 1793154064442, "reference": "John 3:16", "source_url": "https://bible.helloao.org/api/d/open-cross-ref/JHN/3.json", "verses": [ { "reference": "John 3:16", "references": [ { "book": "ROM", "book_name": "Romans", "chapter": 5, "end_verse": null, "reference": "Romans 5:8", "score": 935, "verse": 8 }, { "book": "1JN", "book_name": "1 John", "chapter": 4, "end_verse": 10, "reference": "1 John 4:9-10", "score": 663, "verse": 9 }, { "book": "JHN", "book_name": "John", "chapter": 3, "end_verse": null, "reference": "John 3:15", "score": 475, "verse": 15 }, { "book": "ROM", "book_name": "Romans", "chapter": 8, "end_verse": null, "reference": "Romans 8:32", "score": 475, "verse": 32 }, { "book": "JHN", "book_name": "John", "chapter": 11, "end_verse": 26, "reference": "John 11:25-26", "score": 428, "verse": 25 } ], "verse": 16 } ] } ``` ### Get passage - Capability: `bible/get_passage` - Description: Bible verses for a scripture reference: book, chapter and verse range with tolerant book names and abbreviations ("John 3:16", "Jn 3:16-18", "1 Cor 13", "Ps 23", "Rom 8:28-9:1"), or book, chapter, verse_start and verse_end. Returns each verse with its reference and text, the passage as one string, optional translator footnotes, the book, and the translation with its licence (public domain, commercial use, attribution notice). Default translation is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB); KJV, WEB, ASV, YLT, Darby, Douay-Rheims and any commercially usable id from list_translations work. Up to 5 chapters per call; an end verse past the chapter end is clamped with a warning. - Instructions: Quote, look up or check a Bible verse or scripture passage, read a chapter for daily Bible reading or a devotional, or compare translations such as KJV and BSB (one call per translation). An unidentifiable book or unreadable reference is invalid_input; a chapter or verse the translation does not have is not_found. NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT and the NET Bible are not available. - Cost: 1 credit per call - Capability file: [Get passage](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/get_passage) Accepted options: - `book` (string): Book name, abbreviation or USFM code (John, Jn, JHN, 1 Corinthians, Song of Songs); use with chapter instead of reference. Example: `` - `chapter` (number): Chapter number, with book. Example: `10` - `include_footnotes` (boolean): Also return the translation footnotes for the returned verses. Example: `false` - `reference` (string): A Bible reference: book name or abbreviation, chapter and optional verse or range, e.g. "John 3:16", "Jn 3:16-18", "1 Cor 13", "Ps 23", "Rom 8:28-9:1", "Gen. 1:1". Single-chapter books take verses directly ("Jude 3"). Use this or book with chapter. Example: `` - `translation` (string): Translation id or abbreviation: BSB (default), KJV, WEB, ASV, YLT, Darby, DRA, or an id from list_translations such as spa_bes. Ids are also matched case-insensitively and by short name. Example: `` - `verse_end` (number): Last verse, with verse_start; defaults to verse_start. Example: `10` - `verse_start` (number): First verse, with book and chapter; omit for the whole chapter. Example: `10` Response schema example: ```json { "book": { "common_name": "John", "english_name": "John", "id": "JHN", "name": "John", "number_of_chapters": 21 }, "footnotes": [], "observed_at_ms": 1793154064347, "reference": "John 3:16-18", "source_urls": [ "https://bible.helloao.org/api/BSB/JHN/3.json" ], "text": "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.", "translation": { "english_name": "Berean Standard Bible", "id": "BSB", "language": "eng", "language_english_name": "English", "language_name": "English", "license": { "attribution_required": false, "commercial_use_allowed": true, "copyleft": false, "derivatives_allowed": true, "notice": null, "public_domain": true, "url": "https://berean.bible/" }, "name": "Berean Standard Bible", "number_of_books": 66, "short_name": "BSB", "text_direction": "ltr", "total_chapters": 1189, "total_verses": 31086, "website": "https://berean.bible/" }, "verses": [ { "chapter": 3, "reference": "John 3:16", "text": "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.", "verse": 16 }, { "chapter": 3, "reference": "John 3:17", "text": "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.", "verse": 17 }, { "chapter": 3, "reference": "John 3:18", "text": "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.", "verse": 18 } ] } ``` ### List commentaries - Capability: `bible/list_commentaries` - Description: The Bible commentaries the API carries: the classic public-domain commentaries of Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Keil-Delitzsch (Old Testament) and John Calvin, and the Tyndale Open Study Notes. Each has the id for get_commentary, authors with life dates, theological tradition, publication years, scope, book and chapter counts and licence. - Instructions: See which commentaries exist and how to cite them before get_commentary, or pick commentators from different traditions to compare. - Cost: 0 credits per call - Capability file: [List commentaries](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/list_commentaries) Accepted options: Response schema example: ```json { "commentaries": [ { "authors": [ "Adam Clarke (c. 1762-1832)" ], "english_name": "Adam Clarke Bible Commentary", "id": "adam-clarke", "language": "eng", "license": { "notes": null, "notice": null, "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/" }, "name": "Adam Clarke Bible Commentary", "note": null, "number_of_books": 57, "published": "1810-1826", "scope": "Old and New Testaments", "total_chapters": 854, "tradition": "Wesleyan Methodist (Arminian)", "website": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Clarke" }, { "authors": [ "Robert Jamieson (1802-1880)", "Andrew Robert Fausset (1821-1910)", "David Brown (1803-1897)" ], "english_name": "Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary", "id": "jamieson-fausset-brown", "language": "eng", "license": { "notes": null, "notice": null, "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/" }, "name": "Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary", "note": "A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments.", "number_of_books": 66, "published": "1871", "scope": "Old and New Testaments", "total_chapters": 1187, "tradition": "Evangelical Protestant: Scottish Presbyterian (Jamieson, Brown) and Anglican (Fausset)", "website": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamieson-Fausset-Brown_Bible_Commentary" }, { "authors": [ "John Calvin (1509-1564)" ], "english_name": "John Calvin's Commentaries", "id": "john-calvin", "language": "eng", "license": { "notes": "Calvin Translation Society English texts. CCEL identifies its electronic Calvin commentaries as public domain and usable for any purpose.", "notice": null, "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/" }, "name": "John Calvin's Commentaries", "note": "Written in Latin and French; the English text is the Calvin Translation Society edition (1843-1855).", "number_of_books": 48, "published": "1540-1564", "scope": "Most books of the Old and New Testaments", "total_chapters": 817, "tradition": "Reformed (Genevan)", "website": "https://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/commentaries.html" }, { "authors": [ "John Gill (1697-1771)" ], "english_name": "John Gill Bible Commentary", "id": "john-gill", "language": "eng", "license": { "notes": null, "notice": null, "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/" }, "name": "John Gill Bible Commentary", "note": "Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and of the Old Testament (1748-1763).", "number_of_books": 66, "published": "1746-1763", "scope": "Old and New Testaments", "total_chapters": 1189, "tradition": "Particular (Calvinistic) Baptist", "website": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gill_(theologian)" }, { "authors": [ "Carl Friedrich Keil (1807-1888)", "Franz Delitzsch (1813-1890)" ], "english_name": "Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary", "id": "keil-delitzsch", "language": "eng", "license": { "notes": null, "notice": null, "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/" }, "name": "Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary", "note": "Biblischer Commentar ueber das Alte Testament; the English text is the T. and T. Clark translation (1866-1891).", "number_of_books": 39, "published": "1861-1875", "scope": "Old Testament", "total_chapters": 909, "tradition": "German confessional Lutheran", "website": "https://worthy.bible/commentaries/keil-delitzsch-commentary" }, { "authors": [ "Matthew Henry (1662-1714)" ], "english_name": "Matthew Henry Bible Commentary", "id": "matthew-henry", "language": "eng", "license": { "notes": null, "notice": null, "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/" }, "name": "Matthew Henry Bible Commentary", "note": "Exposition of the Old and New Testaments. Henry completed it through Acts; Romans to Revelation were written after his death in 1714 by thirteen Nonconformist ministers.", "number_of_books": 65, "published": "1708-1710", "scope": "Old and New Testaments", "total_chapters": 1167, "tradition": "English Nonconformist (Presbyterian), Reformed", "website": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Henry" }, { "authors": [ "Tyndale House Publishers" ], "english_name": "Tyndale Open Study Notes", "id": "tyndale", "language": "eng", "license": { "notes": "Changes were made to the content to change the format to JSON to make it compatible with the Free Use Bible API. No changes were made to the content contained in the XML formatting.", "notice": null, "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" }, "name": "Tyndale Open Study Notes", "note": "Modern study notes released by Tyndale House Publishers under CC BY-SA 4.0 as Tyndale Open Resources.", "number_of_books": 69, "published": null, "scope": "Old and New Testaments", "total_chapters": 1243, "tradition": "Evangelical Protestant", "website": "https://tyndaleopenresources.com/" } ], "count": 7, "observed_at_ms": 1793154064436, "source_url": "https://bible.helloao.org/api/available_commentaries.json" } ``` ### List translations - Capability: `bible/list_translations` - Description: Bible translations (versions) the API carries, filtered by language (ISO 639-3 code such as eng or spa, a two-letter code such as en, or a language name such as Spanish) and by text in the name, id or abbreviation (King James, KJV, Reina). Each has the id for get_passage, names, language, book, chapter and verse counts, and licence. Only translations whose licence allows commercial use are listed unless include_noncommercial is true; get_passage refuses the others. - Instructions: Find the translation id for a language or a named version before get_passage, or check which public-domain Bibles exist in a language. - Cost: 0 credits per call - Capability file: [List translations](https://firecrawl.dev/alexandria/agents/providers/bible-helloao-org/bible/list_translations) Accepted options: - `cursor` (string): next_cursor from the previous page. Example: `` - `include_noncommercial` (boolean): Also list translations licensed for non-commercial use only (get_passage still refuses them). Example: `false` - `language` (string): ISO 639-3 code (eng, spa), two-letter code (en, es) or language name in English or as the language writes it (Spanish, English). Example: `` - `limit` (number): Translations per page, default 50. Example: `10` - `query` (string): Case-insensitive text in the id, name, English name or short name (KJV, King James, Berean). Example: `` Response schema example: ```json { "count": 2, "next_cursor": null, "observed_at_ms": 1793154064387, "source_url": "https://bible.helloao.org/api/available_translations.json", "translations": [ { "english_name": "King James Version + Apocrypha", "id": "eng_kja", "language": "eng", "language_english_name": "English", "language_name": "English", "license": { "attribution_required": false, "commercial_use_allowed": true, "copyleft": false, "derivatives_allowed": true, "notice": null, "public_domain": true, "url": "https://ebible.org/Scriptures/details.php?id=eng-kjv" }, "name": "King James Version + Apocrypha", "number_of_books": 66, "short_name": "KJVA", "text_direction": "ltr", "total_chapters": 1189, "total_verses": 31102, "website": "https://ebible.org/Scriptures/details.php?id=eng-kjv" }, { "english_name": "King James Version", "id": "eng_kjv", "language": "eng", "language_english_name": "English", "language_name": "English", "license": { "attribution_required": false, "commercial_use_allowed": true, "copyleft": false, "derivatives_allowed": true, "notice": null, "public_domain": true, "url": "https://ebible.org/Scriptures/details.php?id=eng-kjv2006" }, "name": "King James (Authorized) Version", "number_of_books": 66, "short_name": "KJAV", "text_direction": "ltr", "total_chapters": 1189, "total_verses": 31102, "website": "https://ebible.org/Scriptures/details.php?id=eng-kjv2006" } ] } ```