Crossway’s Standard Use Guidelines

Crossway’s Standard Use Guidelines allow for the ESV text to be quoted in print, digital, and audio formats up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without a formal license or express written permission of Crossway, provided that the verses quoted do not amount to more than one-half of any one book of the Bible or its equivalent measured in bytes, nor do the verses quoted account for twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted, and the verses are not being quoted in a commentary or other biblical reference work.

Permission or license requests that exceed the above guidelines require written permission or a formal license. To obtain written permission or a formal license as required, please complete and submit Crossway’s online form at www.crossway.org/permissions/.

Notice of copyright must appear as follows on the title page or copyright page of printed works quoting from the ESV, or in a corresponding location when the ESV is quoted in other media: “Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. 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 in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

When more than one Bible translation is quoted in printed works or other media, the foregoing notice of copyright should begin as follows: “Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from . . . [etc.]”; or, “Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from . . . [etc.].”

The “ESV” and “English Standard Version” are registered trademarks of Crossway. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Crossway.
When quotations from the ESV text are used in non-saleable print and digital media, such as church bulletins, orders of service, posters, transparencies, or similar media, a complete copyright notice is not required, but the initials (ESV) must appear at the end of the quotation.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. The ESV Bible is available for free access online and on mobile devices everywhere worldwide at www.ESV.org.