Quote Bible

Overview

Retrieve and display Bible verses in all available translations using an external fetch script. The skill executes a Python script that fetches verse data and presents it in a clear, formatted output.

Data Repository Setup

This skill may require the mybibletoolbox-data repository for verse data.

Auto-Clone Data

Before using this skill, check if data exists for the requested book. If not, auto-clone it with sparse checkout:

# Function to ensure book data is available
ensure_book_data() {
  local BOOK=$1  # e.g., "MAT", "JHN", "ROM"

  # Check if data repo exists
  if [ ! -d "data" ]; then
    echo "Data not found. Cloning mybibletoolbox-data with sparse checkout..."
    git clone --filter=blob:none --sparse https://github.com/authenticwalk/mybibletoolbox-data data
    cd data
    git sparse-checkout init --cone
    git sparse-checkout set bible/${BOOK}
    cd ..
    echo "✓ Data ready for ${BOOK}"
  else
    # Check if specific book is available
    if [ ! -d "data/bible/${BOOK}" ]; then
      echo "Adding ${BOOK} to sparse checkout..."
      cd data
      git sparse-checkout add bible/${BOOK}
      cd ..
      echo "✓ ${BOOK} added"
    fi
  fi
}

# Example: Ensure Matthew is available
ensure_book_data "MAT"

Expected location: data/bible/{BOOK}/

Sparse checkout benefits:

• Download only books you need
• Faster initial clone
• Less disk usage

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• User explicitly says "quote" followed by a Bible reference
• Examples: "quote John 3:16", "quote Gen 1:1", "quote Matthew 5:3-10"

Do NOT use this skill when:

• User is asking about a Bible verse without requesting a quote
• User is performing translation work (use other specialized skills)
• User is searching for a verse by topic or content (use search tools)

How to Use

Step 1: Parse the Bible Reference

Extract the Bible reference from the user's request. The reference format should be compatible with the fetch script:

• Book code: Must use USFM 3.0 three-letter codes (e.g., "JHN" for John, "GEN" for Genesis, "MAT" for Matthew)
  • Refer to references/book_codes.md for the complete list of USFM codes
  • Common book names will need to be converted to USFM codes (e.g., "John" → "JHN", "Genesis" → "GEN")
• Chapter number: The chapter number
• Verse number(s): Single verse or range (e.g., "3" or "3-10")

Step 2: Execute the Fetch Script

Use the Bash tool to execute the verse fetcher:

python3 ~/projects/mcp/bible/fetch_verse.py "<reference>"

Where <reference> is the Bible reference using USFM 3.0 codes:

• "GEN 1:1" (Genesis 1:1)
• "JHN 3:16" (John 3:16)
• "MAT 5:3-10" (Matthew 5:3-10)

Step 3: Display Results

Present the output from the fetch script to the user. The script returns all available translations for the requested verse(s).

Format the output clearly:

• Include the verse reference
• Show each translation with its version identifier
• Maintain proper citation format following project standards: {lang} → {lang}-{version} → {lang}-{version}-{year}

Examples

Example 1: Single Verse

User: "quote John 3:16"

Action: Convert "John" to USFM code "JHN", then execute:

python3 ~/projects/mcp/bible/fetch_verse.py "JHN 3:16"

Expected behavior: Display John 3:16 in all available translations

Example 2: Verse Range

User: "quote Matthew 5:3-10"

Action: Convert "Matthew" to USFM code "MAT", then execute:

python3 ~/projects/mcp/bible/fetch_verse.py "MAT 5:3-10"

Expected behavior: Display Matthew 5:3 through 5:10 in all available translations

Example 3: Using Book Codes

User: "quote Gen 1:1"

Action: Convert "Gen" to USFM code "GEN", then execute:

python3 ~/projects/mcp/bible/fetch_verse.py "GEN 1:1"

Expected behavior: Display Genesis 1:1 in all available translations

Notes

• The script handles translation and version selection automatically
• If the script returns an error, inform the user and check:
  • The reference format is valid
  • The fetch script is accessible at the specified path
  • The requested verse exists

Resources

references/

• book_codes.md - Reference guide for Bible book abbreviations and USFM 3.0 codes used in the project

Note: The example scripts/ and assets/ directories are not needed for this skill and can be deleted.