Is the Bible in the public domain? Do I need to get permission to quote from it?
While the original Hebrew and Greek texts are in the public domain, translations of the Bible are often protected by copyright. The copyright policies of most Bible publishers allow congregations to reproduce large amounts of text from a book for local, noncommercial use without obtaining permission.
Augsburg Fortress no longer administers the copyright to
The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (NRSV), copyright 1989, or the
Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV), copyright 1952. For information about RSV or NRSV permission policies, visit the National Council of Churches Web site at:
ncccusa.org/newbtu/btuhome.html
To learn more about the copyright policies for other translations of the Bible, contact the copyright holder of that translation.