---
title: "Read a work by reference"
method: GET
path: "/works/{work}/{ref}"
tags: ["Works"]
---

# Read a work by reference

`GET /works/{work}/{ref}`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.urantia.dev`
- URL: `https://api.urantia.dev/works/{work}/{ref}`
- Auth: none required

The units of a reference, in order, at most 200: one verse or passage, a short range of up to 50, or a whole chapter. Each has its link. The prefix of the reference is optional: for the Bhagavad Gita, `BG 2.47` and `2.47` are the same; for the Bible, name the book (`John 3:16`, `Jn 3:16`).

## Path parameters

- `work` string, required: "bible", or a work id such as "bhagavad-gita" (its ref prefix also works: "bg").
- `ref` string, required: A unit (`John 3:16`, `2.47`, `Dhp 183`), a short range (`John 3:16-18`, `2.47-49`), or a whole chapter (`John 3`, `2`).

## Response `200`

The units

- object
  - `data` object[], required
    - `work` object, required
      - `id` string, required
      - `title` string, required
      - `tradition` string, required
    - `reference` string, required: "John 3:16", "Dhp 183", "BG 2.47-49" (a chunk in semantic search).
    - `text` string, required
    - `url` string, nullable, required: The public page that holds the text, or null.
    - `match` 'reference' | 'exact' | 'all' | 'near': Keyword search: how it matched.
    - `similarity` number: Semantic search: cosine similarity.
    - `strength` 'strong' | 'related' | 'weak': How close the result is: strong (most right answers score this), related, or weak (likely off the topic).
    - `urantiaParallels` object[], required: The nearest Urantia paragraphs (semantic parallels, not curated ones).
      - `standardReferenceId` string, required
      - `paperTitle` string, required
      - `sectionTitle` string, nullable, required
      - `text` string, required
      - `similarity` number, required
      - `rank` integer, required

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid request
- `404`: Work or reference not found
- `429`: Too many requests
- `500`: Internal server error

## Changes

- **2026-10-19** `a7d08cd0de9f`: 1 info
  - endpoint added

[Operation history](https://skmtc.dev/urantia/apis/urantia-papers-api/changes/works/:work/:ref/get.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/urantia/apis/urantia-papers-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/urantia/apis/urantia-papers-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/urantia/apis/urantia-papers-api/revisions/d046ecd9b449?raw)