Usage and Grammar

Q. When quoting from Scriptures, which are often interpreted as God literally speaking, is it grammatically correct to say “Psalm 1:1 reads” or “Psalm 1:1 says”?

A. You’re confusing grammar and theology here. Both sentences have perfect grammar; the choice of what to imply about the words’ origins is yours.

[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]