diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/bspeice/minimalbible/activity/viewer/BibleViewClient.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/bspeice/minimalbible/activity/viewer/BibleViewClient.kt
index 4b20d07..46c445b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/bspeice/minimalbible/activity/viewer/BibleViewClient.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/bspeice/minimalbible/activity/viewer/BibleViewClient.kt
@@ -26,9 +26,24 @@ class BibleViewClient(b: Book, lookup: VerseLookupService) : WebViewClient() {
     JavascriptInterface fun getVerses(first: Int, count: Int): String {
         Log.e("getVerses", "First: " + first + " count: " + count)
         val verses: MutableList<String> = ArrayList<String>()
-        for (i in first..first + count - 1) {
+        var trueCount: Int
+        var trueFirst: Int
+        when {
+            first < 0 - count -> return ""
+            first < 0 -> {
+                trueCount = count + first // Equivalent to count - abs(first)
+                trueFirst = 0
+            }
+            else -> {
+                trueCount = count
+                trueFirst = first
+            }
+        }
+
+        for (i in trueFirst..trueFirst + trueCount - 1) {
             verses.add(getVerse(i))
         }
+        Log.e("getVerses", "return verses size: " + verses.size.toString())
         return verses.toString()
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/bspeice/minimalbible/service/format/osisparser/OsisParser.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/bspeice/minimalbible/service/format/osisparser/OsisParser.kt
index 1ace84c..e8eaf9a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/bspeice/minimalbible/service/format/osisparser/OsisParser.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/bspeice/minimalbible/service/format/osisparser/OsisParser.kt
@@ -17,13 +17,16 @@ class OsisParser(v: Verse) : DefaultHandler() {
 
     // Android Studio complains about compilation, but the method
     // has @NotNull annotations, so we program for those.
-    override fun startElement(uri: String, localName: String, qName: String, attributes: Attributes) {
-
-        if (localName.equals(OSISUtil.OSIS_ELEMENT_VERSE))
-            doWrite.push(true)
-        else
-            doWrite.push(false)
+    override fun startElement(uri: String, localName: String,
+                              qName: String, attributes: Attributes) {
+        when (localName) {
+            OSISUtil.OSIS_ELEMENT_VERSE -> doWrite.push(true)
+            else -> {
+                doWrite.push(false)
+            }
+        }
     }
+
     // Android Studio complains about compilation, but the method
     // has @NotNull annotations, so we program for those.
     override fun endElement(uri: String?, localName: String, qName: String) {