Bible verses about courage: 18 passages for when you have to be brave
In the Bible, courage is not the absence of fear but acting because God is with you: be strong and courageous, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). Scripture shows courage in leaders, in ordinary people who had to speak up, and in those who obeyed without knowing the outcome. These passages are in the Berean Standard Bible with the King James wording alongside.
When you are stepping into something big
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”Joshua 1:9 (BSB)
God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous three times in this one chapter. The command always comes with the reason: God is with you.
King James Version
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”Deuteronomy 31:6 (BSB)
Moses said this to the whole nation knowing he would not cross the Jordan with them. The one who goes with them is not Moses, but God.
King James Version
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you before all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.1 Chronicles 28:20 (BSB)
David to his son Solomon, about building the temple. Courage here is for a long project, not a single battle, and it ends with two plain words: do it.
King James Version
And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?” “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”Judges 6:14-15 (BSB)
Gideon was hiding from raiders while threshing wheat when God called him a mighty warrior. God says go in the strength you have, and Gideon’s reply is every insecure person’s objection.
King James Version
And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.When you have to speak up
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”Esther 4:14 (BSB)
Mordecai to Esther. God’s name never appears in the book of Esther, yet this line is full of quiet trust that no one is in their place by accident.
King James Version
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”Esther 4:16 (BSB)
Going to the king uninvited could mean death. Esther did not act on impulse: she fasted, asked others to fast with her, and then went.
King James Version
Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.Acts 4:13 (BSB)
The Greek word for boldness means speaking freely and plainly. The explanation the council reached: these ordinary men had been with Jesus.
King James Version
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,Acts 4:29 (BSB)
The church had just been threatened. They did not pray for safety or for the threats to stop. They prayed for boldness.
King James Version
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.Proverbs 29:25 (BSB)
A snare is a hidden trap. Fear of what people think catches you quietly, and trust in God is the way out.
King James Version
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.When the outcome is not guaranteed
If the God whom we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”Daniel 3:17-18 (BSB)
Three young men facing a furnace. Their courage did not depend on being rescued: God is able, but even if he does not, they would not bow.
King James Version
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”2 Samuel 10:12 (BSB)
Joab before a battle on two fronts. Do your part bravely, then leave the result with God: may the LORD do what is good in his sight.
King James Version
Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”Matthew 14:27 (BSB)
Spoken on a lake at night in a storm. It is I is, in Greek, the same phrase as I am, which echoes the name God gave Moses at the burning bush.
King James Version
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”Acts 23:11 (BSB)
The night after a council meeting turned so violent that Paul was nearly torn apart, the Lord stood beside him. The courage came as company, and with a hard assignment still ahead.
King James Version
And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.When your courage is running low
Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?Psalm 27:1 (BSB)
David asks two questions and answers neither out loud. With God as light and stronghold, the list of people to fear gets very short.
King James Version
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!Psalm 27:14 (BSB)
The same psalm ends by pairing courage with waiting, and says wait twice. Sometimes bravery looks like patience.
King James Version
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.”1 Samuel 17:37 (BSB)
Before he faced Goliath, David remembered the lion and the bear. Courage for today is often built from remembering what God did yesterday.
King James Version
David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?Psalm 56:3-4 (BSB)
Written when David was seized by the Philistines in Gath. When I am afraid, not if: fear and trust sit in the same sentence.
King James Version
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong. Do everything in love.1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (BSB)
Paul’s call to stand firm and be courageous is followed immediately by do everything in love. Biblical courage is never harsh.
King James Version
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.How to find courage in prayer
- Name the brave thing. A hard conversation, a diagnosis, a new job, saying no. Tell God exactly what you have to face.
- Remember one lion and one bear. Like David, write down one time God helped you before. Read it back.
- Ask for boldness, not just safety. Pray Acts 4:29 in your own words.
- Take the first small step today. Courage grows as you move. You do not need to feel brave before you begin.
If you want a verse in your pocket for a specific moment, you can ask Versiah for passages about that situation and save the one that meets you. Reading it aloud just before you walk in helps more than you might expect.
Questions people ask
What does the Bible say about courage?
The Bible repeatedly commands God’s people to be strong and courageous, and always grounds that command in God’s presence (Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:6). Courage in Scripture means obeying and acting even when afraid, trusting God with the outcome (Daniel 3:17-18).
Is it a sin to be afraid?
No. David wrote when I am afraid, I will trust in you (Psalm 56:3), and Jesus himself was deeply distressed in Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-34). Fear is a human feeling. The Bible’s concern is what we do with it: bring it to God and take the next faithful step.
Where does it say be strong and courageous in the Bible?
The phrase appears several times around Israel’s entry into the promised land, including Deuteronomy 31:6-7, Joshua 1:6-9 and Joshua 10:25. David also says it to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:20, and Psalm 27:14 and Psalm 31:24 echo it.
What is the best Bible verse for courage?
Joshua 1:9 is the verse most people reach for, because it ties courage to God’s presence wherever you go. For speaking up in a hard situation, Esther 4:14 and Acts 4:29 are powerful.
Which Bible translation is used on this page?
Each verse is shown in the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), a modern public-domain translation, with the King James Version (KJV) under each passage.
Read next
- Bible verses about fear: 16 passages for when you are afraidBible verses about fear with the BSB and KJV text and a short note on each: Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 56:3-4, 2 Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:18 and more.
- Bible verses about strength: 16 passages for when you have nothing leftBible verses about strength for hard days, in the BSB and KJV with a note on each: Isaiah 40:29-31, Philippians 4:13, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 and more.
- Bible verses about faith: 17 passages for when believing is hardBible verses about faith in the BSB and KJV, with a short note on each: Hebrews 11:1, Mark 9:24, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Matthew 17:20, James 1:2-4 and more.
- Bible verses about protection: 19 passages for when you or someone you love is at riskBible verses about protection and safety in the BSB and KJV, with a note on each: Psalm 91, Psalm 121, Proverbs 18:10, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 and more.