Sacred texts · Bible
35 Bible verses for encouragement
A Bible verse for encouragement is a word from Scripture that gives you courage without pretending the hard part isn’t there. “Be strong and of a good courage,” says Joshua 1:9, precisely because the road ahead is hard. This page gathers verses for days when everything feels heavy, for taking heart, for holding on over time, and for encouraging someone else.
Every verse is quoted word for word from the King James Version, with its reference. They come from the Selfia app, which offers verses and sacred texts alongside its affirmations. Keep in mind that these words were first written to real people in very hard places: exile, war, prison. That is where their strength comes from. They don’t promise that everything will be fine tomorrow; they say you are not alone while it isn’t.
Bible verses for encouragement on hard days
These verses were written by people at the end of their rope: “troubled on every side, yet not distressed,” Paul writes. They don’t describe a life without falls. They speak of someone who falls and gets back up, and of a God who upholds all that fall.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench.
Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.
Bible verses to take heart
“Be strong and of a good courage” comes back again and again in the Bible, often right when someone has to start a task too big for them. These verses fit the morning of an exam, a job interview, a medical appointment or a difficult conversation.
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 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.
Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed.
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not.
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong.
Bible verses about perseverance and not giving up
Some trials don’t resolve in a day. These passages talk about running a race, reaping in due season and labor that is not in vain. They encourage you to keep going one step at a time, even when the results are slow to show up.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Bible verses to encourage someone
A verse can go with a message to a friend in a rough season. Pick a short one, add a line of your own to say you are thinking of them, and avoid sending it as a fix. What it really says is that you are still there.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.
How to read these verses for encouragement
Choose one verse for the day instead of reading them all at once. Read it in the morning, out loud if you can, and write it on a slip of paper or in your phone’s notes. During the day, come back to it when tiredness or doubt shows up. At night, ask yourself what it gave you: a little courage, another way of seeing things, or nothing at all that day, which happens too.
If you pray, you can put the verse into your own words as a request. If you keep a journal, copy it with the date; rereading those pages months later often shows how far you have come.
Frequently asked questions
What Bible verse should I read when I feel discouraged?
Joshua 1:9 is often the first one people reach for: “Be strong and of a good courage.” For exhaustion, Isaiah 40:31 speaks of strength being renewed; after a setback, Proverbs 24:16 says a just man falls seven times and rises up again. Pick the one closest to what you are living today.
What verse can I send to someone going through a hard time?
A short verse works better than a long passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 asks us to comfort and build one another up, and Galatians 6:2 to bear one another’s burdens. Add a few words of your own and don’t expect a reply. If the person isn’t a believer, a simple line of support may fit better than a verse.
Which Bible translation is quoted?
The verses are quoted from the King James Version, which is in the public domain in the United States and most countries, and each one was compared word for word with an edition published online. The French version of this page quotes the Louis Segond 1910. The references let you find each passage in any Bible.
Is a verse enough when things are really bad?
No. A verse can support you, but it doesn’t replace a friend, a doctor or professional care. If you are thinking about suicide or feel unsafe, call or text 988 in the US, call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK, or find a local line at findahelpline.com. Many believers lean on their faith and on care at the same time.