10 Don’t be afraid. I am with you.

Don’t tremble with fear.

I am your God.

I will make you strong,

as I protect you with my arm

and give you victories.

2 When you cross deep rivers,

I will be with you,

and you won’t drown.

When you walk through fire,

you won’t be burned

or scorched by the flames.

4 To me, you are very dear,

and I love you.

That’s why I gave up nations

and people to rescue you.

5 Don’t be afraid! I am with you.

From both east and west

I will bring you together.

4 Don’t be afraid or ashamed

and don’t be discouraged.

You won’t be disappointed.

Forget how sinful you were

when you were young;

stop feeling ashamed

for being left a widow.

1 *I, the Lord, was ready

to answer even those

who were not asking

and to be found by those

who were not searching.

To a nation that refused

to worship me,*

I said, "Here I am!"

31 But those who trust the Lord

will find new strength.

They will be strong like eagles

soaring upward on wings;

they will walk and run

without getting tired.

8 After this, I heard the Lord ask, "Is there anyone I can send? Will someone speak for us?"

"I’ll go," I answered. "Send me!"

9 I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

9 I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

16 The people answered:

We could never worship other gods or stop worshiping the Lord. 17 The Lord is our God. We were slaves in Egypt as our ancestors had been, but we saw the Lord work miracles to set our people free and to bring us out of Egypt. Even though other nations were all around us, the Lord protected us wherever we went.

6 Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.

8 *The Lord will lead you into the land. He will always be with you and help you, so don’t ever be afraid of your enemies.

31 What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us?

15 **God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.*

2 We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them.

5 God is the one who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow Christ.

11 I want to see you and share with you the same blessings that God’s Spirit has given me. Then you will grow stronger in your faith. 12 What I am saying is that we can encourage each other by the faith that is ours.

13 Christ gives me the strength to face anything.

6 God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.

17 Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.

16 We never give up. Our bodies are gradually dying, but we ourselves are being made stronger each day.

17 These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing.

7 We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 8 We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. 9 In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. 10,11 We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so his life can also be seen in us.

11 We know what it means to respect the Lord, and we encourage everyone to turn to him. God himself knows what we are like, and I hope you also know what kind of people we are. 12 We are not trying once more to brag about ourselves. But we want you to be proud of us, when you are with those who are not sincere and brag about what others think of them.

13 If we seem out of our minds, it is between God and us. But if we are in our right minds, it is for your good. 14 We are ruled by Christ’s love for us. We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died. 15 And Christ did die for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us.

16 We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in this way. 17 Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so Christ could make us acceptable to God.

12 It doesn’t matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.

3 Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. 4 He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble.

33 I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.*

33 I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.*

27 I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can give. It isn’t like the peace this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.

27 I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can give. It isn’t like the peace this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.

18 A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows we have not really learned to love.

28 *If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.

28 *Don’t be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell.

22 Our Lord, we belong to you.

We tell you what worries us,

and you won’t let us fall.

4 I may walk through valleys

as dark as death,

but I won’t be afraid.

You are with me,

and your shepherd’s rod*

makes me feel safe.

4 I may walk through valleys

as dark as death,

but I won’t be afraid.

You are with me,

and your shepherd’s rod*

makes me feel safe.

1 You, Lord, are the light

that keeps me safe.

I am not afraid of anyone.

You protect me,

and I have no fears.

14 Trust the Lord!

Be brave and strong

and trust the Lord.

24 All who trust the Lord,

be cheerful and strong.

8 You said to me,

"I will point out the road

that you should follow.

I will be your teacher

and watch over you.

1 God is our mighty fortress,

always ready to help

in times of trouble.

2 And so, we won’t be afraid!

Let the earth tremble

and the mountains tumble

into the deepest sea.

3 Let the ocean roar and foam,

and its raging waves

shake the mountains.

3 but even when I am afraid,

I keep on trusting you.

4 I praise your promises!

I trust you and am not afraid.

No one can harm me.

17 Our Lord and our God,

treat us with kindness

and let all go well for us.

Please let all go well!

1 I look to the hills!

Where will I find help?

2 It will come from the Lord,

who created heaven and earth.

8 *I will always look to you,

as you stand beside me

and protect me from fear.

9 The poor can run to you

because you are a fortress

in times of trouble.

10 Everyone who honors your name

can trust you,

because you are faithful

to all who depend on you.

7 *God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.

6 On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while.

13 Can anyone really harm you for being eager to do good deeds? 14 **Even if you have to suffer for doing good things, God will bless you. So stop being afraid and don’t worry about what people might do.

11 This is why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.

11 This is why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.

24 We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. 25 Some people have given up the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer.

5 *Don’t fall in love with money. Be satisfied with what you have. The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us. 6 *This should make you feel like saying,

"The Lord helps me!

Why should I be afraid

of what people

can do to me?"

58 My dear friends, stand firm and don’t be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.

13 Keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong.

13 Keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong.

7 God’s Spirit* doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.

20 But you must see that everything is done according to these plans. Be confident, and never be afraid of anything or get discouraged. The Lord my God will help you do everything needed to finish the temple, so it can be used for worshiping him.

17 The Lord your God

wins victory after victory

and is always with you.

He celebrates and sings

because of you,

and he will refresh your life

with his love."*

11 I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering.

23 Hard work is worthwhile,

but empty talk

will make you poor.

17 Jesus said to them, "Follow me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish." 18 Right then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him.

2 That night, God spoke to him in a dream and said, "Jacob! Jacob!"

"Here I am," Jacob answered.

11 Then God’s angel called me by name. I answered,

11 But the Lord's angel shouted from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"

"Here I am!" he answered.

4 When the Lord saw Moses coming near, he called him by name from the bush, and Moses answered, "Here I am."

16 But Eli told him, "Samuel, my boy, come here!"

"Yes, sir!" Samuel answered.

10 A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, "Lord, here I am."

38 Mary said, "I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said." And the angel left her.

6 Five sparrows are sold for only a few cents, but God doesn’t forget a single one of them. 7 Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don’t be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.