Almost every 'be strong and courageous' in the Bible is said to someone who has a good reason to be afraid. That's what makes these verses worth more than a poster. Courage here isn't the absence of fear; it's acting while God goes with you.
A verse to start with
For courage
Joshua 1:9
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.
World English Bible (WEB)
Why this fits
Joshua has just inherited leadership from Moses, the only leader the nation has ever known, and is about to cross into hostile territory. God says 'be courageous' three times in nine verses. The command comes with a reason: 'Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.' The courage rests on the company, not on Joshua's nerve.
7 verses for courage
Joshua 1:9
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.
World English Bible (WEB) · Narrative
Joshua has just inherited leadership from Moses, the only leader the nation has ever known, and is about to cross into hostile territory. God says 'be courageous' three times in nine verses. The command comes with a reason: 'Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.' The courage rests on the company, not on Joshua's nerve.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for Yahweh your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.
World English Bible (WEB) · Narrative
Moses, at the end of his life, speaking to the whole people before they go on without him. 'He will not fail you nor forsake you' is the promise the New Testament later quotes in Hebrews 13. If courage feels impossible because you're losing someone or something you leaned on, this is the passage.
Psalm 27:1
Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
World English Bible (WEB) · Psalm (poetry)
Two rhetorical questions, and the psalm expects the answer 'no one.' David wrote this while surrounded by enemies (verse 3 mentions an army camped against him). The courage is derived: if God is the light and the stronghold, the list of things worth fearing gets short.
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
World English Bible (WEB) · Prophecy
'Don't be dismayed' is stronger than 'don't worry.' It means don't look around anxiously for help. The verse answers with a hand: 'I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.' For a moment that needs steadiness more than boldness, this is the verse.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
World English Bible (WEB) · Letter (epistle)
Timothy seems to have been naturally cautious, and Paul doesn't scold him for it. He reminds him what he's been given: power, love, and a sound mind. Courage in this verse looks like clear thinking and love, not bravado. 'Fear' here is the word for cowardice or timidity, a shrinking back, not the healthy caution that keeps you alive. Paul writes it from prison, to a young pastor who is watching his mentor suffer, so it isn't cheap advice.
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
World English Bible (WEB) · Psalm (poetry)
Written for a city under threat, this psalm describes mountains falling into the sea and says, essentially, we still won't fear. It's the source of Luther's 'A Mighty Fortress.' The courage isn't naive; the psalm names the chaos and then names something stronger.
Exodus 14:14
Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still.
World English Bible (WEB) · Narrative
Israel is trapped between Pharaoh's army and the sea. Moses' instruction isn't 'fight bravely' but 'be still.' Sometimes courage is doing the hard thing; sometimes it's not panicking and letting God act. Knowing which situation you're in matters. The next verse has God telling Moses to stop crying out and get the people moving, so stillness and action sit side by side in the same story. Courage may mean waiting quietly for the sea to open, and then walking.
What is the most famous Bible verse about courage?
Joshua 1:9 ("Be strong and courageous. Don't be afraid") is quoted most often. Deuteronomy 31:6 and Psalm 27:1 are close behind.
Does the Bible say fear is wrong?
The people told to be courageous are almost always in genuinely frightening situations, and the text doesn't shame them for fear. The instruction is to act anyway, on the basis that God is present.