1194 verses about Encouragement

and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. Yahweh says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for Yahweh is with you.’”

They rose early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”

The men who have been mentioned by name rose up and took the captives, and with the plunder clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them, gave them sandals, and gave them something to eat and to drink, anointed them, carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of Yahweh. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness.

He set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the wide place at the gate of the city, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,

“Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude who is with him; for there is a greater one with us than with him.

An arm of flesh is with him, but Yahweh our God is with us to help us and to fight our battles.” The people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

He set the priests in their offices, and encouraged them in the service of Yahweh’s house.

All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build God’s house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, until the matter should come to Darius, and an answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

Moreover I make a decree what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered.

The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

and has extended loving kindness to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. I was strengthened according to Yahweh my God’s hand on me, and I gathered together chief men out of Israel to go up with me.

Arise; for the matter belongs to you, and we are with you. Be courageous, and do it.”

Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, I picked up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence.

I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why shouldn’t my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?”

I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may build it.”

The king said to me (the queen was also sitting by him), “How long will your journey be? When will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time for him.

and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.” The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me.

Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won’t be disgraced.”

I told them of the hand of my God which was good on me, as also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. They said, “Let’s rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

Next to him, Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they fortified Jerusalem even to the wide wall.

But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.

He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”

So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height: for the people had a mind to work.

Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading, and there is much rubble; so that we are not able to build the wall.”

When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.

I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.

Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”

I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?”

They sent to me four times like this; and I answered them the same way.

For they all would have made us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands.

When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they lost their confidence; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”

So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Don’t be grieved.”

By the spring gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of David’s city, at the ascent of the wall, above David’s house, even to the water gate eastward.

Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.

He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to make request before him, for her people.

Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.

Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both near and far,

as the days in which the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending presents of food to one another, and gifts to the needy.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.

So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

“If someone ventures to talk with you, will you be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

Behold, you have instructed many, you have strengthened the weak hands.

Your words have supported him who was falling, You have made firm the feeble knees.

“To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.

He will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.

If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up;’

“For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease.

Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?

but I would strengthen you with my mouth. The solace of my lips would relieve you.

“Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.

So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”

You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to you. Light shall shine on your ways.

When they cast down, you shall say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.

I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.

I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.

“However doesn’t one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?

I will speak, that I may be refreshed. I will open my lips and answer.

Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a wide place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.

Yahweh turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. Yahweh gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Then came there to him all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that Yahweh had brought on him. Everyone also gave him a piece of money, and everyone a ring of gold.

But you, Yahweh, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.

I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who have set themselves against me on every side.

Yahweh will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. My body shall also dwell in safety.

Show your marvelous loving kindness, you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.

Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.

the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?

He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.

He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.

May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,

send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion,

May He grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your counsel.

For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

that I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard, and tell of all your wondrous deeds.

Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident.

For in the day of trouble, he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the secret place of his tabernacle, he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock.

Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh.

Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.

For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,

I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.

You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will counsel you with my eye on you.