Isa 51:7, 12, Mat 10:28, Luk 12:4-7, 21:12-19, Act 4:19-31, 5:40-42 | ESV | STEP | Listen to me, you who know righteousness , the people in whose heart is my law ; fear not the reproach of man , nor be dismayed at their revilings .

7 ^a“Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
the people ^bin whose heart is my law;
^cfear not the reproach of man,
nor be dismayed at their revilings.

Isaiah 51:12

12 “I, I am he ^dwho comforts you;
who are you that you are afraid of ^eman who dies,
of the son of man who is made ^flike grass,

Matthew 10:28

28 And ^gdo not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him ^hwho can destroy both soul and body in hell. ^{▼▼Greek Gehenna}

Luke 12:4-7

Have No Fear

4 “I tell you, my friends, ^jdo not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him ^kwho, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. ^{▼▼Greek Gehenna} Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? ^{▼▼Greek two assaria; an assarion was a Roman copper coin worth about 1/16 of a denarius (which was a day’s wage for a laborer)} And ⁿnot one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, ^oeven the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; ^pyou are of more value than many sparrows.

Luke 21:12-19

12 But before all this ^qthey will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to ^rthe synagogues and ^sprisons, and you ^twill be brought before ^ukings and ^vgovernors for my name’s sake. 13 ^wThis will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds ^xnot to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for ^yI will give you a mouth and ^zwisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or ^aacontradict. 16 You will be delivered up ^abeven by parents and brothers ^{▼▼Or parents and brothers and sisters} and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 ^adYou will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But ^aenot a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your ^afendurance you will gain your lives.

Acts 4:19-31

19 But Peter and John answered them, ^ag“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for ^ahwe cannot but speak of what ^aiwe have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, ^ajbecause of the people, for all were praising God ^akfor what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices ^altogether to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, ^amwho made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, ^{▼▼Or child; also verses 27, 30} said by the Holy Spirit,

^ao“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and ^apthe rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his ^aqAnointed’ ^{▼▼Or Christ}—
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your ^asholy servant Jesus, ^atwhom you anointed, both ^auHerod and ^avPontius Pilate, along ^awwith the Gentiles and ^axthe peoples of Israel, 28 ^ayto do whatever your hand and ^azyour plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, ^balook upon their threats and grant to your servants ^{▼▼Greek bondservants} to continue to speak your word with all ^bcboldness, 30 while ^bdyou stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed ^bethrough the name of your ^bfholy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, ^bgthe place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and ^bhthey were all filled with the Holy Spirit and ^bicontinued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 5:40-42

40 and ^bjwhen they had called in the apostles, ^bkthey beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, ^blrejoicing that they were counted worthy ^bmto suffer dishonor for ^bnthe name. 42 And every day, ^boin the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and ^bppreaching ^bqthat the Christ is Jesus.