49 Bible Verses to Overcome Distress

I know life can throw some serious curveballs, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose your peace. But I want you to remember that even when things get tough, you're not alone. God is always there with you.

His word offers incredible strength in those difficult moments. Philippians 4:6¹ says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Think about that for a second. No matter what you're facing, you can bring it to God.

Let that peace of Christ settle in your heart. Trust in His truth. What really matters isn't what your circumstances might say about you right now, but what your Heavenly Father has planned for your life in eternity.

¹Philippians 4:6 New International Version

But the Teshu'at Tzaddikim is of Hashem; He is their ma'oz (stronghold, refuge) in the time of tzoros.

Let them wander up and down for okhel (food), and howl if they be not satisfied.

The chevlei Sheol snaked around me; the snares of mavet confronted me.

I called upon Hashem in distress; Hashem answered me, and set me in a broad place.

And He shall judge the tevel (world) in tzedek, He shall govern the nations with justice.

Hashem is tov, a maoz (stronghold) in the Yom Tzarah; and Hashem knoweth them that take refuge in Him.

The face of Hashem is against them that do rah, to cut off the zekher (remembrance) of them from ha'aretz.The tzaddikim cry, and Hashem heareth, and delivereth them out of all their tzoros.

HASHLECH AL ADONOI Y'HAVECHA V'HU Y'CHALKELECHA (Cast your care on Hashem and He will sustain you), because Hashem cares and is concerned about you.

They looked unto Him, and were radiant; and their panim were not ashamed.

These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have shalom. In the Olam Hazeh you have tribulation; but have lev same'ach. I have conquered the Olam Hazeh.

Be anxious in nothing, but in everything by tefillah and by techinnah (supplication) with hodayah (thanksgiving), let your requests be made known before Hashem,And the shalom Hashem, surpassing all binah (understanding), will guard your levavot and your machshavot (thoughts) in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.

In the multitude of my anxieties within me Thy comforts delight my nefesh.

And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall not be any longer Mavet, nor Avelut nor weeping nor pain; the former things have passed away.”

The tzaddikim cry, and Hashem heareth, and delivereth them out of all their tzoros.

Come to me, all you who are burden-weary and heavy laden, and I will give you Shabbos menuchah.Take my ol (yoke) upon you and learn from me, for I am anav (humble) and have shiflut (lowliness) in lev (heart), and you will find menuchah (rest, security) for your nefashot (souls).They asked him, Tell us. Are you Hu Habah (He who comes) or is our chikiah (wait) to be for the Bias (Coming) of another?For my ol (yoke) is easy and my burden is light.

Anxiety in the lev ish causeth depression, but a davar tov cheers it up.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am Eloheicha; I will strengthen thee; indeed, I will help thee; indeed, I will uphold thee with My yamin tzedek.

(For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. Al-alamot. Shir)

Hashem is near unto them whose lev is broken; and saveth such whose ruach is contrite.

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his lev; his devarim were softer than shemen, yet they were drawn swords.

Better is little with the Yirat Hashem than otzar rav (great treasure) and trouble therewith.

As with the crushing of my atzamot (bones), mine tzorer (vexers, harassers) reproach me; while they say all day long unto me, Where is Eloheicha?

(For the one directing. With stringed instruments. Of Dovid)Hear my cry, Elohim; attend unto my tefillah.

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the choice foods, and drink the sweet things, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is kadosh unto Adoneinu; neither be ye grieving; for the chedvah (joy) of Hashem is your strength.

And we have da'as that for those who love Hashem everything co-operates toward HaTov for those who are HaKeru'im (the summoned, called ones) according to the etzah (wisdom) of the tochnit Hashem (G-dʼs purposeful and willed plan or goal).

When I remember these things, I pour out my nefesh within me; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the Beis Elohim with the voice of rinnah and todah, with the multitude keeping Chag (holy day, pilgrim feast).

Although the etz te'enah shall not blossom, neither shall grape be on the gefen; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no okhel; the tzon shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls;Yet I will rejoice in Hashem, I will joy in the G-d of my salvation.

The ruach ish will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed ruach who can bear?

When thou passest through the mayim, I will be with thee; and through the neharot, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the eish, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Chaver, it is my tefillah that all may be hatzlocha (successful) with you, and that you may be shalem b'guf (healthy), just as your nefesh (soul) is matsli'ach (successful).

Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of their faces; for Hashem Eloheicha, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor abandon thee.

Baruch hu Hashem Elohim Avi of Adoneinu Yehoshua HaMoshiach, Avi HaRachamim vaElohei kol nechamah (comfort),The one giving us chizzuk (strengthening) with respect to all our tzoros so as to enable us to give chizzuk to the ones experiencing tzoros, and that through the nechamah (comfort) by which we ourselves are comforted by Hashem.

Sing unto Hashem, O ye chasidim of His, and give thanks to His Zekher Kodesh.

Yea, though I walk through the Gey Tzalmavet (Valley of the Shadow of Death), I will fear no rah (evil); for Thou art with me; Thy shevet (rod) and Thy staff they comfort me.

Shalom Hashem I leave with you, my Shalom I give to you, not as the Olam Hazeh gives, I give to you; let not your levavot be troubled, nor let them be ones of morech lev (cowardliness).

(Of Dovid) 1 Hashem is my ohr and Yishi (my Salvation); whom shall I fear? Hashem is the ma'oz (stronghold) of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?When avi and immi forsake me, then Hashem will take me up.Teach me Thy Derech, Hashem, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.Deliver me not over unto the desire of mine enemies; for edei sheker are risen up against me, and such as breathe out chamas.Did I not believe to see Hashemʼs goodness in the Eretz Chayyim!Wait for Hashem: Chazak! And strengthen thine lev. Wait, I say, for Hashem.When the resha'im, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to devour my basar, they stumbled and fell.Though an army should encamp against me, my lev shall not fear; though milchamah should break out against me, in this will I be confident.

For we do not have a Kohen Gadol who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without chet.Therefore, let us approach with bitachon the Kisse of Chesed, that we may receive rachamim and may find chesed for timely ezrah (aid).

No keli (weapon, instrument) that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every leshon (tongue) that shall rise against thee in mishpat (judgment, accusation) tarshi'i (thou shalt condemn, prove false, refute, prove wrong). This is the nachalat avdei Hashem (the heritage of the servants of Hashem), and their tzedakah (righteousness, vindication) is from Me, saith Hashem.

(Shir HaMa'alot) 1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the harim (hills), from whence cometh ezri (my help).Ezri (my help) cometh from Hashem, Oseh Shomayim va'Aretz.

Fier zich (comport oneself) in your derech free of chamdanut (covetousness), being content with what you have, for He Himself has said, LO ARPECHA V'LO E'EZVECHA (I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you),So that we say with bitachon, HASHEM LI my helper, LO IRA MAH YA'ASEH LI ADAM? (The L-rd is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?)

But now thus saith Hashem that created thee, O Ya'akov, And He that formed thee, O Yisroel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy shem; thou art Mine.Ye are My edim (witnesses), saith Hashem. And Avdi whom I have chosen, so that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that Ani Hu (I am He); before Me there was no El formed, neither shall there be after Me.I, even I, am Hashem; and apart from Me there is no Moshi'a.I have declared, and have saved, and I have proclaimed, when there was no zar (foreign) [g-d] among you; therefore you are My edim (witnesses), saith Hashem, that I am El.Yes, before the yom was, Ani Hu (I am He); and there is none that can deliver out of My Yad; I work, and who shall reverse it?Thus saith Hashem, your Go'el, the Kadosh Yisroel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and I shall bring down the fugitives, all of them, even the Kasdim (Chaldeans), whose shout of joy is in the ships.I am Hashem, your Kadosh, t the Boreh Yisroel, your Melech.Thus saith Hashem, which maketh a derech in the yam, and a path in the mayim azzim (mighty waters);Which drew out the merkavah and sus, the army and warrior; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick.Remember ye not the rishonot (former things) neither consider kadmoniyyot (the things of old).Hineni, I am doing a chadashah (new thing); now titzmach (it shall spring forth; Tzemach); shall ye not perceive it? I will even make a derech in the midbar, and neharot in the desert.When thou passest through the mayim, I will be with thee; and through the neharot, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the eish, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Thou wilt keep him in shalom shalom, whose yetzer (mind-set) is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee.

Commit thy derech (road, way) unto Hashem; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.

May the Elohei HaTikvah (the G-d of hope) fill you with simcha and shalom in believing, that you may overflow in tikvah (hope), in the ko'ach (power) of the Ruach Hakodesh.

For I am convinced that neither Histalkus nor Chayyim nor Malachim nor Rulers, neither things present nor things to come nor kochot (powers),Neither height nor depth nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the ahavas Hashem which is in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua Adoneinu.

And let the shalom of Moshiach arbitrate in your levavot. You were called to this shalom in one GUF. Let there be todah in your levavot.

Therefore, do not have a LEV ROGEZ for tomorrow, for makhar (tomorrow) will care for itself. Each day has enough tzoros of its own.

But the p'ri of the Ruach HaKodesh is ahavah (agape), simcha (joy), shalom (peace), savlanut (patience), nedivut (generosity, kindness), chesed (loving-kindness), ne'emanut (faithfulness),Anavah (meekness, shiflut, lowliness), shlitah atzmi (self-control)…would you not agree? — against these things there is no issur (proscription in the Torah).

(For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. Al-alamot. Shir) He maketh milchamot to cease unto the end of ha'aretz; He breaketh the keshet (bow), and cutteth the khanit (spear); He burneth the chariots in the eish.Be still, and know that I am Elohim: I will be exalted among the Goyim, I will be exalted in ha'aretz.Hashem Tzva'os is with us; Elohei Ya'akov is our stronghold. SelahElohim is our refuge and strength, a very present help in tzoros.

Prayer