Joshua 1:9 — "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." — is the commissioning verse. It appears on the bodies of soldiers, missionaries, athletes, and anyone facing a calling they feel inadequate for.
Joshua 1:9 was given to Joshua at the moment he took over leadership of Israel from Moses — facing the conquest of an entire promised land with a generation that had been wandering for 40 years. The command "be strong and courageous" appears three times in Joshua 1 (verses 6, 7, 9) and is repeated by Moses in Deuteronomy 31. God is not telling Joshua he won't feel afraid — he is commanding him to act in courage despite fear, and grounding the courage in God's presence ("the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go"). The verse has become a favorite of: military personnel (its conquest context fits), first responders, missionaries (its commissioning context fits), and athletes (its command to courage fits). The verse is medium-length but breaks naturally into two halves.
“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.”
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
“Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land.”
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land.”
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them.”
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified.”
Joshua 1:9 is the most-tattooed Bible verse in the U.S. military for two reasons. First, context — God gave the command to Joshua as he led an army into combat. Second, content — the verse pairs the command to courage with the promise of God's presence, which matters when deployment separates you from family and familiar surroundings. The phrase "wherever you go" lands with particular weight for those whose orders may send them anywhere in the world.
The Hebrew is chazaq ve'ematz — two verbs in imperative form, both meaning "be strong" but with slightly different shades. Chazaq is strength to hold firm, to grasp tightly. Ematz is courage to act, to be bold. Together, the command is to hold your ground AND advance into difficulty — the steadiness of faith plus the action of obedience. The command is repeated three times in Joshua 1 (verses 6, 7, 9), emphasizing that this is not a one-time feeling but a sustained character.
Yes — Joshua 1:9 is one of the most popular athletic tattoo verses alongside Philippians 4:13. Athletes resonate with the command to courage (entering competition takes courage every time), the call to not be afraid or discouraged (the mental game), and the promise of God's presence "wherever you go" (every stadium, every season). The verse is often paired with sport-specific imagery (a basketball, baseball stitching, cleats) or with a jersey number.
The full verse (95 characters) works on the ribs (vertical), back, sleeve, or thigh. Truncated "Be strong and courageous" works on the forearm, shoulder, or wrist. The Hebrew chazaq ve'ematz is a popular minimalist alternative at the wrist or behind the ear. Military personnel often place it on the upper back or shoulder where it sits under uniform without showing.