And when you are arrested and taken to court, do not worry ahead of time about what you are going to say; when the time comes, say whatever is then given to you. For the words you speak will not be yours; they will come from the Holy Spirit.

Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.

"When they bring you to be tried in the synagogues or before governors or rulers, do not be worried about how you will defend yourself or what you will say.

Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves,

because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say.

"This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes?

"So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?'

So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.

Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.

But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all.

Now, go! I will help you to speak, and I will tell you what to say."

You can speak to him and tell him what to say. I will help both of you to speak, and I will tell you both what to do.

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say.

Then the LORD reached out, touched my lips, and said to me, "Listen, I am giving you the words you must speak.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, "Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves.

But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up."

Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, answered them, "Leaders of the people and elders:

then you should all know, and all the people of Israel should know, that this man stands here before you completely well through the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth---whom you crucified and whom God raised from death.

Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us."

But there was nothing that they could say, because they saw the man who had been healed standing there with Peter and John.

Peter and the other apostles answered, "We must obey God, not men.

God raised him to his right side as Leader and Savior, to give the people of Israel the opportunity to repent and have their sins forgiven.

When the members of the Council heard this, they were so furious that they wanted to have the apostles put to death.

But the Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom that when he spoke, they could not refute him.

"King Agrippa! I consider myself fortunate that today I am to defend myself before you from all the things these Jews accuse me of,

"All the Jews know how I have lived ever since I was young. They know how I have spent my whole life, at first in my own country and then in Jerusalem.

And now I stand here to be tried because of the hope I have in the promise that God made to our ancestors---

Why do you who are here find it impossible to believe that God raises the dead?

That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the chief priests and put many of God's people in prison; and when they were sentenced to death, I also voted against them.

But the Lord stayed with me and gave me strength, so that I was able to proclaim the full message for all the Gentiles to hear; and I was rescued from being sentenced to death.