Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.
Parallel translations
- WEB Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more.
- KJV Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
- NKJV Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
- NASB Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.
- NLT Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually. God's people are called to a lifelong, ongoing pursuit of Him.
Overview
This repeated call to seek God's strength and presence frames worship as continual dependence on Him rather than a one-time act. Seeking His face means longing for fellowship with God Himself, not merely His gifts. The verse echoes throughout Scripture's invitation to draw near to God, fully opened to believers through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ps 27:8–9My heart said, “Seek His face.” Your face, O LORD, I will seek.
- Zeph 2:2–3before the decree takes effect and the day passes like chaff, before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the Day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you.
- Ps 68:35O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!
- Ps 24:6Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. Selah
- Ps 67:1For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song. May God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
- Ps 4:6Many ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD.
- Amos 5:6Seek the LORD and live, or He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph; it will devour everything, with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.
- 2 Chr 6:41Now therefore, arise, O LORD God, and enter Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. May Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and may Your godly ones rejoice in goodness.
- Ps 78:61He delivered His strength to captivity, and His splendor to the hand of the adversary.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 16:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.