“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
Parallel translations
- WEB Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
- KJV And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
- BSB And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.
- NASB And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying.
- NLT “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things.
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
Do not seek anxiously after what you will eat or drink. Disciples are freed from being driven by worry over provision.
Overview
Jesus repeats His call to abandon anxious striving for daily necessities. Such fretful seeking marks a heart that has forgotten the Father's care. In place of worry, He will direct His disciples to seek the kingdom, trusting God to supply what they need.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Matt 6:31“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’
- Luke 12:22He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.
- Luke 22:35He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse, and wallet, and shoes, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”
- Luke 10:7–8Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 12:29 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 Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.