But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Parallel translations
- WEB But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
- BSB But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.
- NKJV But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
- NASB But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided to you.
- NLT Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
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 God's kingdom first, and all these things will be added to you. Right priorities lead to God's faithful provision.
Overview
Jesus calls His disciples to make God's reign their supreme pursuit, trusting Him to supply their material needs. This reorders life around the eternal rather than the temporal. Seeking the kingdom means submitting to God's rule, advanced through Christ, with the promise that the Father will faithfully provide for those who do.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Matt 6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
- Heb 13:5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
- Ps 34:9O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
- 1 Kgs 3:11–13And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
- John 6:27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
- 1 Tim 4:8For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
- Ps 84:11For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
- Ps 37:25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
- Ps 37:3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
- Rom 8:31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
- Isa 33:16He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
- Ps 37:19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
- Luke 10:42But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 12:31 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.