"Listento me, you who pursuerighteousness,Who seekthe LORD:Lookto the rockfrom which you were hewnAnd to the quarryfrom which you were dug.
and he wentout to meetAsaand saidto him, "Listento me, Asa,and allJudahand Benjamin:the LORDis with you when you are with Him. And ifyou seekHim, He will let you findHim; but ifyou forsakeHim, He will forsakeyou.
"But in their distressthey turnedto the LORDGodof Israel,and they soughtHim, and He let them findHim.
Thisis the generationof those who seekHim, Who seekYour face--[even] Jacob.Selah.
For judgmentwill againbe righteous,And allthe uprightin heartwill followit.
The wayof the wickedis an abominationto the LORD,But He lovesone who pursuesrighteousness.
He who pursuesrighteousnessand loyaltyFindslife,righteousnessand honor.
"I have not spokenin secret,In somedarkland;I did not sayto the offspringof Jacob,SeekMe in a wasteplace;I, the LORD,speakrighteousness,Declaringthingsthat are upright.
"Hearthis,O houseof Jacob,who are namedIsraelAnd who cameforthfrom the loinsof Judah,Who swearby the nameof the LORDAnd invokethe Godof Israel,[But] not in truthnorin righteousness.
"Listento Me, O Jacob,even Israelwhom I called;I am He, I am the first,I am alsothe last.
"Payattentionto Me, O My people,And giveearto Me, O My nation;For a lawwill goforthfrom Me, And I will setMy justicefor a lightof the peoples.
"Listento Me, you who knowrighteousness,A peoplein whose heartis My law;Do not fearthe reproachof man,Norbe dismayedat their revilings.
Seekthe LORDwhile He may be found;Callupon Him while He is near.
"Sharonwill be a pasturelandfor flocks,And the valleyof Achora restingplacefor herds,For My peoplewhoseekMe.
"Seekthe LORDthat you may live,OrHe will breakforthlike a fire,O houseof Joseph,And it will consumewith noneto quench[it] for Bethel,
Seekthe LORD,Allyou humbleof the earthWhohave carriedout His ordinances;Seekrighteousness,seekhumility.Perhapsyou will be hiddenIn the dayof the LORD'Sanger.
"Blessedare thosewho hungerand thirstfor righteousness,for they shall be satisfied.
"But seekfirstHis kingdomand His righteousness,and allthese thingswill be addedto you.
For not knowingabout God'srighteousnessand seekingto establishtheir own,they did not subjectthemselves to the righteousnessof God.
So thenwe pursuethe things which make for peaceand the buildingup of one another.
Brethren,I do not regardmyselfas having laid holdof [it] yet;but one thing[I do]: forgettingwhat [lies] behindand reaching forwardto what [lies] ahead,
But fleefrom these things,you manof God,and pursuerighteousness,godliness,faith,love,perseverance[and] gentleness.
Nowfleefrom youthfullustsand pursuerighteousness,faith,love[and] peace,with thosewho callon the Lordfrom a pureheart.
Pursuepeacewith all men,and the sanctificationwithoutwhichno onewill seethe Lord.
