32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
7 I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News."
12 "Yet even now," says the LORD, "turn to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning."
22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions,
and, as a cloud, your sins.
Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
13 Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14 if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
1 Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted.
19 "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
1 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the LORD’s house at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. 2 For the king had taken counsel with his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem to keep the Passover in the second month. 3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, and the people had not gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. 4 The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly. 5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it in great numbers in the way it is written.
6 So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, according to the commandment of the king, saying, "You children of Israel, turn again to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant of you that have escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Don’t be like your fathers and like your brothers, who trespassed against the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as you see. 8 Now don’t be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 9 For if you turn again to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with those who led them captive, and will come again into this land, because the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you if you return to him."
10 So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but people ridiculed them and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 Also the hand of God came on Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the LORD’s word.
13 Many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14 They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the altars for incense and threw them into the brook Kidron. 15 Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the LORD’s house. 16 They stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD. 18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than the way it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good the LORD pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even if they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary."
20 The LORD listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. 21 The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments to the LORD. 22 Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of the LORD. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings and making confession to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
23 The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. 25 All the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came out of Israel, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Israel and who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.
38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts.
Let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!
17 From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.
9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn yourselves, and live!
30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
5 Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
10 Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting."
13 Tear your heart and not your garments,
and turn to the LORD, your God;
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness,
and relents from sending calamity.
21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
21 "But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die.
1 The LORD’s word came to me again, saying, 2 "What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying,
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins, he shall die.
5 "But if a man is just,
and does that which is lawful and right,
6 and has not eaten on the mountains,
hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
hasn’t defiled his neighbour’s wife,
hasn’t come near a woman in her impurity,
7 and has not wronged any,
but has restored to the debtor his pledge,
has taken nothing by robbery,
has given his bread to the hungry,
and has covered the naked with a garment;
8 he who hasn’t lent to them with interest,
hasn’t taken any increase from them,
who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity,
has executed true justice between man and man,
9 has walked in my statutes,
and has kept my ordinances,
to deal truly;
he is just,
he shall surely live," says the Lord GOD.
10 "If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things, 11 or who does not do any of those things
but has eaten at the mountain shrines
and defiled his neighbour’s wife,
12 has wronged the poor and needy,
has taken by robbery,
has not restored the pledge,
and has lifted up his eyes to the idols,
has committed abomination,
13 has lent with interest,
and has taken increase from the poor,
shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood will be on him.
14 "Now, behold, if he fathers a son who sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and fears, and doesn’t do likewise,
15 who hasn’t eaten on the mountains,
hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
hasn’t defiled his neighbour’s wife,
16 hasn’t wronged any,
hasn’t taken anything to pledge,
hasn’t taken by robbery,
but has given his bread to the hungry,
and has covered the naked with a garment;
17 who has withdrawn his hand from the poor,
who hasn’t received interest or increase,
has executed my ordinances,
has walked in my statutes;
he shall not die for the iniquity of his father. He shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good amongst his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity.
19 "Yet you say, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live. 20 The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.
21 "But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 22 None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" says the Lord GOD, "and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?
24 "But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die.
25 "Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal? 26 When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it, then he dies in his iniquity that he has done. 27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he will save his soul alive. 28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair?
30 "Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn yourselves, and live!
1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the LORD’s word came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, 2 "The LORD was very displeased with your fathers. 3 Therefore tell them, the LORD of Armies says: ‘Return to me,’ says the LORD of Armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of Armies. 4 Don’t you be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: The LORD of Armies says, ‘Return now from your evil ways and from your evil doings;’ but they didn’t hear nor listen to me, says the LORD. 5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, didn’t they overtake your fathers?
"Then they repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Armies determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.’"
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the LORD’s word came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, 8 "I had a vision in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood amongst the myrtle trees that were in a ravine; and behind him there were red, brown, and white horses. 9 Then I asked, ‘My lord, what are these?’"
The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
10 The man who stood amongst the myrtle trees answered, "They are the ones the LORD has sent to go back and forth through the earth."
11 They reported to the LORD’s angel who stood amongst the myrtle trees, and said, "We have walked back and forth through the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and in peace."
12 Then the LORD’s angel replied, "O LORD of Armies, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years?"
13 The LORD answered the angel who talked with me with kind and comforting words. 14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, ‘The LORD of Armies says: "I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, but they added to the calamity." 16 Therefore the LORD says: "I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it," says the LORD of Armies, "and a line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem."’
17 "Proclaim further, saying, ‘The LORD of Armies says: "My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem."’"
18 I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns. 19 I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these?"
He answered me, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."
20 The LORD showed me four craftsmen. 21 Then I asked, "What are these coming to do?"
He said, "These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it."