Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. | Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. |
Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. | No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. |
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Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! | Repent and renounce all your transgressions. Otherwise your iniquity will prove to be your downfall. |
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. | Repent, therefore, and be converted so that your sins may be wiped away. |
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” | From that day forward Jesus began to proclaim the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” |
“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” | The time of fulfillment has arrived, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. |
God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. | God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, but now he commands people everywhere to repent. |
I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. | I reprove and discipline all those whom I love. Therefore, be sincere in your desire to repent. |
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” | Peter answered, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” |
If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive. | If your brother should sin, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day, and comes back to you seven times to say, ‘I am sorry,’ you must forgive him. |
I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent. | I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. |
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. | The Lord does not delay in keeping his promise, as some think in terms of delay, but he is patient with you. It is not his wish that any should perish but rather that all should be brought to repentance. |
I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live! | I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Repent and live! |
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? | God is not human, that he should lie, or the son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act, does he promise and then not fulfill it? |
I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. | I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I am. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. |
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. | Produce good fruit as proof of your repentance. |
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. | My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not spurn. |
In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! | In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. |
In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents. | In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents. |
Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise. | If you would seriously consider my reproof, I would pour out my thoughts to you and make my precepts known to you. |
Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” | Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” |
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. | Such godly sorrow results in repentance that leads to salvation and causes no regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death. |
The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.” | For thus says the One who is high and exalted, who lives eternally and whose name is holy: I dwell in a high and holy place but I am with the contrite and the humble, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite. |
So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. | Therefore, let us leave behind the basic teaching about Christ and advance toward maturity. We must not be forever laying the foundation: repentance for actions that lead to death, faith in God, instruction about baptisms and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. |