Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. | Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. |
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. | Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. |
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Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out. | Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. |
I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. | I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. |
Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. | Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! |
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” | From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” |
And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” | “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!” |
While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent. | 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. |
Peter said to them, “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.” | 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.” |
If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive. | 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. |
Bear fruit worthy of repentance. | Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. |
I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. | I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent. |
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. | 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! |
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live. | I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live! |
God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? | 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? |
The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come 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. |
I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. | 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. |
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. | 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. |
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, in Jesus.” | 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.” |
Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. | In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents. |
Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you. | Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise. |
Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God, instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. | 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. |