Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. | Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. |
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 turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. |
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. | Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out. |
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” | From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” |
“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!” | And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” |
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. | While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent. |
I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. | I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and 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 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.” |
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 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. |
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 come to call not 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 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. |
I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live! | For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, 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 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? |
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 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. |
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. | Bear fruit worthy of repentance. |
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. | The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. |
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! | 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 joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents. | Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of 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. | Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words 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, in 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. | For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief 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 high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, 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 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. |