17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

8 Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.

13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’* For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.*"

15 "The time is fulfilled," He said, "and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!"

3 No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

19 Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,

30 Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.

19 Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

32 For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live![’’]

14 and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

1 Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel. 2 For the king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month,* 3 since they had been unable to keep it at the regular time, because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not been gathered in Jerusalem.

4 This plan pleased the king and the whole assembly. 5 So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem. For they had not observed it in great numbers as prescribed.

6 At the command of the king, the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read:

"Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, as you can see.

8 Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him."

10 And the couriers traveled from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD.

13 In the second month, a very great assembly gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.* 14 They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem and to take away the incense altars and throw them into the Kidron Valley. 15 And on the fourteenth day of the second month they slaughtered the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.

16 They stood at their prescribed posts, according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splattered the blood, which they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 Since there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every unclean person to consecrate the lambs to the LORD.

18 A large number of the people— many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun— had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone 19 who sets his heart on seeking God — the LORD, the God of his fathers — even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary."

20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and priests praised the LORD day after day, accompanied by loud instruments of praise to the LORD.* 22 And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD. For seven days they ate their assigned portion, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

23 The whole assembly agreed to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah contributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the officials contributed a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the assembly, and a great number of priests consecrated themselves.

25 Then the whole assembly of Judah rejoiced along with the priests and Levites and the whole assembly that had come from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and those who lived in Judah. 26 So there was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had happened there since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel.

27 Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.

13 So rend your hearts and not your garments,

and return to the LORD your God.

For He is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.*

And He relents from sending disaster.

1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying:

2 "The LORD was very angry with your fathers. 3 So tell the people that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Return to Me, declares the LORD of Hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Hosts.’

4 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Turn now from your evil ways and deeds.’

But they did not listen or pay attention to Me, declares the LORD.

5 Where are your fathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’"

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat,* in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.

8 I looked out into the night and saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the hollow, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.

9 "What are these, my lord?" I asked.

And the angel who was speaking with me replied, "I will show you what they are."

10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, "They are the ones the LORD has sent to patrol the earth."

11 And the riders answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, "We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and tranquil."

12 Then the angel of the LORD said, "How long, O LORD of Hosts, will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been angry these seventy years?"

13 So the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.

14 Then the angel who was speaking with me said, "Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, 15 but I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease. For I was a little angry, but they have added to the calamity.*’

16 Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there My house will be rebuilt, declares the LORD of Hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’

17 Proclaim further that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘My cities will again overflow with prosperity; the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’"

18 Then I looked up and saw four horns. 19 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these?"

And he told me, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

20 Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

21 "What are these coming to do?" I asked.

And He replied, "These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head; but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations that have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it."

13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper,

but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.

23 If you had repented at my rebuke,

then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you;

I would have made my words known to you.

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.

10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents."

8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.