19 Now repent, and change your ways, that your sins can be wiped away, so the Lord can send opportunities for you to heal and recover,

38 "Repent!" Peter told them. "All of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

30 God disregarded people's ignorance in the past, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent.

17 From that time on Jesus began declaring his message, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has arrived!"

8 Show by what you do that you have truly repented,*

15 "The time predicted has come," he said. "God's kingdom has arrived!* Repent and believe in the good news."

7 I tell you that there's more joy in heaven over a sinner that repents than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to repent.

10 I tell you there is joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner that repents.

32 "I didn't come to call those who are living right to repentance—I came to call sinners."

32 I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!"

21 However, if someone who is wicked stops sinning and keeps my laws, doing what is fair and right, they will certainly live—they won't die.

1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "What's this proverb you people are quoting about the country of Israel:

‘The fathers ate the unripe grapes, but their children got the sour taste’?*

3 As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more. 4 Can't you see that everyone belongs to me? Whether parents or children, they are all mine. It's the person who sins who will die.

5 Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.

6 He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman during her period. 7 He doesn't exploit anyone. He gives back what a debtor has given him as security. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked. 8 He doesn't lend with interest or make a profit from loans. He refuses to do wrong and makes sure he's truly fair in his decisions between people. 9 He follows my rules and keeps my regulations faithfully. Such a man lives by what's right and he will certainly live, declares the Lord God.

10 What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed 11 even though the father doesn't act like that at all. The son goes to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal. He has sex with someone else's wife. 12 He exploits the poor and those in need. He robs others, and he doesn't give back what a debtor has given him as security. He worships idols. He commits disgusting sins. 13 He lends with interest and makes a profit from loans. Is someone like this going to live? No, he won't! Because he has done all these offensive things, he will die for certain, and he will be responsible for his own death.

14 Now what if this man has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed. He sees them but doesn't do the same. 15 He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife. 16 He doesn't exploit anyone. He doesn't demand security for a loan. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked. 17 He refuses to do wrong and does not charge interest or make a profit on loans. He keeps my regulations and follows my laws. A man like that won't die because of his father's sins, he will certainly live! 18 But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people. 19 You ask, ‘Why shouldn't the son pay for his father's sins?’ If the son has done what is fair and right, keeping all my laws, then he'll live, he won't be punished.*

20 It's the person who sins who will die. A son won't pay for his father's sins, and a father won't pay for his son's sins. The good consequences of living right will come to those who are good; the evil consequences of wickedness will come to those who are evil.

21 However, if someone who is wicked stops sinning and keeps my laws, doing what is fair and right, they will certainly live—they won't die. 22 None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live. 23 Do I like it when wicked people die? declares the Lord God. Of course not—I would be delighted if they stopped sinning and lived!

24 But if someone who is living according to what's right stops and does wrong, doing the same offensive things as the wicked, will that person live? Of course not! In fact, all the good things they did previously will be forgotten. That person will die because of their betrayal of me and the sins they've committed.

25 Even so you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’

People of Israel, listen to me! Is it what I'm doing that isn't right? Isn't it what you're doing that isn't right?

26 If someone who lives according to what's right stops doing right and does wrong, they will die. They will die because of wrong things they've done.

27 But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.

29 But the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord's way isn't right.’

Are my ways unfair, people of Israel? Isn't it your ways that aren't fair?

30 Consequently I'm going to judge you, people of Israel! I will judge each of you depending on what you've done, declares the Lord God. Repent and stop rebelling so that your sins won't bring you down. 31 Get rid of all your rebellious sins! Change your way of thinking and have a new spirit. Why do you want to die, people of Israel?

32 I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!"

9 The Lord is not delaying the fulfillment of his promise, as some define delay, but he is being very patient with you. He doesn't want anyone to be lost, but everyone to come and repent.

7 Wicked people should change their ways and get rid of even the thought of doing something wrong. They should turn to the Lord so he can be merciful to them. Come back to our God, because he's generous with his forgiveness.

22 I have wiped away your acts of rebellion as if they were like a cloud, your sins as if they were like the mist. Come back to me, for I have set you free."

12 "Yet even now," says the Lord, "Come back to me while there is still time. Come to me with all your heart, with fasting and prayer.

13 Repent in your minds, and not by tearing your clothes."* Come back to the Lord your God for he is gracious and kind. He is slow to get angry and full of faithful love, and changes his mind about sending punishment.

14 and if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and return to me, and turn away from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.

1 Then Hezekiah sent an announcement to everyone in Israel and Judah, and also sent letters to Ephraim and Manasseh,* inviting them to come to the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to observe the Passover in the second month,* 3 because they hadn't been able to observe it at the usual time since not enough priests had purified themselves and the people hadn't had time to get to Jerusalem.

4 The plan seemed right to both the king and the whole assembly. 5 So they decided to send an announcement to everyone in Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, inviting people to come and keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, for many had not done as the Law required.

6 So messengers went to all of Israel and Judah carrying letters from the king and his officials and with the king's authorization. They said, "Children of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped the oppression of the kings of Assyria. 7 Don't be like your fathers and those of you who sinned against the Lord, the God of your forefathers He made them into something horrifying, as you can see. 8 So don't be proud and obstinate like your fathers, but give yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has made holy forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may no longer fall on you.

9 If you come back to the Lord, your relatives and children will receive mercy from their captors and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. He will not reject you if you come back to him."

10 The messengers went from town to town all over the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun; but the people laughed at them and mocked them. 11 Only some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun weren't too proud to go to Jerusalem.

12 At this time the power of God was helping the people in Judah to all have the same desire to follow the orders of the king and his officials, as indicated by the word of the Lord.

13 Many people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month—a really large crowd. 14 They went and removed the pagan altars in Jerusalem as well as the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. 15 On the fourteenth day of the second month they killed the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed,* and they purified themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord's Temple. 16 They stood at their assigned positions, according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices, which the Levites gave to them.

17 Since many people in the assembly had not purified themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs on behalf of every unclean person to dedicate the lambs to the Lord. 18 Most of the people, many of those from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not purified themselves. Yet they ate the Passover meal even though this was not what the Law required, for Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good Lord forgive everyone 19 who sincerely wants to follow the Lord God, the God of their forefathers, even though they're not clean according to the sanctuary requirements." 20 The Lord accepted Hezekiah's prayer and permitted them this violation.*

21 The people of Israel who were there in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great enthusiasm, and every day the Levites and priests praised the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments. 22 Hezekiah spoke positively to all the Levites who showed a good understanding of the Lord. For seven days they ate the food that was assigned to them, presented friendship offerings, and gave thanks to the Lord, the God of their forefathers. 23 Everyone then agreed to continue to celebrate the festival for seven more days. So for another seven days they celebrated, full of joy.

24 Hezekiah, king of Judah, gave a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep as offerings on behalf of the assembly. The officials in turn gave a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep as offerings on behalf of the assembly. A large number of priests purified themselves.

25 The whole assembly of Judah celebrated, together with the priests and Levites, and also with the whole assembly that had come from Israel, including the foreigners from Israel and those living in Judah. 26 There was such tremendous happiness in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, nothing like this had happened in the city. 27 The priests and the Levites stood up to bless the people, and God heard them—their prayer ascended to where he lived in heaven.

1 The Lord sent a message to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, in the eighth month of the second year of king Darius' reign, saying:*

2 The Lord was very angry* with your forefathers. 3 So tell the people this: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty.* 4 You must not be like your forefathers. They were told by previous prophets: Give up your evil ways, and the evil things you do. But they would not listen or pay any attention to me, says the Lord. 5 Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, did they live forever? 6 But didn't all my instructions and warnings* that I ordered my servants the prophets to communicate, didn't all that I said happen to your forefathers? So they repented and said, "What the Lord Almighty planned to do to us was what we deserved because of our ways and our actions. He did what he said he would."

7 The Lord sent a message to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat) of the second year of king Darius' reign:

8 During the night I saw a man sitting on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees in a narrow valley. Behind him were red, brown, and white horses with their riders.* 9 I asked him, "My lord, what are these?" The angel I was talking to replied, "I will show you." 10 The man who was there among the myrtle trees said, "These are the ones the Lord has sent out to patrol the earth." 11 The riders* reported to the angel of the Lord who was among the myrtle trees, "We have been patrolling the earth and saw that the whole earth has been pacified.*"

12 Then the angel of the Lord said, "Lord Almighty, how long will it be before you have mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah which you have been angry with for the past seventy years?"

13 So the Lord replied to the angel I was talking to with kind and comforting words.

14 Then the angel I was talking with told me, "This is what you are to announce. The Lord Almighty says this: I am jealously protective* of Jerusalem and Mount Zion, 15 and I am extremely angry with the arrogant nations who think they are secure. I was only a little angry with my people,* but they made the punishment far worse.*

16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: I have returned to be merciful to Jerusalem. My Temple shall be rebuilt there, as well as the city,* declares the Lord Almighty.

17 Announce this as well, says the Lord Almighty: Prosperity will flood out of my cities. I the Lord will comfort Zion, and Jerusalem will be my chosen city."

18 Then I looked and saw four animal horns.* 19 "What are these?" I asked the angel I was talking to.

"These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem," he replied.

20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.* 21 "What are these men coming to do?" I asked.

The angel replied, "The four horns—these nations—scattered Judah, humbling the people so that they could not lift up their heads. These craftsmen have to come to terrify these nations, and to destroy them—those who used their power against the land of Judah, scattering the people."

19 Those I love I correct and discipline. So be really sincere, and repent.

5 So kill your worldly nature—sexual sin, immorality, lust, evil desires, greedily wanting to have more—this is the worship of idols.

13 and don't use any parts of your body as evil tools of sin. Instead dedicate yourselves to God as those who have been brought back from death to life, and use all parts of your body as tools to do something good for God.

1 My friends, if someone is led astray by sin, you who are spiritual should bring them back with a gentle spirit. Watch out that you don't get tempted too.

21 So get rid of all that's filthy and evil. Humbly accept the word that's been implanted within you—for this is what can save you.