19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you 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 So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent,

17 From that time Jesus began to *preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance;

15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and *believe in the gospel."

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 people who have no need of repentance.

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

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

32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord God. "Therefore, repent and live!"

21 "But if the wicked person turns from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.

1 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "What do you people mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel, saying,

‘The fathers eat sour grapes,

*But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt’?

3 As I live," declares the Lord *God, "you certainly are not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. 4 Behold, all *souls are Mine; the *soul of the father as well as the *soul of the son is Mine. The *soul who sins will die.

5 "But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, 6 if he does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period— 7 and if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, 8 and if he does not *lend money at interest or take *interest, if he keeps his hand from injustice and executes true justice between one person and another, 9 if he walks in My statutes and keeps My ordinances so as to deal faithfully—he is righteous and will certainly live," declares the Lord God.

10 "However, he may father a violent son who sheds blood, and does any one of these things to a brother 11 (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but raises his eyes to the idols and commits abomination, 13 lends money at interest and takes *interest; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he shall certainly be put to death; his blood will be on himself.

14 "Now behold, he has fathered a son who saw all his father’s sins which he committed, but he has seen them and does not do likewise. 15 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; he has not defiled his neighbor’s wife, 16 nor oppressed anyone, nor retained a pledge, nor committed robbery; instead, he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, 17 he keeps his hand from *the poor, does not take any kind of interest on loans, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father’s guilt, he will certainly live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his guilt.

19 "Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not suffer the punishment for the father’s guilt?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them, he shall certainly live. 20 The person who sins will die. A son will not suffer the punishment for the father’s guilt, nor will a father suffer the punishment for the son’s guilt; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

21 "But if the wicked person turns from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die. 22 All his offenses which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord God, "*rather than that he would turn from his ways and live?

24 "But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and does according to all the abominations that the wicked person does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. 25 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? 26 When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and dies because of it, for his injustice which he has committed he dies. 27 But when a wicked person turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. 28 Since he understood and turned away from all his offenses which he had committed, he shall certainly live; he shall not die. 29 But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

30 "Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord God. "Repent and turn away from all your offenses, so that wrongdoing does not become a stumbling block to you. 31 Hurl away from you all your offenses which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord God. "Therefore, repent and live!"

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

7 Let the wicked abandon his way,

And the unrighteous person his thoughts;

And let him return to the Lord,

And He will have compassion on him,

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

22 "I have wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud

And your sins like a *heavy mist.

Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."

12 "Yet even now," declares the Lord,

"Return to Me with all your heart,

And with fasting, weeping, and mourning;

13 And tear your heart and not merely your garments."

Now return to the Lord your God,

For He is gracious and compassionate,

Slow to anger, abounding in mercy

And relenting of catastrophe.

14 and 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, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

1 Now Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem to *celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month, 3 since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. 4 So the *decision was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly. 5 So they established a decree to circulate a *proclamation throughout Israel from Beersheba to Dan, that they are to come to celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as was written. 6 The *couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king, saying, "Sons of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and are left from the *hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were untrue to the Lord God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, just as you see. 8 Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but*yield to the Lord and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you. 9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will find compassion in the presence of those who led them captive, and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him."

10 So the *couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed at them with scorn and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless, some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.

13 Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly. 14 They got up and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the brook Kidron. 15 Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the Lord. 16 They stood at their stations following their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore, the Levites were in charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to consecrate them to the Lord. 18 For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, and Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good Lord pardon 19 everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary." 20 So the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 The sons of Israel present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests were praising the Lord day after day with loud instruments to the Lord. 22 Then Hezekiah spoke *encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of the Lord. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their fathers.

23 Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a large number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and all the assembly that came from Israel, both the strangers who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. 27 Then the Levitical priests stood and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying, 2 "The Lord was very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: "Return to Me," declares the Lord of armies, "*that I may return to you," says the Lord of armies. 4 "Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: "Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds." ’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me," declares the Lord. 5 "Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, not *overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘Just as the Lord of armies planned to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’ " ’ "

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, *as follows: 8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, *sorrel, and white horses behind him. 9 Then I said, "What are these, my lord?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are." 10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, "These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to *patrol the earth." 11 So they responded to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, "We have *patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is *still and quiet."

12 Then the angel of the Lord said, "Lord of armies, how long will You take no pity on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been indignant for these seventy years?" 13 And the Lord responded to the angel who was speaking with me with *gracious words, comforting words. 14 So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: "I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 But I am very angry with the nations who are carefree; for while I was only a little angry, they *furthered the disaster." 16 Therefore the Lord says this: "I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it," declares the Lord of armies, "and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem." ’ 17 Again, proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: "My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem." ’ "

18 *Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns. 19 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these?" And he said to me, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." 20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 And I said, "What are these coming to do?" And he said, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah so that no one lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to frighten them, to throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it."

19 Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

5 Therefore, *treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which *amounts to idolatry.

13 and do not go on presenting *the parts of your body to sin as*instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and *your body’s parts as*instruments of righteousness for God.

1 Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.

21 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all*that remains of wickedness, in *humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.