49 Bible Verses about Repentance, Nature Of

And the LORD testified to Israel and to Judah, by all the prophets and by all the seers, saying, "Turn from your wicked ways and keep my commandments and mine ordinances according to all the laws which I commanded your fathers, and as I sent to you by my servants the prophets."

for they themselves show of you what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from images for to serve the living and true God,

Eschew evil, and do good; seek peace, and ensue it.

Let the ungodly man forsake his ways and the unrighteous his imaginations, and turn again unto the LORD: so shall he be merciful unto him; and to our God, for he is ready to forgive.

and saying, "Sirs, why do ye this? We are mortal men like unto you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is,

Submit yourselves to God, and resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purge your hearts ye wavering minded. Suffer afflictions: sorrow ye and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.read more.
Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.

Wherefore though I made you sorry with a letter I repent not: though I did repent. For I perceive that that same Epistle made you sorry though it were but for a season. But I now rejoice, not that ye were sorry, but that ye so sorrowed, that ye repented. For ye sorrowed godly: so that in nothing were ye hurt by us. For godly sorrow causeth repentance, unto salvation not to be repented of: when worldly sorrow causeth death.

Wherefore I give mine own self the blame, and take repentance in the dust and ashes."

The LORD is nigh unto them that are contrite in heart, and will save such as be of a humble spirit.

For thus sayeth the high and excellent, even he that dwelleth in everlastingness, whose name is the holy one: I dwell high above and in the sanctuary, and with him also, that is of a contrite and humble spirit: that I may heal a troubled mind, and a contrite heart.

As for these things, my hand hath made them all, and they are all created, sayeth the LORD. Which of them shall I then regard? Even him that is of a lowly troubled spirit, and standeth in awe of my works.

And now therefore saith the LORD: Turn to me with all your hearts, in fasting and lamentation. And tear your hearts and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God. For he is full of mercy and compassion, long ere he be angry, and great in mercy and repentance when he is at the point to punish.

And the publican stood afar off, and would not lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying, 'God be merciful to me, a sinner.'

Then he came to himself and said, 'How many hired servants at my father's have bread enough, and I die for hunger. I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.'

Then when he hath sinned in one of these things, he shall confess that wherein that he hath sinned,

{To the chanter, a Psalm of David, when the Prophet Nathan came unto him, after he was gone in to Bathsheba} Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences. Wash me well from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before me.

He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper; but who so knowledgeth them and forsaketh them, shall have mercy.

Turn Israel unto the LORD thy God: For thou art fallen for thy wickednesses' sake. Take words with you and turn unto the Lord. And say unto him, "Remit all wickedness and given things, and we will pay thee openly

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, "Ye have transgressed, that have taken strange wives, to make the trespass of Israel yet more: confess now therefore unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives."

Wherefore, tell the house of Israel, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Be converted, forsake your idols, and turn your faces from all your abominations.

Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them which from among the gentiles are turned to God: but that we write unto them, that they abstain themselves from filthiness of images, from fornication, from strangled, and from blood.

"Speak unto the children of Israel, whether it be man or woman, 'When they have sinned any manner of sin which a man doeth wherewith a man trespasseth against the LORD, so that the soul hath done amiss: then they shall knowledge their sins which they have done, and restore again the hurt that they have done in the whole, and put the fifth part of it more thereto, and give it unto him whom he hath trespassed against.

And Zacchaeus stood forth and said unto the Lord, "Behold Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have done any man wrong, I will restore him four fold."

For the LORD God, even the holy one of Israel, hath promised this: "In repentance and in rest shall ye be safe; in quietness and hope shall your strength lie."

But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord.

witnessing both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, the repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.

to open their eyes that they might turn from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in me.'

And yet the wicked, if he turn from all his sins which he did, and keep all mine ordinances, and do justly and righteously; he shall live and not die. None of the sins that he hath done shall be reckoned unto him: In the righteousness that he hath done, he shall live. For I desire not the death of a sinner, saith the Lord Jehovah, but rather that he should turn from his way, and live.

"Ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and since the time of your forefathers have ye not kept them. Turn you now unto me, and I will turn me unto you, sayeth the LORD of Hosts. Ye say, 'Wherein shall we turn?' Should a man use falsity and deceit with God, as ye use falsity and deceit with me? Yet ye say, 'Wherein use we deceit with thee?' In tithes and heave offerings. Therefore are ye cursed with penury, because ye dissemble with me, all the sort of you.read more.
Bring every tithe into my barn, that there may be meat in mine house: and prove me withal, sayeth the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven unto you, and pour you out a blessing with plenteousness.

but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Jewry, and to the gentiles, that they should repent, and turn to God, and do the right works of repentance.

Thus saith the LORD God: Wash and be clean; put away the wickedness of your imaginations out of my sight. Cease to do evil and learn to do well. Study to do righteously, and help the oppressed. Avenge the fatherless and defend the cause of widows. Come, let us show each his grief to other and make an atonement, saith the LORD.

Wherefore, O king, be content with my counsel, that thou mayest lose thy sins with righteousness, and thine offenses with mercy to poor people: for such things shall prolong thy peace."

Bring forth therefore the fruits belonging to repentance:

Bring forth due fruits of repentance; And begin not to say in yourselves, we have Abraham to our father. For I say unto you: God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

And the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" He answered and said unto them, "He that hath two coats, let him part with him that hath none: And he that hath meat, let him do likewise." Then came there publicans to be baptised, and said unto him, "Master, what shall we do?"read more.
And he said unto them, "Require no more than that which is appointed unto you." The soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no man: neither trouble any man wrongfully: But be content with your wages."

Nevertheless, her unfaithful sister Judah is not turned unto me again with her whole heart, but feignedly, sayeth the LORD."

And I will give them a heart, to know how that I am the LORD. They shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

And finally, when they shall have sinned against thee - for there is no man that sinneth not - and thou art angry with them and hast delivered them to their enemies, that they be carried away prisoners unto the land of their enemies, whether far or near; yet if they turn again unto their hearts in the land where they be in captivity, and return and pray unto thee in the land of them that hold them captive, saying, 'We have sinned and have done wickedly and have trespassed,' and so turn again unto thee with all their hearts and all their souls in the land of their enemies which hold them captive, and pray unto thee, toward the land which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:read more.
then hear thou their prayer and supplication up to heaven thy dwelling place, and judge their causes, and be merciful unto thy people that have sinned against thee, and unto all their trespass that they have trespassed against thee, and get them favour in the sight of them that hold them captive that they may have compassion on them.

If they shall sin against thee - as there is no man, but that he shall sin - and thou be angry with them and deliver them to their enemies, and they lead them away captive unto a country far or nigh; yet if their hearts come to them again in the land where they be in captivity, and turn and pray unto thee in the land where they be in captivity, saying, 'We have sinned and have done evil and wickedly,' and turn again to thee, with all their hearts and all their souls, in the land of their captivity where they be kept in bondage, and so pray toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, and city which thou hast chosen, and to his house which I have built for thy name;read more.
Then hear from heaven, thy dwelling place, their supplication and prayers and judge their cause, and be merciful unto thy people, though they have sinned against thee.

When he slew them, they sought him, and turned them early, and inquired after God. And they remembered that God was their strength, and that the high God was their redeemer. Nevertheless, they did but flatter him with their mouths, and dissembled with him in their tongues.read more.
For their heart was not whole with him, neither continued they steadfast in his covenant.

In their adversity they shall seek me, and say, "Come, let us turn again to the LORD: for he hath smitten us, and he shall heal us; He hath wounded us, and he shall bind us up again; after two days shall he quicken us, in the third day he shall raise us up, so that we shall live in his sight. Then shall we have understanding, and endeavor ourselves to know the LORD. He shall go forth as the spring of the day, and come unto us as the evening and morning rain upon the earth."read more.
O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, how shall I entreat thee? Seeing your love is like a morning cloud, and like a dew that goeth early away.

if peradventure they will hearken, and turn every man from his wicked way: that I may also repent of the plague, which I have determined to bring upon them, because of their wicked inventions.

And the LORD refrained himself from that evil, which he said he would do unto his people.

He thought upon his covenant, and pitied them, according unto the multitude of his mercies;

What great things have I given thee, O Ephraim? How faithfully have I defended thee, O Israel? Have I dealt with thee as with Adam? Or have I entreated thee like Zeboim? No, my heart is otherwise minded. Yea, my mercy is to fervent:

And tear your hearts and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God. For he is full of mercy and compassion, long ere he be angry, and great in mercy and repentance when he is at the point to punish.

The LORD God showed me such a vision: behold, there stood one that made grasshoppers, even when the corn was shooting forth, after the king had clipped his sheep. Now when they undertook to eat up all the green things in the land, I said, "O LORD God, be merciful, I beseech thee: who should else help up Jacob that is brought so low?" So the LORD was gracious therein, and the LORD said, "Well, it shall not be."read more.
Again, the LORD showed me this vision: behold, the LORD God called the fire to punish withal, and it devoured the great deep: yea, it consumed a part already. Then said I, "O LORD God, hold thine hand: who should else help up Jacob that is brought so low?" So the LORD was merciful therein, and the LORD God said, "Well, it shall not be."