Bible Topics   
The Work of God  

Repentance

Leviticus 26:40-42

40 Until they confess their iniquities and the iniquities of their ancestors, whereby they have transgressed me, and walked contrary unto me.
41 Therefore I also will walk them, and bring them into their enemies' land until their uncircumcised mind be ashamed: then shall they pray for their sins.
42 And I will remember my covenant, that I made with Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham. I will remember also the land.

Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should be changed. Hath he said then, and will he not do? hath he spoken, and will he not fulfil?

Deuteronomy 10:16

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and stiffen your neck no more.

2 Chronicles 7:14

And my people, upon whom my name is called, being converted, shall make supplication to me, and seek out my face, and do penance for their most wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.

Job 22:23-24

23 If thou wilt return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, and shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle.
24 He shall give for earth flint, and for flint torrents of gold.

Job 42:6

Therefore I reprehend myself, and do penance in dust and ashes.

Psalm 7:12-14

12 God is a just judge, strong and patient: is he angry every day?
13 Except you will be converted, he will brandish his sword: he hath bent his bow and made it ready.
14 And in it he hath prepared the instruments of death, he hath made ready his arrows for them that burn.
15 Behold he hath been in labour with injustice; he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth iniquity.

Psalm 55:19-20 DR 54:20-21

God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God:
21 he hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant,

Isaiah 57:15

For thus saith the High and the Eminent that inhabiteth eternity: and his name is Holy, who dwelleth in the high and holy place, and with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Jeremiah 9:5-7

And a man shall mock his brother, and they will not speak the truth: for they have taught their tongue to speak lies: they have laboured to commit iniquity.
6 Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit: Through deceit they have refused to know me, saith the Lord.
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts: Behold I will melt, and try them: for what else shall I do before the daughter of my people?

Jeremiah 18:8

If that nation against which I have spoken, shall repent of their evil, I also will repent of the evil that I have thought to do to them.

Jeremiah 26:3

If so be they will hearken and be converted every one from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil that I think to do unto them for the wickedness of their doings.

Jeremiah 26:13

Now therefore amend your ways, and your doings, and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God: and the Lord will repent of the evil that he hath spoken against you.

Jeremiah 31:18-19

18 Hearing I heard Ephraim when he went into captivity: thou hast chastised me, and I was instructed, as a young bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Convert me, and I shall be converted, for thou art the Lord my God.
19 For after thou didst convert me, I did penance: and after thou didst shew unto me, I struck my thigh: I am confounded and ashamed, because I have borne the reproach of my youth.

Ezekiel 14:6

Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God: Be converted, and depart from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Ezekiel 18:30-31

30 Therefore will I judge every man according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God.
Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will you die, O house of Israel?

Hosea 5:14-15

14 For I will be like a lioness to Ephraim, and like a lion's whelp to the house of Juda: I, I will catch, and go: I will take away, and there is none that can rescue.
15 I will go and return to my place: until you are consumed, and seek my face.

Hosea 6:1-2

1 In their affliction they will rise early to me: Come, and let us return to the Lord:
2 For he hath taken us, and he will heal us: he will strike, and he will cure us.

Amos 5:4-6

4 For thus saith the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek ye me, and you shall live.
5 But seek not Bethel, and go not into Galgal, neither shall you pass over to Bersabee: for Galgal shall go into captivity, and Bethel shall be unprofitable.
6 Seek ye the Lord, and live: lest the house of Joseph be burnt with fire, and it shall devour, and there shall be none to quench Bethel.

Jonah 3:9

9 Who can tell if God will turn, and forgive: and will turn away from his fierce anger, and we shall not perish?
10 And God saw their works, that they were turned from their evil way: and God had mercy with regard to the evil which he had said that he would do to them, and he did it not.

Zephaniah 3:19

Behold I will cut off all that have afflicted thee at that time: and I will save her that halteth, and will gather her that was cast out: and I will get them praise, and a name, in all the land where they had been put to confusion.

Malachi 3:5-7

5 And I will come to you in judgment, and will be a speedy witness against sorcerers, and adulterers, and false swearers, and them that oppress the hireling in his wages; the widows, and the fatherless:
and oppress the stranger, and have not feared me, saith the Lord of hosts.
6 For I am the Lord, and I change not: and you the sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 For from the days of your fathers you have departed from my ordinances, and have not kept them: Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord of hosts. And you have said: Wherein shall we return?

Matthew 3:2

And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 3:8

Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance.

Matthew 3:11

I indeed baptize you in the water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire.

Matthew 4:17

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

Matthew 11:20-22

20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance.
21 Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.

Matthew 18:3

3 And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 21:32

3 And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 1:4

John was in the desert baptizing, and preaching the baptism of penance, unto remission of sins.

Mark 1:15

And saying: The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel.

Mark 6:12-13

12 And going forth they preached that men should do penance:
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Luke 3:8

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance; and do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

Luke 5:32

I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.

Luke 13:3

No, I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish.

Luke 15:7

I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.

Luke 16:30-31

30 But he said: No, father Abraham: but if one went to them from the dead, they will do penance.
31 And he said to him: If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, if one rise again from the dead.

Luke 17:3-4

3 Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him: and if he do penance, forgive him.
4 And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying, I repent; forgive him.

Luke 24:47

And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Acts 2:38

But Peter said to them: Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 3:19

Be penitent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.

Acts 5:31

Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.

Acts 11:18

Having heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying: God then hath also to the Gentiles given repentance unto life.

Acts 17:30

And God indeed having winked at the times of this ignorance, now declareth unto men, that all should every where do penance.

Acts 20:21

Testifying both to Jews and Gentiles penance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 26:20

But to them first that are at Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and unto all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles did I preach, that they should do penance, and turn to God, doing works worthy of penance.

Romans 2:4

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and patience, and longsuffering? Knowest thou not, that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance?

2 Corinthians 7:9

9 Now I am glad: not because you were made sorrowful; but because you were made sorrowful unto penance. For you were made sorrowful according to God, that you might suffer damage by us in nothing.
10 For the sorrow that is according to God worketh penance, steadfast unto salvation; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

2 Timothy 2:19

But the sure foundation of God standeth firm, having this seal: the Lord knoweth who are his; and let every one depart from iniquity who nameth the name of the Lord.

Hebrews 6:1-6

1 Wherefore leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us go on to things more perfect, not laying again the foundation of penance from dead works, and of faith towards God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and imposition of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, have tasted also the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 Have moreover tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 And are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord delayeth not his promise, as some imagine, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance.

Apocalypse 2:5

Be mindful therefore from whence thou art fallen: and do penance, and do the first works. Or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance.

Apocalypse 2:16

In like manner do penance: if not, I will come to thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Apocalypse 3:3

Have in mind therefore in what manner thou hast received and heard: and observe, and do penance. If then thou shalt not watch, I will come to thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I will come to thee.

Apocalypse 3:19

Such as I love, I rebuke and chastise. Be zealous therefore, and do penance.

Wisdom 11:23 DR 11:24

But thou hast mercy upon all, because thou canst do all things, and overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance.

Wisdom 12:10

But executing thy judgments by degrees thou gavest them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a wicked generation, and their malice natural, and that their thought could never be changed.

Wisdom 12:19

But thou hast taught thy people by such works, that they must be just and humane, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope: because in judging thou givest place for repentance for sins.

Tobias 3:1-6

1 Then Tobias sighed, and began to pray with tears,
2 Saying: Thou art just, O Lord, and all thy judgments are just, and all thy ways mercy, and truth, and judgment:
3 And now, O Lord, think of me, and take not revenge of my sins, neither remember my offenses, nor those of my parents.
4 For we have not obeyed thy commandments, therefore are we delivered to spoil and to captivity, and death, and are made a fable, and a reproach to all nations, amongst which thou hast scattered us.
5 And now, O Lord, great are thy judgments, because we have not done according to thy precepts, and have not walked sincerely before thee:
6 And now, O Lord, do with me according to thy will, and command my spirit to be received in peace: for it is better for me to die, than to live.

Ecclesiasticus 17:20-28

20 But to the penitent he hath given the way of justice, and he hath strengthened them that were fainting in patience, and hath appointed to them the lot of truth.
21 Turn to the Lord, and forsake thy sins:
22 Make thy prayer before the face of the Lord, and offend less.
23 Return to the Lord, and turn away from thy injustice, and greatly hate abomination.
24 And know the justices and judgments of God, and stand firm in the lot set before thee, and in prayer to the most high God.
25 Go to the side of the holy age, with them that live and give praise to God.
26 Tarry not in the error of the ungodly, give glory before death. Praise perisheth from the dead as nothing.
27 Give thanks whilst thou art living, whilst thou art alive and in health thou shalt give thanks, and shalt praise God, and shalt glory in his mercies.
28 How great is the mercy of the Lord, and his forgiveness to them that turn to him

Ecclesiasticus 18:13-14

13 He hath mercy, and teacheth, and correcteth, as a shepherd doth his hock.
14 He hath mercy on him that receiveth the discipline of mercy, and that maketh haste in his judgments.

Ecclesiasticus 18:20-21 DR 18:19-20

19 Before judgment prepare thee justice, and learn before thou speak.
20 Before sickness take a medicine, and before judgment examine thyself, and thou shalt find mercy in the sight of God.

Ecclesiasticus 21:6 DR 21:7

He that hateth to be reproved walketh in the trace of a sinner: and he that feareth God will turn to his own heart.

Prayer of Manasseh 7-8-13
© NRSV Apocrypha National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA.

7 for you are the Lord Most High, of great compassion, long-suffering, and very merciful, and you relent at human suffering. O Lord, according to your great goodness you have promised repentance and forgiveness to those who have sinned against you, and in the multitude of your mercies you have appointed repentance for sinners, so that they may be saved.
8 Therefore you, O Lord, God of the righteous, have not appointed repentance for the righteous, for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did not sin against you, but you have appointed repentance for me, who am a sinner.
13 I earnestly implore you, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me! Do not destroy me with my transgressions! Do not be angry with me forever or store up evil for me; do not condemn me to the depths of the earth. For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,

2 Esdras
© NRSV Apocrypha National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA.

2 Esdras 7:133

133 and gracious, because he is gracious to those who turn in repentance to his law;

2 Esdras 9:11

11 and as many as scorned my law while they still had freedom, and did not understand but despised it while an opportunity of repentance was still open to them,

2 Esdras 16:67

67 Indeed, God is the judge; fear him! Cease from your sins, and forget your iniquities, never to commit them again; so God will lead you forth and deliver you from all tribulation.

The Work of God - On Prayer

The Work of God Library

Acknowledgment. All Bible quotations taken from the Douay Rheims Bible 1582

Top ^^