1705 verses about Repentance

But now I remember the evils which I did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the vessels of silver and gold that were therein, and sent forth to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without a cause.

for I have repented that I gave my daughter to him, for he sought to kill me.

And they said, Deal not with us according to our wickednesses, but according to your mercy.

For indeed that those who act impiously be not let alone any long time, but straightway meet with retribution, is a sign of great beneficence.

And after him they brought the sixth. And when he was at the point to die he said, Be not vainly deceived, for we suffer these things for our own doings, as sinning against our own God: marvelous things are come to pass;

For we are suffering because of our own sins;

and if for rebuke and chastening our living Lord has been angered a little while, yet shall he again be reconciled with his own servants.

And when they had accomplished these things, and had made a common supplication, they implored the merciful Lord to be wholly reconciled with his servants.

Hereupon therefore he began in great part to cease from his arrogancy, being broken in spirit, and to come to knowledge under the scourge of God, his pains increasing every moment.

And when he himself could not abide his own smell, he said these words: It is right to be subject to God, and that one who is mortal should not be minded arrogantly.

And the vile man vowed to the sovereign Lord, who now no more would have pity upon him, saying on this wise:

that the holy city, to the which he was going in haste, to lay it even with the ground and to make it a common graveyard, he would declare free;

and the holy sanctuary, which before he had plundered, he would adorn with goodliest offerings, and would restore all the sacred vessels many times multiplied, and out of his own revenues would defray the charges that were required for the sacrifices;

and, beside all this, that he would become a Jew, and would visit every inhabited place, publishing abroad the might of God.

But when his sufferings did in no wise cease, for the judgement of God had come upon him in righteousness, having given up all hope of himself, he wrote to the Jews the letter written below, having the nature of a supplication, to this effect:

And when they had done these things, they fell prostrate and implored the Lord that they might fall no more into such evils; but that, if ever they should sin, they might be chastened by him with forbearance, and not be delivered to blaspheming and barbarous heathen.

But as he drew near, Maccabaeus and his men sprinkled earth upon their heads and girded their loins with sackcloth, in supplication to God,

that the Jews use their own proper meats and observe their own laws, even as heretofore; and none of them shall be in any way molested for the things that have been ignorantly done.

betook themselves to supplication, beseeching that the sin committed might be wholly blotted out. And the noble Judas exhorted the multitude to keep themselves from sin, forsomuch as they had seen before their eyes what things had come to pass because of the sin of those who had fallen.

(And if he did it looking to an honorable memorial of gratitude laid up for those who die in godliness, holy and godly was the thought.) Wherefore he made the atoning sacrifice for those who had died, that they might be released from their sin.

So when they had all done the same thing together, beseeching the merciful Lord with weeping and fastings and prostration for three days without ceasing, Judas exhorted them and commanded they should join him for service.

heard that Philip who had been left as chancellor in Antioch had become reckless, was confounded, made to the Jews an overture of peace, submitted himself and sware to acknowledge all their rights, came to terms with them and offered sacrifice, honored the sanctuary and the place,

Yes, all the kings of Israel held not such a passover as Josias, and the priests, and the Levites, and the Jews, held with all Israel that were present in their dwelling place at Jerusalem.

Moreover the things that came to pass in his days have been written in times past, concerning those that sinned, and did wickedly against the Lord above every people and kingdom, and how they grieved him exceedingly, so that the words of the Lord were confirmed against Israel.

And the God of their fathers sent by his messenger to call them back, because he had compassion on them and on his dwelling place.

But they mocked his messengers; and in the day when the Lord spoke to them, they scoffed at his prophets:

Ezra 2:1, etc. And these are they of Jewry that came up from the captivity, where they lived as strangers, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon.

And they returned to Jerusalem, and to the other parts of Jewry, every man to his own city, who came with Zorobabel, with Jesus, Nehemias, and Zaraias, Resaias, Eneneus, Mardocheus, Beelsarus, Aspharsus, Reelias, Roimus, and Baana, their leaders.

and that the holy vessels of the house of the Lord, both gold and silver, that Nabuchodonosor took out of the house at Jerusalem, and carried away to Babylon, should be restored to the house at Jerusalem, and be set in the place where they were before.

And the children of Israel that came out of the captivity did eat, even all those who had separated themselves from the abominations of the heathen of the land, and sought the Lord.

The nation of Israel, and the princes, and the priests and the Levites, have not put away from them the strange people of the land, nor the uncleannesses of the Gentiles, to wit, of the Canaanites, Hittites, Pherezites, Jebusites, and the Moabites, Egyptians, and Edomites.

For both they and their sons have married with their daughters, and the holy seed is mixed with the strange people of the land; and from the beginning of this matter the rulers and the nobles have been partakers of this iniquity.

And as soon as I had heard these things, I tore my clothes, and my holy garment, and plucked the hair from off my head and beard, and sat me down sad and full of heaviness.

So all those who were moved at the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, assembled to me, while I mourned for the iniquity: but I sat still full of heaviness until the evening sacrifice.

Then rising up from the fast with my clothes and my holy garment tore, and bowing my knees, and stretching forth my hands to the Lord,

I said, O Lord, I am ashamed and confounded before your face;

for our sins are multiplied above our heads, and our errors have reached up to heaven,

ever since the time of our fathers; and we are in great sin, even to this day.

And for our sins and our fathers’ we with our kindred and our kings and our priests were given up to the kings of the earth, to the sword, and to captivity, and for a prey with shame, to this day.

And now, O Lord, what shall we say, having these things? For we have transgressed your commandments, which you gave by the hand of your servants the prophets, saying,

And all that is befallen is done to us for our wicked works and great sins: for you, O Lord, did make our sins light,

and did give to us such a root: but we have turned back again to transgress your law, in mingling ourselves with the uncleanness of the heathen of the land.

Behold, now are we before you in our iniquities, for we can’t stand any longer before you by reason of these things.

Ezra 10:1. And as Esdras in his prayer made his confession, weeping, and lying flat upon the ground before the temple, there gathered to him from Jerusalem a very great throng of men and women and children: for there was great weeping among the multitude.

Then Jechonias the son of Jeelus, one of the sons of Israel, called out, and said, O Esdras, we have sinned against the Lord God, we have married strange women of the heathen of the land, and now is all Israel aloft.

So Esdras arose, and took an oath of the chief of the priests and Levites of all Israel to do after these things; and so they sware.

Ezra 10:6, etc. Then Esdras rising from the court of the temple went to the chamber of Jonas the son of Eliasib,

and lodged there, and did eat no bread nor drink water, mourning for the great iniquities of the multitude.

And there was made proclamation in all Jewry and Jerusalem to all those who were of the captivity, that they should be gathered together at Jerusalem:

And all the multitude sat together trembling in the broad place before the temple because of the present foul weather.

So Esdras arose up and said to them, you⌃ have transgressed the law and married strange wives, thereby to increase the sins of Israel.

and do his will, and separate yourselves from the heathen of the land, and from the strange women.

But forasmuch as the multitude is great, and it is foul weather, so that we can’t stand without, and this is not a work of one day or two, seeing our sin in these things is spread far:

therefore let the rulers of the multitude stay, and let all them of our habitations that have strange wives come at the time appointed,

and with them the rulers and judges of every place, till we turn away the wrath of the Lord from us for this matter.

So their cause that held strange wives was brought to an end by the new moon of the first month.

And of the priests that were come together, and had strange wives, there were found;

And they gave their hands to put away their wives, and to offer rams to make reconcilement for their error.

Neh 8:1. And the whole multitude were gathered together with one accord into the broad place before the porch of the temple toward the east:

And all the people answered, Amen; and lifting up their hands they fell to the ground, and worshipped the Lord.

This day is holy to the Lord; (now they all wept when they heard the law:)

for you are the Lord Most High, of great compassion, longsuffering and abundant in mercy, and repent of bringing evils upon men.

You, O Lord, according to your great goodness have promised repentance and forgiveness to those who have sinned against you: and of your infinite mercies have appointed repentance to sinners, that they may be saved. You therefore, O Lord, that are the God of the just, have not appointed repentance to the just, to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, which have not sinned against you; but you have appointed repentance to me that am a sinner:

for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea. My transgressions are multiplied, O Lord: my transgressions are multiplied, and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven for the multitude of my iniquities.

I am bowed down with many iron bands, that I can’t lift up my head by reason of my sins, neither have I any respite: for I have provoked your wrath, and done that which is evil before you: I did not your will, neither kept I your commandments: I have set up abominations, and have multiplied detestable things.

Now therefore I bow the knee of my heart, beseeching you of grace.

I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge my iniquities:

but, I humbly beseech you, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with my iniquities. Be not angry with me forever, by reserving evil for me; neither condemn me into the lower parts of the earth. For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent;

and in me you will show all your goodness: for you will save me, that am unworthy, according to your great mercy.

see now, holy King, how through our many and great sins we are borne down, and made subject to our enemies, and are become weak and powerless.

Blot out our iniquities, and do away with our errors, and show forth your compassion in this hour.

When in course of time he had come to himself, this severe check caused no repentance within him, but he departed with bitter threatenings.

If our life has during our exile been stained with iniquity, deliver us from the hand of the enemy, and destroy us, O Lord, by the death which you prefer.

The king’s wrath was converted into compassion; and he wept at his own machinations.

Loose, loose the unjust bonds; send them to their homes in peace, and deprecate what has been done.

Go your way, and show my people their sinful deeds, and their children their wickedness which they have done against me; that they may tell their children’s children:

Did I not bring them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage? but they have provoked me to wrath, and have despised my counsels.

I gave you light in a pillar of fire, and great wonders have I done among you; yet have you⌃ forgotten me, says the Lord.

I gave you not fire for your blasphemies, but cast a tree in the water, and made the river sweet.

What shall I do to you, O Jacob? you, Judah, would not obey me: I will turn me to other nations, and to them will I give my name, that they may keep my statutes.

Seeing you⌃ have forsaken me, I also will forsake you; when you⌃ ask me to be merciful to you, I will have no mercy upon you.

You⌃ have not as it were forsaken me, but your own selves, says the Lord.

I gathered you together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings: but now, what shall I do to you? I will cast you out from my presence.

When you⌃ offer oblations to me, I will turn my face from you: for your solemn feast days, your new moons, and your circumcisions of the flesh, have I rejected.

They have seen no prophets, yet they shall call their former estate to remembrance.

Thus says the Lord, I brought this people out of bondage, and I gave them my commandments by my servants the prophets; whom they would not hear, but set my counsels at nothing.

I brought you up with gladness, and with sorrow and heaviness have I lost you: for you⌃ have sinned before the Lord God, and done that which is evil before me.

For it was not in my mind to be curious of the ways above, but of such things as pass by us daily; because Israel is given up as a reproach to the heathen, and the people whom you have loved is given over to ungodly nations, and the law of our forefathers is made of none effect, and the written covenants are nowhere regarded,

Then answered I and said, O Lord that bear rule, yet even we all are full of impiety:

For an evil heart has grown up in us, which has led us astray from these statutes, and has brought us into corruption and into the ways of death, has showed us the paths of perdition and removed us far from life; and that, not a few only, but well near all that have been created.

and compassionate, in that he has compassion upon those that turn to his law;

therefore will I begin to pray before you for myself and for them: for I see the falls of us that dwell in the land;

O look not upon the sins of your people; but on those who have served you in truth,

For we and our fathers have passed our lives in ways that bring death: but you because of us sinners are called merciful.

and as many as have scorned my law, while they had yet liberty, and, when as yet place of repentance was open to them, understood not, but despised it;

But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the heathen, and go forth into a further country, where never mankind lived,

Now therefore set your house in order, and reprove your people, comfort the lowly among them, and instruct such of them as be wise, and now renounce the life that is corruptible,

Then was the land, even the land of Sion, given you for a possession: but you⌃ yourselves, and your fathers, have done unrighteousness, and have not kept the ways which the Most High commanded you.

Let no man therefore come to me now, nor seek after me these forty days.

Behold, famine and plague, tribulation and anguish! they are sent as scourges for amendment.