Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much."

He knows that I am faultless, that I have kept myself from doing wrong.

You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.

Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil

and learn to do right. See that justice is done---help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows."

Turn to the LORD and pray to him, now that he is near.

Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the LORD, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive.

"If someone evil stops sinning and keeps my laws, if he does what is right and good, he will not die; he will certainly live.

All his sins will be forgiven, and he will live, because he did what is right.

When someone evil stops sinning and does what is right and good, he saves his life.

He realizes what he is doing and stops sinning, so he will certainly not die, but go on living.

No, the LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.

"Do for others what you want them to do for you: this is the meaning of the Law of Moses and of the teachings of the prophets.

or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves---none of these will possess God's Kingdom.

If you used to rob, you must stop robbing and start working, in order to earn an honest living for yourself and to be able to help the poor.

For God has revealed his grace for the salvation of all people.

That grace instructs us to give up ungodly living and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this world,

As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.