"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed

and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people."

In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.

In the same way, I tell you, the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who repents."

"Once there were two men who went up to the Temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector.

I fast two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all my income.'

I tell you," said Jesus, "the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home. For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great."

The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

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.

"I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.

OMITTED TEXT

At that time a man named Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder in the riot.

He knew very well that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.

Peter said to them, "Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins. If you do,

And so God chose his Servant and sent him to you first, to bless you by making every one of you turn away from your wicked ways."

God raised him to his right side as Leader and Savior, to give the people of Israel the opportunity to repent and have their sins forgiven.

God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways.

To Jews and Gentiles alike I gave solemn warning that they should turn from their sins to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.

You are to open their eyes and turn them from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan to God, so that through their faith in me they will have their sins forgiven and receive their place among God's chosen people.'

First in Damascus and in Jerusalem and then in the whole country of Israel and among the Gentiles, I preached that they must repent of their sins and turn to God and do the things that would show they had repented.

Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God's Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts

Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

This is a true saying, to be completely accepted and believed: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I am the worst of them,

but God was merciful to me in order that Christ Jesus might show his full patience in dealing with me, the worst of sinners, as an example for all those who would later believe in him and receive eternal life.

who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth.

And then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will.

The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.