KJV Bible verses about repentance reveal one of the most central themes woven through every page of Scripture. From the earliest books of the Old Testament to the final chapters of Revelation, God calls His people to turn from sin and return to Him. If you have ever wondered what the Bible says about repentance — for salvation, after salvation, in relation to forgiveness, and even whether God Himself repents — you are in exactly the right place.
This article compiles more than 100 important KJV Bible verses about repentance, organized by topic, so you can find exactly what you need quickly and clearly.
Bible Verses About Repentance – Definition
Before diving into the verses, it helps to understand what repentance truly means in Scripture.
The Greek word metanoia — translated “repentance” throughout the KJV New Testament — does not simply mean feeling bad about what you did. It describes a fundamental U-turn: turning away from sin and turning toward God at the same time. The Hebrew word shuv carries the picture of a traveler who has wandered far from home, stops, turns around, and walks back. Together, these words paint a vivid portrait of what God expects.
True repentance in the Bible involves three things:
- Recognition — seeing sin as God sees it
- Remorse — genuine sorrow that goes beyond just getting caught
- Redirection — a changed life that proves the repentance is real
Here are key KJV verses that help define repentance:
- Ezekiel 18:30 — “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”
- Joel 2:13 — “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
- Isaiah 55:7 — “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him.”
- Proverbs 28:13 — “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
- Psalm 51:17 — “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
- Lamentations 3:40 — “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.”
- 2 Corinthians 7:10 — “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
- Acts 26:20 — “But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”
Bible Verses About Repentance – For Salvation
The New Testament message is direct and urgent: repentance is not optional for salvation. Jesus opened His public ministry with a call to repent (Matthew 4:17), and His apostles preached the same message everywhere they went.
- Acts 2:38 — “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
- Acts 3:19 — “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”
- Acts 17:30 — “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.”
- Matthew 4:17 — “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
- Luke 13:3 — “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
- Mark 1:15 — “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
- Luke 24:47 — “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
- Acts 11:18 — “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
- Romans 10:9 — “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
- 2 Peter 3:9 — “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
- Luke 15:7 — “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
- Acts 20:21 — “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- Ezekiel 18:21-22 — “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him.”
- Isaiah 1:18 — “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
- Revelation 3:19 — “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
Bible Verses About Repentance – After Salvation
Many believers wonder: does repentance end at conversion? The clear answer from Scripture is no. Repentance is not a single event — it is an ongoing practice of the Christian life. Metanoia describes a continual posture of the heart before God, not just a one-time decision at an altar.
- 1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- Revelation 2:5 — “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.”
- Revelation 3:3 — “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.”
- James 5:16 — “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”
- Psalm 32:5 — “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”
- Psalm 51:10 — “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
- 1 John 2:1 — “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
- Galatians 6:1 — “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness.”
- Hebrews 12:1 — “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.”
- Romans 12:2 — “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 — “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
- Ephesians 4:22-24 — “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man.”
- Proverbs 24:16 — “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”
- Romans 8:1 — “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Bible Verses About Repentance – Forgiveness To Others
Repentance is not only about our relationship with God. The Bible is equally clear that those who have received God’s forgiveness must extend that same forgiveness to others. Failing to forgive others after God has forgiven us is a serious matter in Scripture.
- Luke 17:3-4 — “If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”
- Matthew 6:14-15 — “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
- Matthew 18:21-22 — “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
- Colossians 3:13 — “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
- Ephesians 4:32 — “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
- Mark 11:25 — “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
- Matthew 5:23-24 — “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother.”
- Romans 12:17-19 — “Recompense to no man evil for evil… Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
- Luke 6:37 — “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”
- 2 Corinthians 2:7 — “So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.”
Bible Verses About Repentance – Does God Repent?
This is a question that trips up many readers of the KJV Bible. Several passages describe God “repenting” of a decision or action. Does this mean God changes His mind or made a mistake?
The answer requires understanding the literary device called anthropomorphism — describing God in human terms to make divine truths understandable to us. When the Bible says God “repented,” it does not mean He sinned or was wrong. It means He responded to a change in human behavior by adjusting what He was about to do. His character never changes; His responses do.
Numbers 23:19 — “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
This verse makes clear that God does not repent in the way humans do. Yet other passages use the language of repentance to describe His relational responses:
- Exodus 32:14 — “And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.”
- Jonah 3:10 — “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”
- Jeremiah 18:8 — “If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.”
- 1 Samuel 15:29 — “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
- Amos 7:3 — “The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.”
The takeaway: God’s character is unchanging (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8). When He “repents” in Scripture, it is always a response to human repentance or human sin — a display of His justice and mercy in action, not evidence of divine error.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about KJV Bible Verses About Repentance?
The Bible teaches that repentance is a turning away from sin and a turning toward God with genuine sorrow and changed behavior. It is commanded throughout both the Old and New Testaments as essential to a relationship with God.
Why is KJV Bible Verses About Repentance Important in Christian Life?
Repentance is important because without it, sin remains unaddressed before a holy God. The KJV Bible presents repentance as the gateway to forgiveness, salvation, and restored fellowship with God (Acts 3:19, Luke 13:3).
What is True Repentance According to KJV Bible Verses About Repentance?
True repentance goes beyond regret. According to 2 Corinthians 7:10, it is a “godly sorrow” that leads to real change — not just feeling bad, but actively turning away from sin and toward God.
Which KJV Bible Verses About Repentance Talk About Turning From Sin?
Key KJV verses on repentance include Acts 2:38, Luke 13:3, 2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 4:17, 1 John 1:9, Ezekiel 18:30, and Psalm 51:17, among many others listed throughout this article.
How Do I Repent According to KJV Bible Verses About Repentance?
Biblical repentance involves: (1) honestly acknowledging your sin before God, (2) feeling genuine sorrow over it, (3) confessing it to God, and (4) committing to turn away from it and walk in a new direction (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13).
Did Jesus Preach About Repentance in KJV Bible Verses?
Yes. In fact, repentance was one of the first things Jesus preached publicly. Matthew 4:17 records: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
What is the First Step to Repentance According to KJV Bible?
The first step is recognition — seeing your sin honestly and understanding that it offends a holy God. You cannot truly repent of something you have not first acknowledged (Psalm 32:5; 1 John 1:8-9).
Can God Forgive All Sins According to KJV Bible Verses About Repentance?
Yes. Isaiah 1:18 promises that even sins “as scarlet” can be made “white as snow.” No sin is too great for God’s forgiveness when repentance is genuine (1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12).
Why Does God Call Us to Repentance in KJV Bible Verses?
God calls us to repentance because He loves us and does not want anyone to perish. 2 Peter 3:9 says He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” His call to repent is an act of mercy, not judgment.
How Often Should a Christian Repent According to KJV Bible Verses?
Repentance is not a one-time event. Scripture indicates it is an ongoing, daily practice of the Christian life (1 John 1:9; Revelation 2:5; 2 Chronicles 7:14). As long as we live in a fallen world, we will need to keep returning to God in humility.
Conclusion
The message of repentance runs from Genesis to Revelation like a golden thread. God has always been in the business of calling wandering hearts back home. Whether you are searching for salvation, walking through the daily struggles of the Christian life, learning how to extend forgiveness to others, or wrestling with difficult theological questions about God’s nature, the KJV Bible speaks with clarity and compassion on all of it.
Repentance is not a burden. It is an invitation. It is God opening the door and saying: Come back, I am waiting. The verses in this article are not just theological data — they are living words from a God who is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Joel 2:13).
If you have not yet turned to God, today is the day. And if you have already believed and find yourself distant from Him, these same Scriptures offer the path back. His arms are still open.