The best Bible verses for repentance (ESV) include passages about God's love, strength, and guidance. This page features 15+ carefully curated Scripture passages for repentance (ESV), each selected for its relevance and depth. Read, save, and share the perfect verse for your situation.
"As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us."2 Corinthians 7:9
"As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us."2 Corinthians 7:9
"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."2 Corinthians 7:10
"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."2 Peter 3:9
"correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,"2 Timothy 2:25
"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,"Hebrews 6:1
"and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt."Hebrews 6:6
"For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling,"Isaiah 30:15
"And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."Luke 3:3
"Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham."Luke 3:8
"and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem."Luke 24:47
"John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."Mark 1:4
"“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."Matthew 3:11
"Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?"Romans 2:4
Translations differ in what they optimise for. Some follow the original wording closely at the cost of a natural English sentence; others read smoothly and make interpretive choices to get there. Neither is wrong, but they produce noticeably different verses.
Each of the 15 verses below is shown in the translation you asked for, and every verse links to a page comparing all six side by side — which is usually the fastest way to see where the translators disagreed.
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The most-cited Bible verses for repentance (ESV) are 2 Corinthians 7:9, 2 Corinthians 7:10, 2 Peter 3:9. This page collects 15 of them, each with its full passage, context and the text in six translations.
Read the verse in its surrounding passage before you use it — a verse that fits in isolation sometimes says something different in context. Compare two translations where the wording is unclear, and pick for the person who will read it rather than for the theme.
Scripture returns to repentance (ESV) across both testaments rather than settling it in one passage, which is why the verses on this page do not all say the same thing. Read together they give a fuller answer than any single verse does.
There is no single best translation. The NIV and NLT read most naturally and communicate well to someone outside the church; the ESV and NASB stay closer to the original wording; the KJV carries the phrasing most people recognise. Every verse here links to a page showing all six side by side.
More than any page can list. This one carries the 15 that are most often turned to for repentance (ESV), chosen so each stands on its own and links through to the full chapter it belongs to.