The best Bible verses for repentance (NIV) include passages about God's love, strength, and guidance. This page features 15+ carefully curated Scripture passages for repentance (NIV), each selected for its relevance and depth. Read, save, and share the perfect verse for your situation.
"He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."Luke 3:3
"He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."Luke 3:3
"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham."Luke 3:8
"and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."Luke 24:47
"And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."Mark 1:4
"“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."Matthew 3:11
"Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?"Romans 2:4
"God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel."Acts 5:31
"When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”"Acts 11:18
"Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel."Acts 13:24
"Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”"Acts 19:4
"I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus."Acts 20:21
"First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds."Acts 26:20
"“The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord."Isaiah 59:20
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 (NIV) are Luke 3:3, Luke 3:8, Luke 5:32. 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 (NIV) 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 (NIV), chosen so each stands on its own and links through to the full chapter it belongs to.