120 Powerful KJV Bible Verses About Repentance

120 Powerful KJV Bible Verses About Repentance

User avatar placeholder
Written by Ahsan Ali

May 31, 2026

There is a moment that every heart knows: the weight of what you’ve done settles heavy on your chest, and you realize something has to change. That moment is sacred. It’s not shame pushing you down; it’s grace pulling you home. These 120 KJV Bible verses about repentance were collected for exactly that moment. Whether you’re coming to God for the first time or returning after a long detour, these scriptures will speak directly to where you are. Repentance is not punishment. It is the doorway to freedom, and God has kept it wide open for you.

What Does Repentance Really Mean in the Bible?

What Does Repentance Really Mean in the Bible?

People sometimes think repentance just means feeling sorry. But the Bible paints a much fuller picture. The Hebrew word shuv means to turn around to stop walking in one direction and choose another. The Greek metanoia means a change of mind so complete that it reshapes how you live. True repentance is both a feeling and a decision. It’s your heart breaking open and your feet changing direction at the same time.

David understood this. So did Peter. So did the prodigal son who came to himself in a faraway country and decided to get up and go home. God never asked them to earn their way back. He asked them to turn.

Here are five of the most foundational KJV Bible verses that define repentance:

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.

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.

Ezekiel 18:30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

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; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Also READ: 130+ Bible Verses Showing That Warning Comes Before Destruction

KJV Bible Verses About Repentance The Call to Turn

Long before Jesus walked the earth, God was already calling people back. The Old Testament prophets carried this message across centuries: turn around, come back, there is still time. And every page of the New Testament echoes the same invitation. God does not tire of calling. He is patient in the way only a Father can be.

Isaiah 1:16-17 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Joel 2:12-13 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 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.

Jeremiah 3:12-13 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God.

Hosea 14:1-2 O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously.

Jeremiah 18:11 Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.

Lamentations 3:40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 30:2-3 And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee.

Zechariah 1:3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.

Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

KJV Bible Verses About Repentance for Salvation

This is where repentance becomes life-changing. Not just a moral adjustment, not a religious ritual, but the very door through which you enter into a relationship with God. Jesus made repentance the first word of His public ministry. The disciples preached it everywhere they went. Salvation and repentance cannot be separated, and these verses show exactly why.

What these scriptures carry is the most important news a person can ever hear: God has made a way. All he asks is that you turn and walk through it.

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.

Luke 24:46-47 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

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.

Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

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.

Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

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.

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.

Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

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.

Matthew 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Matthew 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

KJV Bible Verses on Godly Sorrow and True Repentance

KJV Bible Verses on Godly Sorrow and True Repentance

There is a difference between feeling caught and feeling sorry. Between worldly regret and godly grief. The apostle Paul captured this perfectly in his letter to the Corinthians. Judas felt remorse but ran in the wrong direction. Peter felt remorse and ran straight to Jesus. Godly sorrow changes the trajectory of your life. These verses help you understand what that looks like and why it matters so deeply.

2 Corinthians 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

Psalm 51:1-2 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 51:3-4 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.

Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

James 4:8-10 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Psalm 32:3-5 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. 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.

Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Jeremiah 8:6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turned to his course as the horse rushed into the battle.

Also READ: 60+Powerful Scriptures About 7 Crowns in The Bible Verses

KJV Bible Verses About Repentance After Salvation

One of the most comforting truths in Scripture is that repentance doesn’t stop at the moment of salvation. It becomes a way of life. Even believers fall. Even followers stumble. The difference is not that Christians never fail, it’s that they know where to go when they do. These verses speak directly to the heart of any believer who has wandered, grown cold, or simply drifted away without quite noticing.

God’s arms are not stretched toward you only on the first day. They are stretched toward you every single day.

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

2 Chronicles 30:9 For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Ezekiel 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

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; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Matthew 18:15 Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

Hebrews 12:5-6 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

1 Kings 8:47-48 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul.

Isaiah 44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

Lamentations 5:21 Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

Jeremiah 3:22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.

KJV Bible Verses About God’s Forgiveness When We Repent

The whole reason repentance matters is what waits on the other side of it. Forgiveness. Complete, thorough, permanent forgiveness. Not God grudgingly wiping a record clean, but God joyfully welcoming someone home. These verses show the stunning generosity of a God whose mercy is greater than every wrong thing you’ve ever done.

When you repent, God does not keep score. He keeps promises.

Micah 7:18-19 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Psalm 103:10-12 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Nehemiah 9:17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.

Jeremiah 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

Ezekiel 36:25-26 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.

Numbers 14:18 The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.

KJV Bible Verses About Repentance and Forgiveness Toward Others

KJV Bible Verses About Repentance and Forgiveness Toward Others

Here is where repentance gets personal in a different way. When God forgives us so completely, He calls us to carry that same grace toward others. Forgiving someone who has wronged you is not a weakness. It is one of the most spiritually courageous things a human being can do. These verses make clear that a truly repentant heart doesn’t just receive forgiveness, it becomes willing to give it.

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.

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 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

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.

Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: 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.

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.

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, and then come and offer thy gift.

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.

Proverbs 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

Romans 12:17-19 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Also READ: 90+ Anointed Prayer Points for Church Growth with Powerful Bible Verses

KJV Bible Verses About the Fruit of Repentance

Genuine repentance changes things on the outside, not just the inside. It produces visible fruit. A person who has truly turned to God doesn’t stay the same. Their relationships shift. Their priorities change. Their character begins to look more like Christ’s. These verses speak to that transformation, the practical and real-world evidence that something has genuinely changed deep within the heart.

Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.

Luke 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

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.

Luke 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

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 1:16-17 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

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, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

KJV Bible Verses About Repentance Warnings Not to Delay

One of the quietest dangers a person can face is the assumption that there will always be more time. But Scripture does not encourage that kind of waiting. The Bible is urgent. It keeps saying now. Today. While there is still breath and while grace is being extended. These verses carry that urgency with love, not threat, because God warns us precisely because He doesn’t want us to miss the open door.

Hebrews 3:15 While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance.

Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Revelation 2:21-22 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

2 Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

KJV Bible Verses About God’s Heart Behind Repentance

KJV Bible Verses About God's Heart Behind Repentance

This might be the most important thing to understand: God does not call you to repentance because He is angry with you. He calls you because He loves you. His whole heart in this is restoration. These verses show the tender, father-hearted side of God’s call to turn around. He is not standing at the door waiting to condemn you. He is standing there watching for you on the road, ready to run.

Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

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.

Does God Repent? KJV Verses That Explain This Honestly

Does God Repent KJV Verses That Explain This Honestly

This is a question that has puzzled thoughtful Bible readers for centuries. Some verses speak of God repenting or relenting. Others say God never changes His mind. How can both be true? The answer lies in understanding different types of divine statements. God is unchanging in His character, His holiness, and His promises. But He is responsive, and when people genuinely turn to Him, He responds with mercy instead of judgment. These verses explain the difference with clarity.

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?

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.

Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Psalm 110:4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.)

Genesis 6:6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

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 18:7-8 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 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.

Jeremiah 26:3 If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

Joel 2:14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?

Amos 7:3 The Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the Lord.

Amos 7:6 The Lord repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord God.

Psalm 106:45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

A Few Final KJV Verses on Repentance Worth Holding Onto

These remaining scriptures round out the full picture of what the Bible says about turning to God. Some speak to humility. Some speak to prayer. Some speak to the power of an honest heart before the Lord. Each one belongs in this collection because each one has something real to say to someone who is seeking.

Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Jeremiah 25:5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you.

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.

2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

Luke 23:42-43 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.

Isaiah 38:17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What are the 3 C’s of repentance?

The 3 C’s of repentance are Confession, Contrition, and Commitment. Confession means admitting your sin honestly before God. Contrition means feeling genuine godly sorrow, and Commitment means turning away from that sin and choosing a better path forward.

What is the biggest sin that God will never forgive?

According to Scripture, the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, mentioned in Matthew 12:31-32. Most Bible scholars understand this as permanently and willfully rejecting the Holy Spirit’s work in your heart. If you are worried you have committed it, that concern itself is evidence you have not.

What are the two types of repentance?

The Bible describes two types in 2 Corinthians 7:10. Godly repentance comes from genuine sorrow over sin itself and leads to restoration and peace. Worldly repentance is only sorrow over consequences, like Judas, and leads to despair rather than healing.

What is the hardest sin to repent from?

The hardest sins to repent from are usually those tied to pride, long-held habits, or sins we have spent years justifying. Pride is especially difficult because repentance requires the humility that pride directly resists.

What are the four pillars of repentance?

The four pillars are Recognition, Remorse, Renouncing, and Reformation. Together, they cover seeing your sin clearly, feeling genuine sorrow, turning away from it, and producing visible change in your life going forward.

Conclusion

If you have read this far, something in you is searching. Maybe you know exactly what you need to turn away from. Maybe you’ve been turning it over in your mind for months, wondering if God would really take you back after everything. The answer that these 120 KJV Bible verses keep coming back to is yes. Not a reluctant yes. A running, embracing, rejoicing, yes.

Heaven actually celebrates when one person repents. That is not a metaphor designed to make you feel better. It is the truth Jesus taught. Your return matters. It matters to God. It matters to the angels. And it will matter to the rest of your life.

Repentance is not the end of something. It is the beginning. The beginning of clarity. Of peace. Of becoming the person you were created to be. You do not have to carry what you’ve been carrying. The whole message of Scripture is that you can set it down, turn around, and walk home. And when you do, Someone is already running toward you.