1. How somebody can show that they na repent?

 WHEN we do something wrong, it important to repent. In the Bible, somebody who repent can change their thinking about certain kindna behavior, stop behaving that way, and try their best to not do it again.—See Glossary, “Repentance.”

2. Why all of us need to learn about repentance? (Nehemiah 8:​9-11)

² Everybody that living need to learn about repentance. Why? Because all of us can sin every day. Since we Adam and Eve children, we take sin and death from them. (Rom. 3:23; 5:12) So, none of us free from it. Even for people with strong faith, like the apostle Paul, it wor not easy for them to control their desire to sin. (Rom. 7:​21-24) But you think it mean that we must always be feeling sad because of our sins? No, Jehovah merciful and he want us to be happy. Let talk about what happen to the Jews during Nehemiah time. (Read Nehemiah 8:​9-11.) Jehovah never wanted them to always be feeling bad about the mistakes they made before, but he wanted them to be happy and worship him. Jehovah know that when people repent they can be happy. So he teach us about it. If we repent from our sins, we can be sure that our merciful Father will forgive us.

3. Wetin we will talk about in this article?

³ Let learn more about repentance. In this article, we will learn three things about repentance. (1.) Wetin Jehovah teach the Israelite dem about repentance? (2.) How Jehovah can help people to repent? (3.) Wetin Jesus followers learn about repentance?

 WETIN JEHOVAH TEACH THE ISRAELITE DEM ABOUT REPENTANCE?

4. Wetin Jehovah teach the Israelite dem about repentance?

⁴ When Jehovah made the Israelites one nation, he made agreement with them. If they obey his laws, he promise to protect and bless them. Talking about the laws he gave them, he say: “Now this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it beyond your reach.” (Deut. 30:​11, 16) But if they not obey him by worshipping false gods he wor coming to stop blessing them, and they wor going to suffer. But this one not mean that Jehovah turn his back on them. It wor possible for them to still come back to Jehovah and listen to his voice. (Deut. 30:​1-3, 17-20) That mean, they could still repent. If they do it, Jehovah wor coming to draw close to them and bless them again.

5. How Jehovah show that he not give up on his people? (2 Kings 17:​13, 14)

⁵ Jehovah own people disobey him over and over. Beside that, they wor worshiping false gods and doing all kindna bad-bad things. And because of that, they suffer. But Jehovah not give up on his people even though they wor hard head. He send prophets to his people over and over to encourage them to repent and come back to him.—Read 2 Kings 17:​13, 14.

6. How Jehovah use his prophets to teach his people that it important to repent? (Also see the picture.)

⁶ Most of the time, Jehovah use his prophets to warn and correct his people. For example, through Jeremiah God say: “Return, O renegade Israel . . . I will not look down angrily on you, for I am loyal . . . I will not stay resentful forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, for you have rebelled against Jehovah.” (Jer. 3:​12, 13) Through the  prophet Joel, Jehovah say: “Return to me with all your hearts.” (Joel 2:​12, 13) He tell Isaiah to say: “Make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from my sight; stop doing bad.” (Isa. 1:​16-19) And through Ezekiel Jehovah say: “Do I take any pleasure at all in the death of a wicked person? . . . Do I not prefer that he turn away from his ways and keep living? I do not take any pleasure in the death of anyone, . . . so turn back and live.” (Ezek. 18:​23, 32) Jehovah can be happy when people repent because he want them to continue living forever! So Jehovah can’t just be waiting for somebody to repent before he help them. Let see some other example dem.

7. Wetin Jehovah teach his people from the example about the prophet Hosea and his wife?

⁷ Notice how Jehovah use the real-life story about the prophet Hosea and his wife Gomer to teach his people. After she commit adultery, she leave Hosea and start loving to different-different men dem. You think it wor not possible for her to change? Jehovah, who know people heart, tell Hosea say: “Go once again, love the woman who is loved by another man and is committing adultery, just as Jehovah loves the people of Israel while they turn to other gods.” (Hos. 3:1; Prov. 16:2) Notice that Hosea wife wor still committing serious sin. But Jehovah tell Hosea to go back for her and forgive her. a That the same way, Jehovah not give up on his hard head people. Even though they wor doing all kindna bad-bad things, he still love them and continue to help them to repent and change their ways. You think this one mean that Jehovah who know our hearts, will still help somebody who committing serious sin to repent? (Prov. 17:3) Let see.

HOW JEHOVAH CAN HELP PEOPLE TO REPENT?

8. How Jehovah try to help Cain to repent? (Genesis 4:​3-7) (Also see the picture.)

⁸ Cain wor Adam and Eve first son. He wor born with sin. Beside that, the Bible say: “His own works were wicked.” (1 John 3:12) Maybe that the reason why Jehovah not accept Cain and his offering when he made sacrifice. Instead of changing his ways, Cain get vex bad way and he wor feeling bad. What the next thing Jehovah do? He talk with Cain. (Read Genesis 4:​3-7.) Notice that Jehovah take his own time to talk with Cain and gave him hope. Jehovah even warn him that if he not control his anger, he will do something wrong. Sad to say, Cain refuse to listen. He not let Jehovah to help him to repent. You think Cain behavior make Jehovah to stop helping other people to repent? No!

9. How Jehovah help David to repent?

⁹ Jehovah really use to love King David. He even call him “a man agreeable to my heart.” (Acts 13:22) But David commit serious sins. For example, he love to one man wife and kill the man. According to the Law God gave Moses, David  suppose to die. (Lev. 20:10; Num. 35:31) But Jehovah help David to repent. b He send his prophet Nathan to King David, even though David wor not thinking about repenting. Nathan use one story to touch David heart. It really touch David heart and it make him to repent. (2 Sam. 12:​1-14) He write one song to show how he wor feeling sorry for the thing he do. (The writing over Ps. 51) That song na touch plenty people heart and make them to repent. Ehn we happy that Jehovah love David and help him to repent?

10. How it make you feel to know that Jehovah patient and he can forgive?

¹⁰ Jehovah hate any kindna sin. (Ps. 5:​4, 5) He know that all of us can sin, but because he love us, he can help us to fight sin. He can always try his best to help even the worst sinner to repent and draw close to him. This one can really make our heart to lay down! When we think on how Jehovah patient and the way he can forgive, it can help us to remain faithful to him and be quick to repent when we sin. Now, let talk about what else the first Christian dem learn about repentance.

WETIN JESUS FOLLOWERS LEARN ABOUT REPENTANCE?

11-12. Wetin Jesus teach people about the way his Pa can forgive? (See the picture.)

¹¹ When the time reach for the Messiah to come, Jehovah use John the Baptist to preach to people and tell them to repent. When Jesus Christ start his ministry, he also teach people how it important to repent.—Matt. 3:​1, 2; 4:17.

¹² Throughout his ministry, Jesus teach people about the way his Pa can forgive. To show how Jehovah can do it, he talk one story about the pa and his son who wanted to be on his own. This son decide to live bad life for some time. But he come to his self and come back  home. Wetin his pa do? Jesus say when the son “was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was moved with pity, and he ran and embraced him and tenderly kissed him.” The son wor thinking about telling his pa that he wanted to be one of the worker in the house. But his pa call him “this son of mine” and make him to be part of the family again. His pa say: “He was lost and has been found.” (Luke 15:​11-32) When Jesus wor in heaven with his Pa, he use to see how his Pa feel sorry for plenty people who sin and repent. This story show us how Jehovah can really feel sorry for us and comfort us!

13-14. How the apostle Peter learn what it mean to repent, and what he teach other people about it? (Also see the picture.)

¹³ The apostle Peter learn plenty thing dem from Jesus about how Jehovah can forgive people who repent. Most of the time, Peter use to make mistake, but Jesus always use to forgive him. For example, three times Peter say he not know Jesus. After that, Peter wor really feeling bad. (Matt. 26:​34, 35, 69-75) But when Jesus came back to life, he appear to Peter. Maybe Peter wor by his self that time. (Luke 24:​33, 34; 1 Cor. 15:​3-5) Jesus use that time to show Peter that he na forgive him.—See Mark 16:7 and study note “and Peter.”

¹⁴ Now Peter understand what it mean to repent and forgive, so he wor able to teach other people about it. Some time after the festival of Pentecost, Peter gave one talk. He explain to the Jews who wor not Christians that they na kill the Messiah. So he encourage them and say: “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins  blotted out, so that seasons of refreshing may come from Jehovah himself.” (Acts 3:​14, 15, 17, 19) Peter show that when somebody repent, the person can turn around, change their wrong way of thinking and acting and do things that can make Jehovah happy. The apostle Peter also show that Jehovah can forgive that person sins, or even erase it altogether. After some years, Peter tell the Christian dem: “Jehovah . . . is patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) Ehn that fine hope here for Christians even when they commit serious sins?

15-16. (a) How the apostle Paul learn about forgiveness? (1 Timothy 1:​12-15) (b) Wetin we will learn in the next article?

¹⁵ Saul did plenty bad-bad things. He really use to treat Jesus followers bad. Maybe most of the Christian dem wor thinking that he will never change. But Jesus knew that it wor possible for Paul to change and repent. He and his Pa wor able to see something good in Saul. Jesus say: “This man is a chosen vessel to me.” (Acts 9:15) Jesus even use one miracle to help Saul to repent. (Acts 7:58–8:3; 9:​1-9, 17-20) When he became Christian, his name change to the apostle Paul. Paul always show that he wor grateful for the way Jehovah wor good to him and forgave him. (Read 1 Timothy 1:​12-15.) Paul tell his brother and sister dem say: “God in his kindness is trying to lead you to repentance.”—Rom. 2:4.

¹⁶ When Paul hear that one man wor living immoral life in the congregation in Corinth, how he handle the situation? The way he handle it teach us how Jehovah can discipline us with love and show us mercy. So in the next article, we will talk about what happen in the congregation in Corinth.