1. Favass is’s nett eesi fa vissa vass ebbah maynd vann si sawwa es si uns fagevva?

 “I FORGIVE YOU.” How refreshing those words can be, especially if you know that you said or did something that hurt someone! But what does the phrase “I forgive you” really mean? Is the person you hurt saying that your friendship has been fully restored? Or does he simply mean that he does not want to talk about the issue anymore? The forgiveness humans extend can be complicated.

2. Vass sawkt di Bivvel veyyich vi Jehova fagebt? (Gukket aw da footnote.)

² The way Jehovah forgives us imperfect humans is very different from the way we forgive one another. The forgiveness Jehovah extends is unique. The psalmist said of Jehovah: “With you there is true forgiveness, so that you may be held in awe.” a (Ps. 130:4) Yes, Jehovah’s forgiveness is “true forgiveness.” He sets the ultimate standard of what forgiveness really means. In some cases, Bible writers used a Hebrew word for forgiveness that is never used to describe human forgiveness.

3. Vann Jehova fagebt, vi is sell diffand funn vann miah fagevva? (Jesoiya 55:6, 7)

³ When Jehovah forgives someone, that person’s sin is wiped out. The damaged relationship is entirely restored. Jehovah’s forgiveness is amazingly complete and generous.​—Read Isaiah 55:6, 7.

4. Vi dutt Jehova uns helfa fashtay vass’s maynd fa recht fagevva?

 ⁴ If Jehovah’s forgiveness differs from ours, how can we as imperfect humans possibly understand its true meaning? Jehovah helps us by using vivid word pictures to describe his forgiveness. In this article, we will examine some of them. They will show us how Jehovah removes sin and, at the same time, restores the relationship that has been damaged by sin. As we review these illustrations, we will deepen our appreciation for our tender Father, who expresses his forgiveness in so many ways.

JEHOVA NEMD UNSAH SINDA VEKK

5. Vass haebbend vann Jehova unsah sinda fagebt?

⁵ In the Bible, sins are often likened to heavy burdens. King David described his own sins this way: “My errors loom over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too much for me to bear.” (Ps. 38:4) But Jehovah pardons the sins of repentant wrongdoers. (Ps. 25:18; 32:5) The Hebrew expression translated “pardon” basically means to “lift up” or “carry.” We might think of Jehovah as a strong man who figuratively lifts the burden of sin off our shoulders and carries it away.

6. Vi veit dutt Jehova unsah sinda vekk funn uns?

⁶ Another word picture shows just how far away Jehovah carries our sins. Psalm 103:12 tells us: “As far off as the sunrise is from the sunset, so far off from us he has put our transgressions.” East is the farthest point from west. The two points never meet. In other words, Jehovah takes our sins as far away from us as we can imagine. What a reassuring way to describe his forgiveness!

7. Vass sawkt di Bivvel es Jehova dutt mitt unsah sinda? (Micha 7:18, 19)

⁷ Even though Jehovah figuratively takes our sins far away from us, does he keep holding on to them? No. King Hezekiah wrote of Jehovah: “You have thrown all my sins behind your back.” Or as the footnote puts it, “you have removed all my sins from your sight.” (Isa. 38:9, 17; ftn.) This word picture shows that Jehovah takes the sins of repentant ones and throws them out of view. This statement could also be rendered: “You have made [my sins] as if they had not happened.” The Bible further emphasizes this point in another word picture, recorded at Micah 7:18, 19. (Read.) There Jehovah is spoken of as throwing our sins into the depths of the sea. In ancient times, it would have been impossible for someone to retrieve an object that had been hurled into the depths of the sea.

8. Vass henn miah gland so veit?

⁸ By means of these word pictures, we have learned that when Jehovah forgives us, he relieves us of the burden of our sins. Truly, as David said, “happy are those whose lawless deeds have been pardoned and whose sins have been covered; happy is the man whose sin Jehovah will by no means take into account.” (Rom. 4:7, 8) That is true forgiveness!

JEHOVA VESHT DI SIND VEKK

9. Vi dutt di Bivvel uns helfa sayna es Jehova uns recht fagebt?

⁹ Jehovah uses other word pictures to help us appreciate how by means of the ransom sacrifice, he wipes out the sins of repentant ones. Figuratively, Jehovah is  spoken of as washing and rinsing away these sins. This results in purifying the sinner. (Ps. 51:7; Isa. 4:4; Jer. 33:8) Jehovah himself describes the results of this process: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be made as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson cloth, they will become like wool.” (Isa. 1:18) It is extremely difficult to remove scarlet or crimson stains from a cloth. Yet, by means of this word picture, Jehovah assures us that our sins can be washed clean so thoroughly that they are no longer visible.

10. Vass helft uns sayna vi geahn es Jehova uns fagebt?

¹⁰ As mentioned in the preceding article, sins are also likened to “debts.” (Matt. 6:12; Luke 11:4) So every time we sin against Jehovah, it is as if we are going further and further into debt. We owe him a huge amount! But when Jehovah forgives us, it is as if he cancels the debt that would otherwise be charged against our account. He does not demand repayment of sins that have been forgiven. What a refreshing illustration to describe the relief we feel when Jehovah forgives us!

11. Vass maynd’s vann di Bivvel sawkt es “eiyah sinda ausgrivva vadda”? (Apostelgeschichte 3:19)

¹¹ Jehovah does not simply cancel our debts, or sins; he blots them out. (Read Acts 3:19.) When a debt is canceled, we might imagine a large X being drawn across the account. However, the numbers beneath that X may still be legible. But to blot something out is different. To understand this word picture, we need to remember that in ancient times the ink used was a mixture that included carbon, gum, and water. A person could take a wet sponge and wipe the writing away. So when a debt was “blotted out,” it vanished completely. Traces of what was written before were not visible to the naked eye. The record became nonexistent. How it warms our heart to know that Jehovah not only cancels our sins but also blots them out completely!​—Ps. 51:9.

12. Vass maynd da illustration veyyich en dikki volk fa uns?

¹² Jehovah uses a similar word picture to describe how he blots out sins. He declares: “I will blot out your transgressions as with a cloud and your sins as with a thick cloud.” (Isa. 44:22) When Jehovah forgives, it is as if he were using a thick cloud to hide our transgressions so that they disappear from sight altogether.

13. Vi shpiahra miah vann Jehova unsah sinda fagebt?

¹³ What does this mean for us? When Jehovah forgives our sins, we should not feel that we will bear the stain of such sins for the rest of our life. By means of the blood of Jesus Christ, our debts are completely canceled. Even the record of those debts is no longer discernible. This is what the true forgiveness that comes from Jehovah means for us when we repent of our sins.

JEHOVA VILL VIDDAH UNSAH FRIEND SEI

14. Favass kenna miah shuah sei es Jehova uns recht fagebt? (Gukket aw di piktahs.)

¹⁴ The true forgiveness that comes from Jehovah allows us to have a good relationship with him. It helps us to avoid being overcome by feelings of  guilt. We do not need to be afraid that Jehovah is secretly harboring resentment and is looking for a way to punish us. There is no threat of that happening. Why can we trust Jehovah when he says that he forgives us? The prophet Jeremiah quotes Jehovah as saying: “I will forgive their error, and I will no longer remember their sin.” (Jer. 31:34) When referring to these words, the apostle Paul used a similar expression, saying: “I will no longer call their sins to mind.” (Heb. 8:12) But what does that really mean?

15. Vass maynd’s es Jehova nimmi denk an unsah sinda?

¹⁵ In the Bible, the expression “remember” does not always refer to someone recalling something or thinking about it. Rather, it can involve someone taking action. The criminal hanging on the stake next to Jesus requested: “Jesus, remember me when you get into your Kingdom.” (Luke 23:42, 43) He was not simply asking Jesus to think about him at that time. Jesus’ response indicated that he would take action to resurrect this criminal. So, then, when Jehovah says that he no longer remembers our sins, he means that he will not take action against us. He will not punish us sometime in the future for sins that he has forgiven.

16. Vass dutt di Bivvel uns kamperra zu?

¹⁶ The Bible uses another word picture to help us understand the freedom that comes from true forgiveness. Because of our sinful nature and inclination, we are likened to “slaves of sin.” But thanks to Jehovah’s forgiveness, we are like slaves who have been “set free from sin.” (Rom. 6:17, 18; Rev. 1:5) Yes, Jehovah’s forgiveness gives us  the exhilarating feeling of being set free from slavery.

17. Vi dutt fagevva sei uns hayla? (Jesoiya 53:5)

¹⁷ Read Isaiah 53:5. The final word picture we will discuss likens us to people who have a deadly disease. Because of the ransom sacrifice that Jehovah provided through his Son, we are figuratively spoken of as being healed. (1 Pet. 2:24) The ransom makes possible the full repair of our relationship with Jehovah, which has been damaged by spiritual sickness. Just as a person who has been healed of a serious illness feels intense joy, we too rejoice when we are healed spiritually and regain Jehovah’s favor as a result of his forgiveness.

VASS’S MAYND FA FAGEVVA SEI BEI JEHOVA

18. Vass henn miah gland funn di illustrations veyyich vi Jehova uns fagebt? (Gukket aw di box “How Jehovah Forgives Us.”)

¹⁸ What have we learned by examining the word pictures found in the Bible regarding Jehovah’s forgiveness? When he forgives, he does so completely and permanently. This allows us to have a good relationship with our heavenly Father. At the same time, we remember that true forgiveness is a gift. It comes from Jehovah’s love and undeserved kindness, which he expresses to sinful mankind. It is not a right that humans can demand.​—Rom. 3:24.

19. (a) Vass sedda miah dankboah sei fa? (Römer 4:8) (b) Vass zayla miah shvetza diveyya in da neksht article?

¹⁹ Read Romans 4:8. How grateful each one of us should be that Jehovah is the God of “true forgiveness”! (Ps. 130:4) However, our being forgiven is dependent on something important. Jesus explained: “If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:14, 15) Obviously, then, it is vital for us to imitate Jehovah’s forgiveness. But how can we do that? Our next article will show us what this involves.