1. Wetin e mean to repent?

 WHEN we do something wey no good, e dey important make we repent. For Bible, person wey repent de regret the bad thing wey e do, stop to de do-am, and make up im mind say e no go do-am again.—Check Glossary, “Repentance” for English.

2. Why all of us need to know wetin e mean to repent? (Nehemiah 8:​9-11)

² Everybody wey dey alive need to learn about wetin e mean to repent. Why e be like that? Because all of us de sin everyday. As we be children of Adam and Eve, all of us get sin for body and we de die. (Rom. 3:23; 5:12) Nobody fit escape this one. Even for people wey get strong faith like apostle Paul, e no easy for them to control the way wey body de push them to do wetin bad. (Rom. 7:​21-24) This one mean say we go always dey sad because we de sin? No be so. Jehovah de show mercy, and e want make we dey happy. Make we talk about wetin happen to Jew people for Nehemiah time. (Read Nehemiah 8:​9-11.) Jehovah no want make them de feel sad because of the sins wey them don commit before, but e want make them de happy as them de worship-am. Jehovah know say when person repent from im sin, e go dey happy. So e de teach us wetin e mean to repent. If we repent from our sins, we fit dey sure say our Papa wey de show mercy go forgive us.

3. Wetin we go learn for this article?

³ Make we learn more about wetin e mean to repent. For this article, we go talk about three things wey concern how to repent.  We go first learn wetin Jehovah teach Israel people about how them fit repent. After this one, we go learn how Jehovah de help sinners to repent. And the last one be say we go see wetin Jesus teach im disciples about wetin e mean to repent.

JEHOVAH TEACH ISRAEL PEOPLE HOW THEM FIT REPENT

4. Wetin Jehovah teach Israel people about how them fit repent?

⁴ When Jehovah give Israel people im laws, them promise to obey-am. And Jehovah promise them say if them obey im laws, e go protect and bless them. See wetin e tell them about im laws. E say: “This command wey I de give you today no too hard, and e no dey far from you.” (Deut. 30:​11, 16) But if them no obey Jehovah or them start to worship other gods, e no go protect them again and them go suffer. Even if e happen like this, e no mean say Jehovah don abandon them. Them fit ‘come back to their God and listen to im voice.’ (Deut. 30:​1-3, 17-20) This one mean say them fit repent. And if them repent, Jehovah go draw near them again and bless them.

5. How Jehovah show say e no tire to help im people when them no obey-am? (2 Kings 17:​13, 14)

⁵ Plenty times, Jehovah people no gree follow wetin e talk. Them no only worship lie-lie gods, but them still de do other bad things. Them suffer because of this one. But Jehovah continue to help im people to come serve-am for the correct way again. E continue to send im prophets to im people to move them to repent and come back to-am.—Read 2 Kings 17:​13, 14.

6. How Jehovah use im prophets to teach im people say e dey important make them repent? (Still check the picture.)

⁶ Many times, Jehovah de send im prophets to go correct im people and warn them about wetin go happen if them no gree obey-am. For example, God send Jeremiah make e tell Israel people say: “Make una come back to me, house of Israel wey no dey faithful . . . As I de see una, I no go vex for una again because of  my love wey no de fail . . . I no go continue to vex forever. Only know the bad things wey you don do because you don sin against Jehovah.” (Jer. 3:​12, 13) Jehovah tell Joel make e tell the people say: “Come back to me with all your heart.” (Joel 2:​12, 13) E still send Isaiah make e tell them say: “Make sure say una dey clean; make una remove the bad things wey una de do for my front; and stop to do bad things.” (Isa. 1:​16-19) And Jehovah use Ezekiel to ask say: “E de make me happy say wicked person die? . . . I no go like-am if e leave im wicked way and continue to live? I no de happy if anybody die, . . . so turn back and live.” (Ezek. 18:​23, 32) E de make Jehovah happy when people repent from their sin because e want make them live forever! But Jehovah no just de wait make person repent before e go help-am. Make we see some examples.

7. Wetin Jehovah teach im people with the example of Hosea and im wife, Gomer?

⁷ See wetin Jehovah use the example of prophet Hosea and im wife, Gomer, teach im people. After Gomer don go sleep with other men, e leave im husband, Hosea. Gomer go fit repent? Jehovah, wey fit see wetin dey person heart tell Hosea say: “Go back again, go love your wife wey another man love and wey de sleep with the man. Love-am just as Jehovah love Israel people even though say them don de worship other gods.” (Hos. 3:1; Prov. 16:2) Notice say Hosea wife still de commit serious sin. Even with this one, Jehovah tell Hosea make e forgive-am and take-am back as im wife. a Jehovah want use this example teach im people how e feel about them. Even though say them still de do bad things, Jehovah still love them and e continue to send im prophets to help them repent and change from their bad ways. This example show say Jehovah, the God wey de “check wetin dey person mind” go try to help person wey still de commit serious sin to fit repent? (Prov. 17:3) Make we see.

HOW JEHOVAH DE TRY HELP PEOPLE TO REPENT

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

⁸ Cain na Adam and Eve first son. Like other children wey Adam and Eve born, Cain get sin for body. Bible still talk about-am say: ‘E de do wicked things.’ (1 John 3:12) This one fit be the reason why Jehovah “no accept Cain and im sacrifice” when e offer sacrifice to Jehovah. Instead make Cain change how e de behave, “Cain really vex and e no happy.” Wetin Jehovah do? E talk to Cain. (Read Genesis 4:​3-7.) Notice say Jehovah sofri talk to Cain and tell-am say e go bless-am if e start to do wetin good. Jehovah still warn Cain say if e no stop to vex, e fit do bad thing. E pain us say Cain no gree listen. E no allow make Jehovah help-am repent. Even though say Cain no listen to Jehovah, this one make Jehovah stop to help other sinners repent? No!

9. How Jehovah help David to fit repent?

⁹ Jehovah really love King David. E even call-am “person wey de do wetin [e] like.” (Acts 13:22) But David do some things wey bad well-well. E sleep with another man wife and kill the man. According to the Law wey Jehovah give Moses, them suppose kill David. (Lev. 20:10; Num. 35:31) But Jehovah  want help David repent. b Jehovah send im prophet, Nathan, make e visit the king, even though say David never show any sign say e don repent. Prophet Nathan use example wey help David understand say e don commit serious sin. This one make David see say wetin e do really pain Jehovah well-well and e repent. (2 Sam. 12:​1-14) E write one psalm wey show say wetin e do really pain-am. (Ps. 51, superscription) This psalm don comfort plenty people wey don commit sin and move them to repent. We really thank Jehovah say e help David to fit repent.

10. How e de make you feel to know say Jehovah dey patient with us and e de forgive us?

¹⁰ Jehovah hate all kind of sin. (Ps. 5:4, 5) But Jehovah love us, and when we sin, e really want help us. E de always want help people wey sin, even people wey commit serious sin, to fit repent and come near-am. E de sweet us to know this one! As we de think about how Jehovah dey patient and de forgive, e de move us to continue to hold-am tight and to quick repent when we sin. Now, make we see wetin Jesus teach im disciples about wetin e mean to repent.

JESUS DISCIPLES LEARN WETIN E MEAN TO REPENT

11-12. Which story Jesus use teach us say Jehovah really dey ready to forgive us? (Check the picture for front cover.)

¹¹ Jesus become Messiah for 29 C.E. As we don talk for the article before this one, Jehovah use John the Baptist and Jesus Christ to teach people why e dey important to repent.—Matt. 3:1, 2; 4:17.

¹² When Jesus dey this earth, e teach us say im Papa ready to forgive us when we sin. Jesus do this one when e tell the story of one pikin wey waste the property wey e get from im papa. The pikin decide to comot for house and e do some serious bad things. But after “im eye don clear,” e go back to their house. Wetin im papa do? Jesus talk say: “As e still de come from far, im papa come see-am, pity-am and run go embrace-am, and e sofri  kiss-am.” The pikin no expect say im papa go forgive-am. So e be get-am for mind say e go ask-am if e fit work as im servant for house. But the papa ready to forgive-am and e even call-am “this my pikin” and welcome-am back to the family. The papa talk say the pikin “lost but we don see-am.” (Luke 15:​11-32) When Jesus dey heaven, e don see many times how im Papa de show pity and ready to forgive people wey repent. This story wey Jesus talk show how Jehovah de really pity us and ready to forgive our sins.

13-14. Wetin apostle Peter learn about how Jehovah de forgive people wey repent, and wetin e teach other people about-am? (Still check the picture.)

¹³ Apostle Peter learn important things from Jesus about how Jehovah de forgive people wey repent. Peter make many mistakes and Jesus ready to forgive-am. For example, after Peter deny Jesus three times, e pain-am reach bone. (Matt. 26:​34, 35, 69-75) But after Jesus come back to life, e appear to Peter and e be like say na when Peter dey alone. (Luke 24:​33, 34; 1 Cor. 15:​3-5) Jesus know say Peter don repent and e want make Peter know say e don forgive-am.—Check Mark 16:7 and study note “and Peter.” (For English)

¹⁴ Because Peter know how person de feel when e repent and them forgive-am, this one make-am fit teach other people wetin e mean to repent and to forgive. After one celebration wey them de call Pentecost, Peter explain to plenty Jew people wey gather together say them don kill the Messiah. But e still tell them say: “Make una repent and turn back so that God go wipe una sins comot, and Jehovah go de make una strong again.” (Acts 3:​14, 15, 17, 19) Peter teach say, to show say person repent, e need to change. This one mean say e go change the bad way wey e de think, stop the bad thing wey e de do,  and start to do wetin go make Jehovah happy. Apostle Peter still talk wetin show say Jehovah go forgive their sin kpatakpata. E go just be like say e wipe their sins comot and their sins disappear. And many years later, Peter tell Christians say: “Jehovah . . . dey patient with una because e no want destroy anybody but e want make everybody repent.” (2 Pet. 3:9) E de really sweet us to know say when we repent after we commit sin, even serious sins, Jehovah ready to forgive us.

15-16. (a) How apostle Paul learn wetin e mean to forgive? (1 Timothy 1:​12-15) (b) Wetin we go talk about for the next article?

¹⁵ Apostle Paul do many bad things wey need say make Jehovah forgive-am. Before e become Christian, e suffer plenty people wey be Jesus disciples. E fit be say plenty Christians that time think say e no go ever change. But Jesus know say Paul fit repent and change. Jesus and Jehovah see plenty better character wey Paul get. Jesus talk say: “This man be like container wey I don choose.” (Acts 9:15) Jesus even use miracle to help Paul repent. (Acts 7:58–8:3; 9:​1-9, 17-20) Paul repent and become Christian. Jesus make-am apostle. Many times, Paul talk how e really happy say Jehovah and Jesus dey kind to-am and show-am pity. (Read 1 Timothy 1:​12-15.) Paul tell brothers and sisters say: “God dey kind, e de try to help you make you repent.”—Rom. 2:4.

¹⁶ One time, apostle Paul hear say the congregation for Corinth allow one man wey de do sex wey no clean to remain for congregation. Wetin e tell them to do? Wetin e talk fit help us know how Jehovah de show love when e de correct im servants, and how e de show pity when them repent. We go talk about wetin happen for the congregation for Corinth for the next article.