For the sorrowthat is accordingto [the will] [of] Godproducesa repentancewithout regret,[leading] to salvation,but the sorrowof the worldproducesdeath.
Now when Rachelsawthat she boreJacobnochildren, she becamejealousof her sister;and she saidto Jacob,"Giveme children,or elseI die."
Then Davidsaidto Nathan,"I have sinnedagainst the LORD."And Nathansaidto David,"The LORDalsohas takenawayyour sin;you shall not die.
He saidto him, "O sonof the king,whyare you sodepressedmorningafter morning?Will you not tellme?" Then Amnonsaidto him, "I am in lovewith Tamar,the sisterof my brotherAbsalom."
Now whenAhithophelsawthat his counselwas not followed,he saddled[his] donkeyand aroseand wentto his home,to his city,and sethis housein order,and strangledhimself; thus he diedand was buriedin the graveof his father.
So Ahabcameinto his housesullenand vexedbecauseof the wordwhichNaboththe Jezreelitehad spokento him; for he said,"I will not giveyou the inheritanceof my fathers."And he laydownon his bedand turnedawayhis faceand atenofood.
For I confessmy iniquity;I am fullof anxietybecauseof my sin.
A joyfulheartmakesa cheerfulface,But when the heartis sad,the spiritis broken.
Allthe daysof the afflictedare bad,But a cheerfulheart[has] a continualfeast.
A joyfulheartis goodmedicine,But a brokenspiritdriesup the bones.
The spiritof a mancan endurehis sickness,But [as for] a brokenspiritwhocan bearit?
Sorrowis betterthanlaughter,For when a faceis sada heartmay be happy.
"With weepingthey will come,And by supplicationI will leadthem; I will make them walkby streamsof waters,On a straightpathin which they will not stumble;For I ama fatherto Israel,And Ephraimis My firstborn."
Even when their survivorsescape,they will be on the mountainslike dovesof the valleys,allof them mourning,eachover his own iniquity.
When Godsawtheir deeds,that they turnedfrom their wickedway,then Godrelentedconcerningthe calamitywhichHe had declaredHe would bringupon them. And He did not do[it].
"But both manand beastmust be coveredwith sackcloth;and let men callon Godearnestlythat eachmay turnfrom his wickedwayand from the violencewhichis in his hands.
Then Godsaidto Jonah,"Do you have goodreasonto be angryaboutthe plant?"And he said,"I have goodreasonto be angry,even to death."
And Peterrememberedthe wordwhich Jesushad said,"Beforea roostercrows,you will denyMe three times."And he wentout and weptbitterly.
"In the same way,I tellyou, there is joyin the presenceof the angelsof Godoveronesinnerwho repents."
"But the tax collector,standingsome distance away,was evenunwillingto liftup his eyesto heaven,but was beatinghis breast,saying,'God,be mercifulto me, the sinner!'
When they heardthis,they quieted downand glorifiedGod,saying,"Well then,Godhas grantedto the Gentilesalsothe repentance[that leads] to life."
"Thereforerepentand return,sothat your sinsmay be wiped away,in orderthat timesof refreshingmay comefrom the presenceof the Lord;
I am afraid that when I comeagainmy Godmay humiliateme beforeyou, and I may mournover manyof thosewho have sinned in the pastand not repentedof the impurity,immoralityand sensualitywhichthey have practiced.
I nowrejoice,not that you were madesorrowful,but that you were made sorrowfulto [the point of] repentance;for you were made sorrowfulaccordingto [the will of] God,sothat you might not suffer lossin anythingthroughus.
For you knowthat evenafterwards,when he desiredto inheritthe blessing,he was rejected,for he foundnoplacefor repentance,thoughhe soughtfor it with tears.
Moreover Davidwas greatlydistressedbecausethe peoplespokeof stoninghim, for allthe peoplewere embittered,eachonebecauseof his sonsand his daughters.But Davidstrengthenedhimself in the LORDhis God.
