Jeremiah 25:5

25:5 He said through them, ¹  ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing. ²  If you do, I will allow you to continue to live here in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors as a lasting possession. ³ 

Jeremiah 35:15

35:15 I sent all my servants the prophets to warn you over and over again. They said, “Every one of you, stop doing the evil things you have been doing and do what is right. ⁴  Do not pay allegiance to other gods ⁵  and worship them. Then you can continue to live in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.” But you did not pay any attention or listen to me.

Jeremiah 36:3

36:3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the disaster I intend to bring on them, they will all stop doing the evil things they have been doing. ⁶  If they do, I will forgive their sins and the wicked things they have done.” ⁷ 

Ezekiel 13:22

13:22 This is because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (although I have not grieved him), and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil conduct and preserve his life.

Ezekiel 18:30

18:30 “Therefore I will judge each person according to his conduct, ⁸  O house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord. Repent ⁹  and turn from all your wickedness; then it will not be an obstacle leading to iniquity. ¹⁰ 

Zechariah 1:4

1:4 “Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “Turn now from your evil wickedness,”’ but they would by no means obey me,” says the Lord.

Acts 26:18-20

26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ¹¹  from darkness to light and from the power ¹²  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ¹³  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

26:19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, ¹⁴  I was not disobedient ¹⁵  to the heavenly ¹⁶  vision, 26:20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, ¹⁷  and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, ¹⁸  performing deeds consistent with ¹⁹  repentance.

Acts 26:1

Paul Offers His Defense

26:1 So Agrippa ²⁰  said to Paul, “You have permission ²¹  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ²²  and began his defense: ²³ 

Acts 1:9-10

1:9 After ²⁴  he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight. 1:10 As ²⁵  they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly ²⁶  two men in white clothing stood near them

Acts 5:6

5:6 So the young men came, ²⁷  wrapped him up, ²⁸  carried him out, and buried ²⁹  him.

¹ tn Heb “saying.” The infinitive goes back to “he sent”; i.e., “he sent, saying.”

² tn Heb “Turn [masc. pl.] each person from his wicked way and from the evil of your [masc. pl.] doings.” See the same demand in 23:22.

³ tn Heb “gave to you and your fathers with reference to from ancient times even unto forever.” See the same idiom in 7:7.

⁴ tn Heb “Turn, each of you, from his [= your] wicked way and make good your deeds.” Compare 18:11 where the same idiom occurs with the added term of “make good your ways.”

⁵ tn Heb “Don’t go after/follow other gods.” See the translator’s note on 2:5 for an explanation of the idiom and see 11:10; 13:10; 25:6 for the same idiom.

⁶ tn Heb “will turn each one from his wicked way.”

⁷ tn Heb “their iniquity and their sin.”

⁸ tn Heb “ways.”

⁹ tn The verbs and persons in this verse are plural whereas the individual has been the subject of the chapter.

¹⁰ tn Or “leading to punishment.”

¹¹ sn To open their eyes so that they turn… Here is Luke’s most comprehensive report of Paul’s divine calling. His role was to call humanity to change their position before God and experience God’s forgiveness as a part of God’s family. The image of turning is a key one in the NT: Luke 1:79; Rom 2:19; 13:12; 2 Cor 4:6; 6:14; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12; 1 Thess 5:5. See also Luke 1:77-79; 3:3; 24:47.

¹² tn BDAG 352-53 s.v. ἐξουσία 2 states, “Also of Satan’s power Ac 26:18.” It is also possible to translate this “the domain of Satan” (cf. BDAG 353 s.v. 6)

¹³ tn Or “and an inheritance.”

¹⁴ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

¹⁵ sn I was not disobedient. Paul’s defense is that he merely obeyed the risen Jesus. He was arrested for obeying heavenly direction and preaching the opportunity to turn to God.

¹⁶ tn According to L&N 1.5, “In Ac 26:19 the adjective οὐράνιος could be interpreted as being related simply to the meaning of οὐρανός^a ‘sky,’ but it seems preferable to regard οὐράνιος in this context as meaning simply ‘from heaven’ or ‘heavenly.’”

¹⁷ tn BDAG 1093-94 s.v. χώρα 2.b states, “of the provincial name (1 Macc 8:3) ἡ χώρα τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας Ac 26:20.”

¹⁸ sn That they should repent and turn to God. This is the shortest summary of Paul’s message that he preached.

¹⁹ tn BDAG 93 s.v. ἄξιος 1.b, “καρποὶ ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας fruits in keeping with your repentance…Lk 3:8; Mt 3:8. For this ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα Ac 26:20.” Note how Paul preached the gospel offer and the issue of response together, side by side.

²⁰ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

²¹ tn Grk “It is permitted for you.”

²² tn Or “extended his hand” (a speaker’s gesture).

²³ tn Or “and began to speak in his own defense.”

²⁴ tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

²⁵ tn Grk “And as.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

²⁶ tn Grk “behold.”

²⁷ tn Or “arose.”

²⁸ tn The translation “wrapped up” for συνέστειλαν (sunesteilan) is suggested by L&N 79.119, but another interpretation is possible. The same verb could also be translated “removed” (see L&N 15.200), although that sense appears somewhat redundant and out of sequence with the following verb and participle (“carried him out and buried him”).

²⁹ sn Buried. Same day burial was a custom in the Jewish world of the first century (cf. also Deut 21:23).