¹² Can a ^(A)fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? ^[a]Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit^(A)

^43 (B)“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ For ^(C)every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

^16 (A)You will know them by their fruits. ^(B)Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, ^(C)every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ^19 (D)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

¹⁶ For if ^(A)the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷ And if ^(B)some of the branches were broken off, ^(C)and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and ^[a]fatness of the olive tree, ^18 (D)do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

A Tree Known by Its Fruit^(A)

³³ “Either make the tree good and ^(B)its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

⁸ Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the ^[a]valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. ⁹ And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever ^[b]the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. ¹⁰ It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish ^(A)of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. ¹¹ But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.

Elisha Performs Miracles

¹⁹ Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.”

²⁰ And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. ²¹ Then he went out to the source of the water, and ^(A)cast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have ^[a]healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’ ” ²² So the water remains ^(B)healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.