The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶ And he told this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.^{[a] 7} So he said to the gardener, ‘Behold, for three years^[b] I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and did not find any.^[c] Cut it down!^[d] Why should it even exhaust the soil?’ ⁸ But he answered and^[e] said to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put manure on it.^{[f] 9} And if indeed it produces fruit in the coming year, so much the better,^[g] but if not, you can cut it down.’”