⁷ He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers!^(A) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’^(B) for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ⁹ Even now the ax is ready to strike^[a] the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^(C)