¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them.^(A) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?^{(B) 17} Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.^{(C) 19} Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.^{(D) 20} Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

³³ “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.^{(A) 34} You brood of vipers,^(B) how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks^(C) what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,^(A) and these defile them. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.^(B)

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you^(A) and given to a people who will produce its fruit.