Good Trees and Good Fruit or Bad Trees and Bad Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit is good, or make the tree bad and its fruit is bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say good things when you[a] are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person from his[b] good treasury brings out good things, and the evil person from his[c] evil treasury brings out evil things. 36 But I tell you that every worthless word that they speak, people will give an account for it on the day of judgment! 37 For by your words you will be vindicated, and by your words you will be condemned.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:34 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as temporal
  2. Matthew 12:35 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  3. Matthew 12:35 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

Trees and fruits

33 “Either consider the tree good and its fruit good, or consider the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. A tree is known by its fruit. 34 Children of snakes! How can you speak good things while you are evil? What fills the heart comes out of the mouth. 35 Good people bring out good things from their good treasure. But evil people bring out evil things from their evil treasure. 36 I tell you that people will have to answer on Judgment Day for every useless word they speak. 37 By your words you will be either judged innocent or condemned as guilty.”

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