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. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”(D)

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A Tree and Its Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad[a] and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.(A) 34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow(B) of the heart. 35 A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.(C) 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment(D) people will have to account(E) for every careless[b] word they speak.[c] 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

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Footnotes

  1. 12:33 Or decayed; lit rotten
  2. 12:36 Lit worthless
  3. 12:36 Lit will speak