¹At that time some people reported to Jesus about some Galileans whom Pilate had executed while they were sacrificing animals. ²Jesus replied to them, “Do you think that this happened to them because they were more sinful than other people from Galilee? ³No! I can guarantee that they weren’t. But if you don’t turn to God and change the way you think and act, then you, too, will all die. ⁴What about those 18 people who died when the tower at Siloam fell on them? Do you think that they were more sinful than other people living in Jerusalem? ⁵No! I can guarantee that they weren’t. But if you don’t turn to God and change the way you think and act, then you, too, will all die.”

A Story about a Fruitless Tree

⁶Then Jesus used this illustration: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on the tree but didn’t find any. ⁷He said to the gardener, ‘For the last three years I’ve come to look for figs on this fig tree but haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up ⸤good⸥ soil?’

⁸“The gardener replied, ‘Sir, let it stand for one more year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹Maybe next year it’ll have figs. But if not, then cut it down.’ ”

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