Luke 13:6-9

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

6 And he told this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find [any].

7 So he said to the gardener, 'Behold, {for three years} I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and did not find [any]. Cut it down! Why should it even exhaust the soil?'

8 But he answered [and] said to him, 'Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put manure on [it].

9 And if indeed it produces fruit in the coming [year], [so much the better], but if not, you can cut it down.'"

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [b]. Literally "three years from which"
• [c]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [d]. Some manuscripts have "Therefore cut it down!"
• [e]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("answered") has been translated as a finite verb
• [f]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [g]. *The phrase "[so much the better]" is not in the Greek text but is implied