The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

Jesus tells of a fig tree that has given no fruit for three years. The owner orders it cut down, but the keeper asks for one more year to work the soil and see whether it will bear fruit.

T⁶hen Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ⁸‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”