39 You men of Israel, your opportunity is now.
40 Your tree of life is an illusive tree; it has a generous crop of leaves; its boughs hang low with fruit.
41 Behold, your words are leaves; your deeds the fruit.
42 Behold, for men have plucked the apples of your tree of life, and found them full of bitterness; and worms have eaten to the core.
43 Behold that fig tree by the way so full of leaves and worthless fruit!
44 Then Jesus spoke a word that nature spirits know, and lo, the fig tree stood a mass of withered leaves.
45 And then he spoke again, Behold, for God will speak the Word, and you will stand a withered fig tree in the setting sun.
46 You men of Galilee, send forth and call the pruner in before it is too late, and let him prune away your worthless branches and illusive leaves, and let the sunshine in.
47 The sun is life, and it can change your worthlessness to worth.
48 Your tree of life is good; but you have nurtured it so long with dews of self, and mists of carnal things that you have shut the sunshine out.