Matthew 3:8

Bible in Basic English

Let your change of heart be seen in your works:

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance.

King James Version (1611)
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.

King James Version
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

English Standard Version
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

New American Standard Bible
"Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance;

New Century Version
Do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives.

Amplified Bible
"So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance [demonstrating new behavior that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin];

Geneva Bible (1587)
Bring foorth therefore fruite worthy amendement of life.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

Berean Standard Bible
Produce fruit worthy of repentance.

Contemporary English Version
Do something to show that you have really given up your sins.

Complete Jewish Bible
If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it!

Darby Translation
Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance.

Easy-to-Read Version
Change your hearts! And show by the way you live that you have changed.

George Lamsa Translation
Bring forth therefore fruits which are worthy of repentance;

Good News Translation
Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins.

Lexham English Bible
Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!

Literal Translation
Therefore, bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.

American Standard Version
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:

Hebrew Names Version
Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance!

International Standard Version
Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance!

Etheridge Translation
Work, therefore, fruits which are suitable to repentance.

Murdock Translation
Bring forth the fruits therefore, that accord with repentance.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Bryng foorth therefore fruites meete for repentaunce.

English Revised Version
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:

World English Bible
Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance!

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:

Weymouth's New Testament
Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor do ye worthi fruyte of penaunce,

Update Bible Version
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:

Webster's Bible Translation
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

New English Translation
Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance,

New King James Version
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

New Living Translation
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.

New Life Bible
Do something to show me that your hearts are changed.

New Revised Standard
Bear fruit worthy of repentance.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Bring forth, therefore, fruit worthy of repentance;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance.

Revised Standard Version
Bear fruit that befits repentance,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Brynge forth therfore the frutes belongynge to repentauce.

Young's Literal Translation
bear, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Bewarre, brynge forth due frutes of pennaunce.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Let your actions then show your repentance:

Simplified Cowboy Version
You gotta change the way you live your life if you want what God is offerin' folks here!

Contextual Overview

⁷ But when he saw a number of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of snakes, at whose word are you going in flight from the wrath to come? ⁸ Let your change of heart be seen in your works: ⁹ And say not to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father; because I say to you that God is able from these stones to make children for Abraham. ¹⁰ And even now the axe is put to the root of the trees; every tree then which does not give good fruit is cut down, and put into the fire. ¹¹ Truly, I give baptism with water to those of you whose hearts are changed; but he who comes after me is greater than I, whose shoes I am not good enough to take up: he will give you baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire: ¹² In whose hand is the instrument with which he will make clean his grain; he will put the good grain in his store, but the waste will be burned up in the fire which will never be put out.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

forth: Matthew 21:28-30, Matthew 21:32, Isaiah 1:16, Isaiah 1:17, Luke 3:8, Luke 3:10-14, Acts 26:20, Romans 2:4-7, 2 Corinthians 7:10, 2 Corinthians 7:11, 2 Peter 1:4-8

fruits: Galatians 5:22, Galatians 5:23, Ephesians 5:9, Philippians 1:11

meet: etc. or, answerable to amendment of life, Jeremiah 7:3-7, Jeremiah 26:13, Jeremiah 36:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 38:26 - And he knew 2 Chronicles 33:15 - he took Job 36:10 - commandeth Isaiah 5:7 - he looked Ezekiel 14:6 - Repent Ezekiel 18:30 - Repent Daniel 4:27 - break Jonah 3:2 - preach Jonah 3:8 - let Micah 2:7 - named Micah 6:8 - to do Haggai 1:8 - and build Zechariah 1:4 - Turn Matthew 7:13 - at Matthew 9:13 - but Matthew 12:33 - and his fruit good Matthew 13:23 - beareth Matthew 15:22 - a woman Matthew 16:1 - Sadducees Mark 6:12 - preached Acts 2:38 - Repent Acts 16:30 - brought Titus 2:12 - denying

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the snake was wiser than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God truly said that you may not take of the fruit of any tree in the garden?

Genesis 3:2
And the woman said, We may take of the fruit of the trees in the garden:

Genesis 3:3
But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, If you take of it or put your hands on it, death will come to you.

Genesis 3:9
And the voice of the Lord God came to the man, saying, Where are you?

Genesis 3:10
And he said, Hearing your voice in the garden I was full of fear, because I was without clothing: and I kept myself from your eyes.

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree and I took it.

Genesis 3:21
And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins for their clothing.

Genesis 3:22
And the Lord God said, Now the man has become like one of us, having knowledge of good and evil; and now if he puts out his hand and takes of the fruit of the tree of life, he will go on living for ever.

Deuteronomy 4:33
Has any people ever gone on living after hearing the voice of God out of the heart of the fire as you did?

Deuteronomy 5:25
Why then is death to be our fate? For if the voice of the Lord our God comes to us any more, death will overtake us, and we will be burned up in this great fire.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Bring forth therefore fruits,.... That is, if you are truly penitent, if you have a proper sense of sin, and true repentance for it, do such works as are suitable to it, and will show the genuineness of it; for

fruits meet for repentance are the same as "works meet for repentance", Acts 26:20 and as a tree is known by its fruit, so repentance is known by good works; these are the fruits and effects of repentance, and which are proofs with men of the sincerity of it. Those which follow upon evangelical repentance are such as are mentioned in 2 Corinthians 7:11. Now let it be observed, that John insisted upon repentance, and a good conversation, attesting the truth of it as necessary prerequisites to the ordinance of baptism; and so Peter first urged repentance; and then proposed baptism, Acts 2:38 from whence one should think it may be rationally and strongly concluded, that none but truly repenting sinners, and such who have given proofs that they are so, are to be admitted to this ordinance.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Bring forth therefore fruits ... - That is, the proper fruits of reformation; the proper evidence that you are sincere. Do not bring your cunning and dissimulation to this work; do not carry your hypocrisy into your professed repentance, but evince your sincerity by forsaking sin, and thus give evidence that this coming to Jordan to be baptized is not an act of dissimulation. No discourse could have been more appropriate or more cutting.

Fruits - Conduct. See Matthew 7:16-19.

Meet for repentance - Fit for repentance; appropriate to it the proper expression of repentance.