Bear fruit that befits repentance: “fruit” as a metaphor is typical of the Bible. Fruit simply grows naturally out of a fundamental disposition of the heart; it is not something that can be done by human plan. The translations attempt a wide variety of dynamic equivalent renderings: Phillips “Go and do something to show that your hearts are really changed”; Barclay “prove the sincerity of your repentance by your life and conduct”; Translator’s New Testament “Show by your conduct that you have truly repented”; New American Bible “Give some evidence that you mean to reform”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “show first of all through your deeds that you really want to change!”

Whereas in verse 2 the verb “to repent” is used, here the noun repentance is used in the Greek construction “worthy of repentance.” Both Revised Standard Version (befits repentance) and Good News Translation: (“that will show that you have turned from your sins”) make the shift to a verb phrase.

In addition to the examples cited above, other phrases translators may try include “Do what is required to show you have repented,” “Live the life that people who have repented should live,” or “Live in such a way people will know you have turned from your sins.”

For comments on repentance, see Matthew 3.2.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .