⁷ Crowds of people came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who warned you to run away from God’s anger that is coming? ⁸ You must do the things that will show that you really have changed your hearts. Don’t say, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you that God can make children for Abraham from these rocks here. ⁹ The ax is now ready to cut down the trees. Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^[a]