And it came to pass that a long time passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant:
“Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor in the vineyard. And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and also the servant, went down into the vineyard to labor.”
And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master:
“Behold, look here; behold the tree.”
And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard looked and beheld the tree in the which the wild olive branches had been grafted; and it had sprung forth and begun to bear fruit. And he beheld that it was good; and the fruit thereof was like unto the natural fruit.
And he said unto the servant:
“Behold, the branches of the wild tree have taken hold of the moisture of the root thereof, that the root thereof hath brought forth much strength; and because of the much strength of the root thereof the wild branches have brought forth tame fruit.
“Now, if we had not grafted in these branches, the tree thereof would have perished. And now, behold, I shall lay up much fruit, which the tree thereof hath brought forth; and the fruit thereof I shall lay up against the season, unto mine own self.”
And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant:
“Come, let us go to the nethermost part of the vineyard, and behold if the natural branches of the tree have not brought forth much fruit also, that I may lay up of the fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self.”
And it came to pass that they went forth whither the master had hid the natural branches of the tree, and he said unto the servant:
“Behold these;”
And he beheld the first that it had brought forth much fruit; and he beheld also that it was good. And he said unto the servant:
“Take of the fruit thereof, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self; for behold,” said he, “this long time have I nourished it, and it hath brought forth much fruit.”
And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master:
“How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard.”
And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him:
“Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit.”
And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant:
“Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self.”
And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said again unto his servant:
“Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought forth fruit.”
And he said unto the servant:
“Look hither and behold the last. Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others.”
And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant:
“Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit,
and cast them into the fire.”
But behold, the servant said unto him:
“Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season.”
And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did nourish all the fruit of the vineyard.