Jesus begins to tell the crowd a parable to explain his last statement, "But if you do not repent, all of you will also perish" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parables]])
The man uses a question to emphasize that the tree is useless and the gardener should cut it down. AT: "Do not let it waste the ground" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])