< John 15 >
1 “I am the vine, the true one, and my Father is the vinedresser.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower.
2 Any branch in me which does not produce fruit He lifts up, and every one producing fruit He prunes, so that it may produce more fruit.
Any unfruitful branch in me he takes away, and he cleanses every fruitful branch, so that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
You are already clean because of the message that I have given you.
4 Abide in me and I in you. Just as a branch is incapable of producing fruit by itself, except it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me.
Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains united to the vine; no more can you, unless you remain united to me.
5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. The one who abides in me and I in him, he is the one who produces much fruit, because apart from me you are incapable of doing anything.
I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remains united to me, while I remain united to you – you bear fruit plentifully; for you can do nothing apart from me.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown out, like a branch, and dries up; well they gather such and throw them into the fire, and he is burned up.
If anyone does not remain united to me, they are thrown away, as a branch would be, and withers up. Such branches are collected and thrown into the fire, and are burnt.
7 If you abide in me and my sayings abide in you, you will ask whatever you desire and it will happen for you.
If you remain united to me, and my teaching remains in your hearts, ask whatever you wish, and it will be yours.
8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit; and you will become disciples to me.
It is by your bearing fruit plentifully, and so showing yourselves my disciples, that my Father is honored.
9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you; abide in my love.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; remain in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love.
If you lay my commands to heart, you will remain in my love; just as I have laid the Father’s commands to heart and remain in his love.
11 I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.
I have told you all this so that my own joy may be yours, and that your joy may be complete.
12 This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.
This is my command – love one another, as I have loved you.
13 No one has greater love than this, that someone should lay down his life for his friends.
No one can give greater proof of love than by laying down their life for their friends.
14 You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.
And you are my friends, if you do what I command you.
15 “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his owner is doing; rather I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I heard from my Father.
I no longer call you ‘servants,’ because a servant does not know what their master is doing; but I have given you the name of ‘friends,’ because I made known to you everything that I learned from my Father.
16 It was not you who chose me but I who chose you, and I appointed you so that you should go and produce fruit, and that your fruit should endure, so that whatever you may ask the Father in my name He may give you.
It wasn’t you who chose me, but I who chose you, and I appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that should remain, so that the Father might grant you whatever you ask in my name.
17 These things I command you so that you love one another.
I am giving you these commands that you may love one another.
18 “When the world hates you, you can be sure that it has hated me first.
If the world hates you, you know that it has first hated me.
19 If you were of the world, the world would be fond of its own. So because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, that is why the world hates you.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world – that is why the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his owner.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
Remember what I said to you – ‘A servant is not greater than their master.’ If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have laid my message to heart, they will lay yours to heart also.
21 Now they will do all of these things to you because of my name, in that they do not know the One who sent me.
But they will do all this to you, because you believe in my name, for they do not know him who sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be having sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin to answer for; but as it is, they have no excuse for their sin.
23 The one who hates me hates my Father too.
The person who hates me hates my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else has done, they would not be having sin; but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.
If I had not done among them such work as no one else ever did, they would have had no sin to answer for; but, as it is, they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 However, this was so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without cause.’
And so is fulfilled what is said in their Law – ‘They hated me without cause.’
26 “Now when the Enabler comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of the Truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify concerning me.
But, when the helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth, who comes from the Father – will bear testimony to me;
27 And you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
yes, and you also are to bear testimony, because you have been with me from the first.