John 15

1 I Am that true vine, and my Father is that husband man.

[Jesus talked to us as we were walking along. Speaking figuratively of the need for us to live in a way that God wants us to, he said], “I am like [MET] a genuine vine, [not like those Jewish leaders who do not teach the truth]. My father is like [MET] a gardener who [works to] take care of a vineyard.

2 Euery branch that beareth not fruite in me, he taketh away: and euery one that beareth fruite, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruite.

[Just like a gardener] cuts off the branches that bear no grapes [MET], [God gets rid of those who do not please him even though they say that they belong to him]. Those branches that bear fruit, [the gardener] trims so that they may bear more grapes. [Similarly, my Father disciplines/corrects those who live as he wants them to live].

3 Nowe are ye cleane through the worde, which I haue spoken vnto you.

You are already [like] the branches [that a gardener] trims because [you have believed] the message that I have told you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you: as the branche cannot beare fruite of it selfe, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Remain having a close relationship with me. [If you do that], I will remain having a close relationship with you. A branch [of a vine] cannot bear fruit [if it is cut off and left] by itself. To bear fruit, it must remain attached to the vine. Similarly, you cannot [live the way that God wants you to] if you do not remain united to me [MET].

5 I am that vine: ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruite: for without me can ye doe nothing.

I am [like] [MET] a vine. You are [like] [MET] the branches. All those who have a close relationship with me and with whom I have a close relationship will [do much that pleases God, like] [MET] [a vine that] bears much fruit. [Remember that] you can do nothing [HYP] [that truly pleases God] without my [help].

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branche, and withereth: and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they burne.

[A gardener cuts off and] throws away useless branches. Then, after they dry up, [he] picks them up and throws them into a fire and burns them [SIM]. Similarly, everyone who does not remain having a close relationship with me, [God] will get rid of.

7 If ye abide in me, and my wordes abide in you, aske what ye wil, and it shalbe done to you.

If you remain having a close relationship with me and you keep [living in accordance with] my message, you can ask [God to do] anything for you, and he will do it.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye beare much fruite, and be made my disciples.

The way my Father is honored is by your {The way you honor my Father is by} doing much that pleases him [MET], and by doing that, you will show that you are my disciples.

9 As the father hath loued me, so haue I loued you: continue in that my loue.

I have loved you just as [my] Father has loved me. Now keep living in [a way that is appropriate for those whom] I love.

10 If ye shall keepe my commandements, ye shall abide in my loue, as I haue kept my Fathers commandements, and abide in his loue.

If you obey what I have commanded you, you will be acting in [a way that is appropriate for those whom] I love, just like I have obeyed what my Father has commanded me and I act [in a way that is appropriate for someone] whom he loves.

11 These things haue I spoken vnto you, that my ioy might remaine in you, and that your ioy might be full.

I have told you these things so that you may be joyful as I [am joyful], and that you may be completely joyful.

12 This is my commandement, that ye loue one another, as I haue loued you.

What I am commanding you is this: Love each other just like I have loved you.

13 Greater loue then this hath no man, when any man bestoweth his life for his friendes.

The best way that people can show that they love someone is to die for that person. There is no way that you can love someone in a greater way than that.

14 Ye are my friendes, if ye doe whatsoeuer I commaund you.

You [show that you] are my friends if you keep doing what I have commanded you.

15 Henceforth call I you not seruants: for the seruant knoweth not what his master doeth: but I haue called you friends: for all things that I haue heard of my Father, haue I made knowen to you.

I will no longer call you my servants, because servants do not know [why] their masters [want them to] do things. Instead, I have said that you are my friends, because I, [acting like a friend], have revealed to you everything that my Father told me.

16 Ye haue not chosen me, but I haue chosen you, and ordeined you, that ye goe and bring foorth fruite, and that your fruite remaine, that whatsoeuer ye shall aske of the Father in my Name, he may giue it you.

You did not decide to become my [disciples]. Instead, I chose you, so that you would do many things that please him [MET]. The results of what you do will last [forever]. I also chose you so that [my] Father will do for you whatever you, using my authority, ask him to do [MTY].

17 These things commaund I you, that ye loue one another.

[I repeat what] I have commanded you: Love each other.”

18 If the worlde hate you, ye knowe that it hated me before you.

“The people who are opposed to God will hate you. When that happens, remember that they hated me first.

19 If ye were of the worlde, the world woulde loue his owne: but because ye are not of ye world, but I haue chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

If you belonged to those who are opposed to God [MTY], they would love [you like they love] those who belong to them. But you do not belong to those who are opposed to God [MTY]. Instead, I chose you so that you would separate yourselves from [MTY] them. That is why those who are opposed to God [MTY] hate you.

20 Remember the word that I said vnto you, The seruant is not greater then his master. If they haue persecuted me, they will persecute you also: if they haue kept my worde, they will also keepe yours.

Remember these words that I told you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ [That means that you, who are like my servants, cannot expect people to treat you better than they treat me]. So, since they have (persecuted me/caused me to suffer), they will (persecute you/cause you to suffer) also. If they had paid attention to the things I taught them, they would pay attention to what you teach them.

21 But all these things will they doe vnto you for my Names sake, because they haue not knowen him that sent me.

They will treat you like that because you [belong to] me [MTY], and because they do not know the one who sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken vnto them, they shoulde not haue had sinne: but nowe haue they no cloke for their sinne.

If I had not come and spoken [God’s message] to them, they would not be guilty [of rejecting me and my message]. But now [I have come and told them God’s message, so] they will have no excuse [when God judges them] for their sin.

23 He that hateth me, hateth my Father also.

All those who hate me, [it is as though] they hate my Father as well.

24 If I had not done workes among them which none other man did, they had not had sinne: but nowe haue they both seene, and haue hated both me, and my Father.

If I had not done among them the [miracles] that no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of the sin [of rejecting me]. But now, [although] they have seen [those miracles], they have hated both me and my Father.

25 But it is that the worde might be fulfilled, that is written in their Lawe, They hated me without a cause.

But this has happened in order that these words that have been written in their Scriptures might be fulfilled {to fulfill this that [(someone/the Psalmist]) wrote in their Scriptures}: ‘They hated me for no reason.’

26 But when that Comforter shall come, whom I will send vnto you from the Father, euen the Spirit of trueth, which proceedeth of the Father, he shall testifie of me.

[Later] I will send to you from [my] Father the one who will (encourage/be like a legal counsel for) you. He is the Spirit [who will teach you God’s] truth. He will come from my Father. He will tell people about me.

27 And ye shall witnesse also, because ye haue bene with me from the beginning.

But you [disciples] must also tell people [about me], because you have been with me from the time when I started [my ministry] [MTY].”