John 15

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower.

"I am the Vine--the True Vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser.

2 Any unfruitful branch in me he takes away, and he cleanses every fruitful branch, so that it may bear more fruit.

Every branch in me--if it bears no fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3 You are already clean because of the message that I have given you.

Already you are cleansed--through the teaching which I have given you.

4 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.

Continue in me, and let me continue in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself--that is, if it does not continue in the vine--so neither can you if you do not continue in me.

5 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.

I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who continues in me and in whom I continue bears abundant fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

6 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.

If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned.

7 If you remain united to me, and my teaching remains in your hearts, ask whatever you wish, and it will be yours.

"If you continue in me and my sayings continue in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you.

8 It is by your bearing fruit plentifully, and so showing yourselves my disciples, that my Father is honored.

By this is God glorified--by your bearing abundant fruit and thus being true disciples of mine.

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; remain in my love.

As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you: continue in my love.

10 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.

If you obey my commands, you will continue in my love, as I have obeyed my Father's commands and continue in His love.

11 I have told you all this so that my own joy may be yours, and that your joy may be complete.

"These things I have spoken to you in order that I may have joy in you, and that your joy may become perfect.

12 This is my command – love one another, as I have loved you.

This is my commandment to you, to love one another as I have loved you.

13 No one can give greater proof of love than by laying down their life for their friends.

No one has greater love than this--a man laying down his life for his friends.

14 And you are my friends, if you do what I command you.

You are my friends, if you do what I command you.

15 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.

No longer do I call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all that I have heard from the Father I have made known to you.

16 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.

It is not you who chose me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful and that your fruit might remain; so that whatever petition you present to the Father in my name He may give you.

17 I am giving you these commands that you may love one another.

"Thus I command you to love one another.

18 If the world hates you, you know that it has first hated me.

If the world hates you, remember that it has first had me as the fixed object of its hatred.

19 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.

If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own property. But because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world--for that reason the world hates you.

20 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.

Bear in mind what I said to you, 'A servant is not superior to his master.' If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

21 But they will do all this to you, because you believe in my name, for they do not know him who sent me.

But they will inflict all this suffering upon you on account of your bearing my name--because they do not know Him who sent me.

22 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.

"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but as the case stands they are without excuse for their sin.

23 The person who hates me hates my Father also.

He who hates me hates my Father also.

24 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.

If I had not done among them, as I have, such miracles as no one else ever did, they would have had no sin; but they have in fact seen and also hated both me and my Father.

25 And so is fulfilled what is said in their Law – ‘They hated me without cause.’

But this has been so, in order that the saying may be fulfilled which stands written in their Law, 'They have hated me without any reason.'

26 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;

"When the Advocate is come whom I will send to you from the Father's presence--the Spirit of Truth who comes forth from the Father's presence--He will be a witness concerning me.

27 yes, and you also are to bear testimony, because you have been with me from the first.

And you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the first.