John 15

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

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

2 Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, 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 pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

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

4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in 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. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

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 a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

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 in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.

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

8 “In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.

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

9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.

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

10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments 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 spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.

"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 commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.

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

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

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

14 You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.

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

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.

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 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

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 command these things to you, 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 hated me before it hated you.

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

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore 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 the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

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 these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t 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 not have had 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; but as the case stands they are without excuse for their sin.

23 He who hates me, hates my Father also.

He who hates me hates my Father also.

24 If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also 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 But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a 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 “When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about 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 You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

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