Iohannem 15

1 ego sum vitis vera et Pater meus agricola est

[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 omnem palmitem in me non ferentem fructum tollet eum et omnem qui fert fructum purgabit eum ut fructum plus adferat

[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 iam vos mundi estis propter sermonem quem locutus sum vobis

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

4 manete in me et ego in vobis sicut palmes non potest ferre fructum a semet ipso nisi manserit in vite sic nec vos nisi in me manseritis

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 ego sum vitis vos palmites qui manet in me et ego in eo hic fert fructum multum quia sine me nihil potestis facere

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 si quis in me non manserit mittetur foras sicut palmes et aruit et colligent eos et in ignem mittunt et ardent

[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 si manseritis in me et verba mea in vobis manserint quodcumque volueritis petetis et fiet vobis

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 in hoc clarificatus est Pater meus ut fructum plurimum adferatis et efficiamini mei discipuli

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 sicut dilexit me Pater et ego dilexi vos manete in dilectione mea

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 si praecepta mea servaveritis manebitis in dilectione mea sicut et ego Patris mei praecepta servavi et maneo in eius dilectione

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 haec locutus sum vobis ut gaudium meum in vobis sit et gaudium vestrum impleatur

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

12 hoc est praeceptum meum ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos

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

13 maiorem hac dilectionem nemo habet ut animam suam quis ponat pro amicis suis

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 vos amici mei estis si feceritis quae ego praecipio vobis

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

15 iam non dico vos servos quia servus nescit quid facit dominus eius vos autem dixi amicos quia omnia quaecumque audivi a Patre meo nota feci vobis

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 non vos me elegistis sed ego elegi vos et posui vos ut eatis et fructum adferatis et fructus vester maneat ut quodcumque petieritis Patrem in nomine meo det vobis

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 haec mando vobis ut diligatis invicem

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

18 si mundus vos odit scitote quia me priorem vobis odio habuit

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

19 si de mundo fuissetis mundus quod suum erat diligeret quia vero de mundo non estis sed ego elegi vos de mundo propterea odit vos mundus

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 mementote sermonis mei quem ego dixi vobis non est servus maior domino suo si me persecuti sunt et vos persequentur si sermonem meum servaverunt et vestrum servabunt

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 sed haec omnia facient vobis propter nomen meum quia nesciunt eum qui misit 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 si non venissem et locutus fuissem eis peccatum non haberent nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo

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 qui me odit et Patrem meum odit

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

24 si opera non fecissem in eis quae nemo alius fecit peccatum non haberent nunc autem et viderunt et oderunt et me et Patrem meum

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 sed ut impleatur sermo qui in lege eorum scriptus est quia odio me habuerunt gratis

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 cum autem venerit paracletus quem ego mittam vobis a Patre Spiritum veritatis qui a Patre procedit ille testimonium perhibebit de 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 et vos testimonium perhibetis quia ab initio mecum estis

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