Yohani 15
1 “Nene ndi mzabibu wa chakaka na Dadi wangu mwene ndi mulimaji.
[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 Lipanda loloha mugati yangu langapambika matunda mwene akuliwusa, na lipanda loloha lelipambika akulikita livyayi bwina muni lipambikayi neju.
[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 Nyenye mmali kunyamba ndava lilovi lenavajovili lila.
You are already [like] the branches [that a gardener] trims because [you have believed] the message that I have told you.
4 Mtama mugati yangu, na nene nitama mugati yinu. Ngati lipanda nakuhotola kupapimbika lene ngati livili lepi palihina, mewawa nyenye nakuhotola kupambika ngati mutama lepi mugati ya nene.”
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 Nene ndi mzabibu, na nyenye ndi mambanda. Mweitama mugati yangu, na nene nivyayi mugati yaki, mwenuyo ipambika gamahele, muni changali nene nakuhotola kuhenga chochoha.
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 Mundu ngati itama lepi mugati yangu yati itagiwa kuvala ngati lipanda chelitagiwa kuvala na kuyuma. Lipanda ngati lenilo vandu vakulinonga na kulitaga pamotu litinyikayi.
[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 Ngati nyenye mwitama mugati yangu na malovi gangu yati gitama mugati yinu, muyupa chindu chochoha chemwigana yati mwipewa.
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 Ukulu wa Dadi wangu ulangasika ngati nyenye mwipambika matunda gamahele na kuvya vawuliwa vangu.
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 Nene nikuvagana nyenye ngati Dadi cheaniganili nene. Mtama muuganu wangu.
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 Mwakayidakila mihilu yangu yati itama mugati yangu, ngati nene cheniyidakili malagizu ga Dadi wangu na kutama muuganu waki.
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 Nivajovili mambu genaga muni luheku lwangu lutama mugati yinu, na luheku lwinu lutimila.
I have told you these things so that you may be joyful as I [am joyful], and that you may be completely joyful.
12 Mihilu yangu ndi iyi: Mgananayi, ngati chenikuvagana nyenye.
What I am commanding you is this: Love each other just like I have loved you.
13 Kawaka mundu mweavi na uganu mkulu neju kuliku uwu, wa mundu kuwusa wumi waki ndava ya vankozi vaki.
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 Nyenye vankozi vangu mwakahenga chenivalagiza.
You [show that you] are my friends if you keep doing what I have commanded you.
15 Nakuvakemela kavili vehengaji, muni mtangatila imanya lepi cheikita mtopeswa waki. Nambu nyenye nivakemili vankozi, ndava muni goha genayuwini kwa Dadi wangu nivajovili.
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 Nyenye nakunihagula nene, nambu nene ndi mwenivahagwili na kuvatuma mhamba mkapambika matunda ndi mahengu gabwina gegisigalia, mwene Dadi ahotola kuvapela chindu chochoa chemwiyupa kwa liina langu.
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 Hinu, muhilu wangu ukulu ndi wenuwu mgananayi.
[I repeat what] I have commanded you: Love each other.”
18 Ngati vandu va mulima vakuvayomela nyenye, mkoto kukosiwa kuvya vakuniyomela nene kwakona kuvayomela nyenye.
“The people who are opposed to God will hate you. When that happens, remember that they hated me first.
19 Ngati nyenye kuvya vandu va pamulima, mulima ngauvaganili nyenye ngati vandu vaki. Nambu ndava nyenye vandu lepi va pamulima, ndi nene nivahagwili kuhuma pamulima, ndava ya genago vandu va mulima vakuvayomela.
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 Mkumbuka lilovi lila lenivajovili, mtangatila lepi mkulu kuliku mtopeswa waki. Yakavya vanig'aisi nene, mewawa vakuvang'aisa na nyenye, ngati malovi gangu vagakamwili mewa vakugakamula na malovi ginu.
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 Nambu genaga goha vakuvakitila ndava nyenye mukunisadika nene muni mwavandu vangu, ndava vakummanya lepi yula mweanitumili.
They will treat you like that because you [belong to] me [MTY], and because they do not know the one who sent me.
22 Ngati nabweli lepi na kulongela navu, ngavavalangiwi lepi vakumbudila Chapanga, nambu hinu nakuhotola kujova kuvya vambudili lepi Chapanga.
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 Mundu yoyoha mweakuniyomela nene, mewawa akumyomela Dadi wangu.
All those who hate me, [it is as though] they hate my Father as well.
24 Ngati nihengili lepi kwavi mambu gangahengeka na mundu yungi kwavi, ngavavalangiwi lepi vambudili Chapanga, nambu hinu vagaweni gachinamtiti genihengili ndi vaniyomili nene mewawa vamuyomili Dadi wangu.
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 Nambu vahengili lijambu lenili muni malovi gegayandikwi mu Malagizu gatimilayi! “Vaniyomili waka!”
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 Peibwela mtangatila mwenuyo mwenikumtuma kwinu kuhuma kwa Dadi, mwenuyo ndi Mpungu Msopi mweakuvajovela uchakaka kumvala Chapanga. Yati nikumtuma kwinu kuhuma kwa Dadi, mwene yati akuvajovela kunivala nene.
[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 Nyenye mewa yati mukuvajovela vandu kunivala nene ndava muvi na nene kuhumila pakutumbula.
But you [disciples] must also tell people [about me], because you have been with me from the time when I started [my ministry] [MTY].”
