| 1 | I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. |
| 2 | Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses
and
repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more
and
richer
and
more excellent fruit. |
| 3 | You are cleansed
and
pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. |
| 4 | Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. |
| 5 | I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. |
| 6 | If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. |
| 7 | If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you
and
continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. |
| 8 | When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored
and
glorified, and you show
and
prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. |
| 9 | I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [
[a]continue in His love with Me]. |
| 10 | If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love
and
live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love. |
| 11 | I have told you these things, that My joy
and
delight may be in you, and that your joy
and
gladness may be of full measure
and
complete
and
overflowing. |
| 12 | This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. |
| 13 | No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. |
| 14 | You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do. |
| 15 | I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.] |
| 16 | You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit
and
keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as
[b]presenting all that
I Am
], He may give it to you. |
| 17 | This is what I command you: that you love one another. |
| 18 | If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. |
| 19 | If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection
and
would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you. |
| 20 | Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word
and
obeyed My teachings, they will also keep
and
obey yours. |
| 21 | But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name
and
on My account, for they do not know
or
understand the One Who sent Me. |
| 22 | If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin [would be blameless]; but now they have no excuse for their sin. |
| 23 | Whoever hates Me also hates My Father. |
| 24 | If I had not done (accomplished) among them the works which no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of sin. But [the fact is] now they have both seen [these works] and have hated both Me and My Father. |
| 25 | But [this is so] that the word written in their Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause. |
| 26 | But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me. |
| 27 | But you also will testify
and
be My witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning. |
Cross references:
-
John 15:25 : Ps. 35:19; 69:4.
|