1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.17These things I command you, that ye love one another.18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.21But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.24If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.25But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
John 15
New International Reader’s Version
The vine and the branches
1‘I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener.2He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit.3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.4Remain joined to me, just as I also remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can’t bear fruit unless you remain joined to me.5‘I am the vine. You are the branches. If you remain joined to me, and I to you, you will bear a lot of fruit. You can’t do anything without me.6If you don’t remain joined to me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned.7If you remain joined to me and my words remain in you, ask for anything you wish. And it will be done for you.8When you bear a lot of fruit, it brings glory to my Father. It shows that you are my disciples.9‘Just as the Father has loved me, I have loved you. Now remain in my love.10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. In the same way, I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.11I have told you this so that you will have the same joy that I have. I also want your joy to be complete.12Here is my command. Love one another, just as I have loved you.13No one has greater love than the one who gives their life for their friends.14You are my friends if you do what I command.15I do not call you slaves anymore. Slaves do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends. I have told you everything I learned from my Father.16You did not choose me. Instead, I chose you. I appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit that will last. I also appointed you so that the Father will give you what you ask for. He will give you whatever you ask for in my name.17Here is my command. Love one another.
The world hates the disciples
18‘My disciples, does the world hate you? Remember that it hated me first.19If you belonged to the world, it would love you like one of its own. But you do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.20Remember what I told you. I said, “A slave is not more important than his master.” If people hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. (Joh 13:16)21They will treat you like that because of my name. They do not know the one who sent me.22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.23Whoever hates me hates my Father also.24I did works among them that no one else did. If I hadn’t, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen those works. And still they have hated both me and my Father.25This has happened so that what is written in their Law would come true. It says, “They hated me without any reason.”
The work of the Holy Spirit
26‘I will send the Friend to you from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father. When the Friend comes to help you, he will be a witness about me.27You must also be witnesses about me. That’s because you have been with me from the beginning.