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Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He #15:2 Lit cleans; used to describe pruningprunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3You are already #15:3 I.e., pruned like a branchclean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4Remain in Me, #15:4 Or I also remain in youand I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit #15:4 Lit fromof itself #15:4 Lit if it does not remainbut must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him #15:5 Lit this one bearsbears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so #15:8 Or become My disciplesprove to be My disciples. 9Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. 10If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Disciples’ Relation to Each Other
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17This I command you, that you love one another.
Disciples’ Relation to the World
18 “If the world hates you, # 15:18 Or (command) know that you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they followed My word, they will follow yours also. 21But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have #15:22 I.e., guiltsin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23The one who hates Me hates My Father also. 24If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have #15:24 I.e., responsibility for their sinsin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. 25But this has happened so that the word that is written in their Law will be fulfilled: ‘They hated Me for no reason.’
26 “When the # 15:26 Or Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, namely, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27and #15:27 Or (command) testify, you as wellyou are testifying as well, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
