John 15
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jesus, the True Vine
15 ⌞Then Jesus said,⌟ “I am the true vine, and my Father takes care of the vineyard. 2 He removes every one of my branches that doesn’t produce fruit. He also prunes every branch that does produce fruit to make it produce more fruit.
3 “You are already clean [a] because of what I have told you. 4 Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me.
5 “I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can’t produce anything without me. 6 Whoever doesn’t live in me is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Branches like this are gathered, thrown into a fire, and burned. 7 If you live in me and what I say lives in you, then ask for anything you want, and it will be yours. 8 You give glory to my Father when you produce a lot of fruit and therefore show that you are my disciples.
9 “I have loved you the same way the Father has loved me. So live in my love. 10 If you obey my commandments, you will live in my love. I have obeyed my Father’s commandments, and in that way I live in his love. 11 I have told you this so that you will be as joyful as I am, and your joy will be complete. 12 Love each other as I have loved you. This is what I’m commanding you to do. 13 The greatest love you can show is to give your life for your friends. 14 You are my friends if you obey my commandments. 15 I don’t call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. But I’ve called you friends because I’ve made known to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father. 16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you. I have appointed you to go, to produce fruit that will last, and to ask the Father in my name to give you whatever you ask for. 17 Love each other. This is what I’m commanding you to do.
18 “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you had anything in common with the world, the world would love you as one of its own. But you don’t have anything in common with the world. I chose you from the world, and that’s why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant isn’t greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they did what I said, they will also do what you say. 21 Indeed, they will do all this to you because you are committed to me, since they don’t know the one who sent me. 22 If I hadn’t come and spoken to them, they wouldn’t have any sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The person who hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I hadn’t done among them what no one else has done, they wouldn’t have any sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 In this way what is written in their Scriptures has come true: ‘They hate me for no reason.’
26 “The helper whom I will send to you from the Father will come. This helper, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, will declare the truth about me. 27 You will declare the truth, too, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
Footnotes
- 15:3 “Clean ” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is presentable to God.
John 15
Christian Standard Bible
The Vine and the Branches
15 “I am(A) the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes,(B) and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean(C) because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.(D) 5 I am the vine; (E) you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit,(F) because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside(G) like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire,(H) and they are burned.(I) 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.(J) 8 My Father is glorified(K) by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[a] my disciples.
Christlike Love
9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.(L) 10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.(M)
11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.(N)
12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved(O) you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life(P) for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master[b](Q) is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you.(R) I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask(S) the Father in my name,(T) he will give you.(U)
17 “This is what I command you: Love one another.
Persecutions Predicted
18 “If the world hates(V) you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen(W) you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’(X) If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word,(Y) they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name,(Z) because they don’t know(AA) the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.(AB) Now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates me also hates my Father.(AC) 24 If I had not done the works(AD) among them that no one else has done,(AE) they would not be guilty of sin.(AF) Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled:(AG) They hated me for no reason.[c](AH)
The Counselor’s Ministry
26 “When the Counselor(AI) comes, the one I will send to you from the Father(AJ) —the Spirit of truth(AK) who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You also will testify,(AL) because you have been with me from the beginning.
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