⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;^(A) apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.^{(B) 7} If you remain in me^(C) and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.^{(D) 8} This is to my Father’s glory,^(E) that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.^(F)

¹¹ So Christ himself gave^(A) the apostles,^(B) the prophets,^(C) the evangelists,^(D) the pastors and teachers,^(E)

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you,^(A) we have not stopped praying for you.^(B) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will^(C) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^{[a](D) 10} so that you may live a life worthy^(E) of the Lord and please him^(F) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,^{(G) 11} being strengthened with all power^(H) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,^{(I) 12} and giving joyful thanks to the Father,^(J) who has qualified you^[b] to share in the inheritance^(K) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.^{(L) 13} For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness^(M) and brought us into the kingdom^(N) of the Son he loves,^{(O) 14} in whom we have redemption,^(P) the forgiveness of sins.^(Q)

Warning Against Falling Away^(A)

¹¹ We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. ¹² In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths^(B) of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!^{(C) 13} Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,^(D) is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature,^(E) who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.^(F)

BOOK I

Psalms 1–41

Psalm 1

³ Not only so, but we^[a] also glory in our sufferings,^(A) because we know that suffering produces perseverance;^{(B) 4} perseverance, character; and character, hope.