John 15

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the one who tends it.

2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit, and he prunes each one that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.

3The word I have spoken to you has already made you clean.

4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch is not able to bear fruit on its own unless it remains in the vine, and in the same way you cannot unless you remain in me.

5I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me, with me in him—that is the one who bears much fruit, since without me you are able to do nothing.

6Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown out like a branch and dries up. People gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they burn.

7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want, and it will happen for you.

8This is how my Father is glorified: when you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

9Just as the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love.

10If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I, having kept my Father’s commandments, remain in his love.

11I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be made full.

12This is my commandment: you are to love one another just as I loved you.

13No one’s love is greater than this: that a person lay down his life on behalf of his friends.

14You are my friends if you do what I command you.

15I do not call you servants anymore, since a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have let you know everything I heard from my Father.

16It was not you who chose me; I chose you, and I appointed you so that you would go and bear fruit and your fruit would remain, and so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.

17This is what I command you: love one another.

18If the world hates you, be aware that it has hated me first, before hating you.

19If you were from the world, the world would love what is its own. But you are not from the world—I chose you out of it—and for this reason the world hates you.

20Keep in mind what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept my word, they will keep yours as well.

21But all this they will do to you because of my name, since the one who sent me is unknown to them.

22Had I not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin. But as it is, they have no excuse for their sin.

23Whoever hates me hates my Father also.

24Had I not done among them works that no one else has done, they would have no sin. But now they have seen, and they have hated me and my Father alike.

25But this happened so that the word written in their law might be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without cause.’

26When the Advocate comes—the one I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes out from the Father—he will give testimony about me.

27And you also give testimony, because you have been with me from the beginning.