1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2He removes every branch in Me that does not bear fruit; and He prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it may be even more fruitful. 3Now you are already clean (pruned) by the word which I have spoken to you. 4Abide (remain) in Me, as I also remain in you. Because just as a branch cannot bear fruit if it is severed from the vine; neither can you bear fruit, unless you remain in Me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in Me, and I in you, you shall bear much fruit; but without Me you can do nothing. 6If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is withered, gathered up, and thrown into the fire to be burned. 7If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, you may ask what you will, and it shall be done for you. 8My Father is glorified when you bear much fruit; proving that you are My disciples. 9As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; now remain in My love. 10If you obey My commands, you shall remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commands, and remain in His love. 11I have told you these things so that My joy might be in you, and that your joy might be full. 12My command is this: that you love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this - that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My friends, if you do what I command. 15Hereafter, I no longer call you servants; because a servant does not know his master’s business. But, instead, I now call you friends; for everything that I have heard from My Father, I have made known to you. 16You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should last; and so that whatever you ask in My name, the Father will give to you. 17This is what I command you - that you love one another.” 18“If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me before it hated you. 19If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20Remember what I told you, ‘The servant is not greater than his master.’ If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they have obeyed My teaching, they will also obey yours. 21But they will treat you this way for My name's sake, because they do not know My Father Who sent Me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates Me, hates My Father as well. 24If I had not done among them the miracles that no one else did, they would not be guilty; but as it is now, they have seen and yet hated both Me and My Father. 25But this fulfills what is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause’ (Ps.35:19,69:4). 26But when the Advocate (Comforter) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father - the Spirit of truth - Who will come from the Father - He shall testify about Me; 27And you must also testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |