A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
John 15
John 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of John. The 27-verse chapter is part of Jesus's long farewell discourse to the disciples on the night before his crucifixion. It contains the extended image of the vine and the branches.
The chapter opens with Jesus saying: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard." Every branch in him that does not bear fruit, the Father takes away. Every branch that does bear fruit, the Father prunes so that it will bear more fruit.
Jesus then tells them to remain in him, and he in them. As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can they bear fruit unless they remain in him. "I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
A branch that does not remain in him is thrown away and withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If they remain in him and his words remain in them, they may ask whatever they wish and it will be given to them.
Jesus then turns to love. As the Father has loved him, so he has loved them. They are to remain in his love. If they keep his commandments, they will remain in his love, just as he has kept his Father's commandments. He has told them this so that his joy may be in them and their joy may be complete.
"My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends." Jesus calls them friends, not servants, because he has made known to them everything he has learned from his Father.
The chapter closes with a warning. The world will hate them because it first hated him. If they were of the world, the world would love them as its own. Because they are not of the world but have been chosen out of it, the world hates them. The Spirit of truth, whom Jesus will send from the Father, will testify about him, and they also must testify.
Verse 1. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard.
Verse 2. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
Verse 3. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Verse 4. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
Verse 5. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
Verse 6. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
Verse 7. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Verse 8. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.
Verse 9. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love.
Verse 10. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
Verse 11. I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
Verse 12. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Verse 13. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Verse 14. You are My friends if you do what I command you.
Verse 15. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.
Verse 16. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
Verse 17. This is My command to you: Love one another.
Verse 18. If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
Verse 19. If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
Verse 20. Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is 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.
Verse 21. But they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me.
Verse 22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
Verse 23. Whoever hates Me hates My Father as well.
Verse 24. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.
Verse 25. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’
Verse 26. When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
Verse 27. And you also must testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
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