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I Am the True Vine
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I will abide in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown out like a branch and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you, * you will ¦ — ANT CTyou will ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and † so you will be ¦ become CTso you will be my disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept ‡ my ¦ the WHmy Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may § abide ¦ be CTabide in you, and so that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do * whatever ¦ what CTwhatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name he will give you. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
The World Hates the Disciples
18 “If the world hates you, know 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 you out of the world, the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else had done, they would have no sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this has happened to fulfill what is written in their law: ‘They hated me for no reason.’
26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 You must also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.