John 15:1–21:23
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch that does not bear fruit in me, he removes it, and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it in order that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit from itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him—this one bears much fruit, for apart from me you are not able to do anything. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and dries up, and they gather them and throw them* into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit, and prove to be my disciples.
9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. 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. 11 I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete. 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 someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything that I have heard from my Father I have revealed to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should remain, in order that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 17 These things I command you: that you love one another.
The World’s Hatred for the Disciples
18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated* you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. 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 the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin. But now they do not have a valid excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this happened* so that the word that is written in their law would be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without a reason.’
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father—that one will testify about me. 27 And you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Persecution of Disciples Predicted
16 “I have said these things to you so that you will not fall away. 2 ⌊They will expel you from the synagogue⌋,a but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they do not know the Father or me. 4 But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you about them.
Jesus’ Departure and the Coming of the Holy Spirit
“And I have not said these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and none of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he* comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me, 10 and concerning righteousness, because I am going away to the Father and you will see me no more, 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
12 I still have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them* now. 13 But when he—the Spirit of truth—comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will proclaim to you the things to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and will proclaim it* to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he takes from what is mine and will proclaim it* to you.
Jesus Predicts His Return to the Disciples
16 “A little while and you will see me no more, and again a little while and you will see me. 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he is saying to us, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going away to the Father’?” 18 So they kept on saying, “What is this that he is saying, ‘A little while’? We do not understand what he is speaking about!”
19 Jesus knew that they were wanting to ask him, and he said to them, “Are you deliberating with one another about this—that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will change to joy. 21 A woman, when she gives birth, experiences pain because her hour has come. But when her* child is born, she no longer remembers the affliction, on account of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So you also are experiencing sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you. 23 And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
25 “I have said these things to you in figurative sayings. An hour is coming when I will speak to you in figurative sayings no longer, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I have gone out from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.”
29 His disciples said, “Behold, now you are speaking ⌊plainly⌋b and are telling us* no figurative saying! 30 Now we know that you know everything and do not ⌊need for⌋c anyone to ask you questions.* By this we believe that you have come from God.”
31 Jesus replied to them, “Now do you believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming—and has come—that you will be scattered each one to his own home,d and you will leave me alone. And I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.”
17 Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven he said, “Father, the hour has come! Glorify your Son, in order that your Son may glorify you—2 just as you have given him authority over all flesh, in order that he would give eternal life to them—everyone whom you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have glorified you on earth by* completing the work that you have given me ⌊to do⌋.a 5 And now, Father, you glorify me ⌊at your side⌋b with the glory that I had ⌊at your side⌋c before the world existed.
6 “I have revealed your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they understand that all the things thatd you have given me are from you, 8 because the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they received them* and know truly that I have come from you, and they have believed that you have sent me. 9 I am asking on behalf of them. I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you have given me, because they are yours, 10 and all my things are yours, and your things are mine, and I have been glorified ine them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, and they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given to me, so that they may be one, just as we are. 12 When I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given to me, and guarded them,* and none of them has perished except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture would be fulfilled. 13 And now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth—your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for them I sanctify myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in the truth.
Jesus Prays for the Unity of Believers
20 “And I do not ask on behalf