The Vine and the Branches

15 “I ams the true vine,t and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,u while every branch that does bear fruitv he prunesa so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.w 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you.x No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;y apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.z 7 If you remain in mea and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.b 8 This is to my Father’s glory,c that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.d

9 “As the Father has loved me,e so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands,f you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.g 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.h 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.i 14 You are my friendsj if you do what I command.k 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.l 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed youm so that you might go and bear fruitn—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.o