15 “I am the genuine vine,[688] and my Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in me which does not produce fruit[689] my Father removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean[690] because of the Gospel-word I have spoken to you. [691] 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you produce fruit unless you remain in union with me.  5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The person who remains in me, and I in him, produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.  6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and withers. Those branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned up. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you,[692] you can ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.  8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and thus prove to be my disciples.  9 Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. So remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands[693] you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love.  11 I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.
 12 “This is my command: love one another as I have loved you.  13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would be willing to lay down his life for his friends.  14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I am not calling you servants any longer, 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 have learned from my Father.  16 You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go out and produce fruit so that your fruit should remain, such that whatever you ask the Father based on my name, as representing me, He will give it to you.  17 This is what I command you: love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you.  19 If you belonged to this world-system, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to this world-system, but I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. 20 Remember the statement I made to you: a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will certainly also persecute you. If they have kept and obeyed my Gospel-word, they will also keep yours.  21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, my agenda,[694] because they do not know the One who commissioned me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.[695] As it is they now have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates me also hates my Father.  24 If I had not performed the miraculous works among them which no one else has done, they would not be guilty of sin.[696] But now they have seen the works and hated both me and my Father. 25 This happened so that the statement written in their Law might be fulfilled: ‘They hated me for no reason.’
26 “When the Counselor comes which I will send you from the Father — the spirit of the truth[697] which proceeds from the Father — this Counselor will testify about me. 27 You also are going to testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”