“^1aI am the true Vine, and My Father is the ^bvinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He repeatedly prunes, so that it will bear more fruit even richer and finer fruit. 3 ^aYou are already clean because of the word which I have given you the teachings which I have discussed with you. 4 ^aRemain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith unless you remain in Me. 5 ¹I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him ^abears much fruit, for otherwise apart from Me that is, cut off from vital union with Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is ^athrown out like a broken off branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart, ^aask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. 8 My ^aFather is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and ^bprove yourselves to be My true disciples. 9 I have loved you just as ^athe Father has loved Me; remain in My love and do not doubt My love for you. 10 ^aIf you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as ^bI have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 ^aI have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your ^bjoy may be made full and complete and overflowing.

12 “This is ^aMy commandment, that you ¹love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you. 13 ^aNo one has greater love nor stronger commitment than to ^blay down his own life for his friends. 14 You are my ^afriends if ^byou keep on doing what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you My friends, because I have revealed to you ^aeverything that I have heard from My Father. 16 ^aYou have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and ^bbear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that ^cwhatever you ask of the Father in My name as My representative He may give to you. 17 This is what ^aI command you: that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another.

18 ^a“If the world hates you and it does, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own and would treat you with affection. But you are not of the world you no longer belong to it, but ^aI have chosen you out of the world. ^bAnd because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember and continue to remember that I told you, ‘^aA servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, ^bthey will also persecute you. If they ^ckept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But they will do all these hurtful things to you ^afor My name’s sake because you bear My name and are identified with Me, ^bfor they do not know the One who sent Me. 22 ^aIf I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have the guilt of their sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates Me also hates My Father. 24 ^aIf I had not done among them ^bthe works (attesting miracles) which no one else ever did, they would not have the guilt of their sin; but now the fact is that they have both seen these works and have hated Me and continue to hate Me and My Father as well. 25 But this is so that the word which has been written in their ^aLaw would be fulfilled, ‘^bTHEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’ Ps 35:19; 69:4

26 “But when the ^1aHelper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, ^bwhom I will send to you from the Father, that is ^cthe Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, ^dHe will testify and bear witness about Me. 27 But ^ayou will testify also and be My witnesses, because you have been with Me ^bfrom the beginning.