1 [Jesus continued], "I am the real vine, and my Father is the owner of the vineyard. 2 He will cut off [See verse 6] every branch [i.e., follower of Christ] who is in [fellowship with] me that does not bear fruit. And He will prune every branch that does bear fruit, so it will bear more fruit. 3 You people are already 'clean' [i.e., have been pruned of undesirable traits] because of [obedience to] the teaching I have given you. 4 Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains united to the vine, so neither can you people [bear fruit] unless you remain united to me.
5 "I am the vine; you people are the branches. The person who remains united to me, and I to him, will bear much fruit. For you cannot do anything if [you are] separated from me. 6 If a person does not remain united to me, he will be thrown out as a [fruitless] branch and dried up. People gather up such branches and throw them into the fire to be burned [as fuel ?]. 7 If you remain in [fellowship with] me and my teaching remains in your hearts, [you can] ask for whatever you want, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is honored by your bearing much fruit and [thus] showing that you are my disciples.
9 "Just as the Father has loved me, [so] I have also loved you. You should continue to receive [or, respond to] my love. [Note: The next verse tells how this can be done]. 10 If you obey my commandments, [then] you will continue receiving my love; just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and [so] continue receiving His love.
11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in your hearts, and that your joy may be complete. 12 My commandment [to you] is this: You should love one another just as I have loved you. 13 No one has [any] greater love than to give up his life for his friends. 14 You people are my friends if you do what I command you to. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore, for a slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have told you everything that I heard from my Father. 16 You [apostles] did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear much fruit [i.e., through their evangelizing], and that your fruit should last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask Him for in my name [i.e. by my authority]. 17 I command you to do these things so that you will [demonstrate your] love for one another. [Note: Or this may mean that His command was to love one another, as in verse 12].
18 "If the world hates you, then know that it has [already] hated me, [even] before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love [you as] its own people. But since you do not belong to the world, for I chose you out of it, that is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I said to you, 'A slave is not greater [in importance] than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will [also] persecute you, too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 But they [i.e., the world] will do all these things to you for my name's sake [i.e., because you are my disciples], for they do not know Him [i.e., God], who sent me. 22 They would not be guilty of sinning if I had not come and spoken to them. But now [that I have], they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The person who hates me, hates my Father also. 24 If I had not performed the [miraculous] deeds among them which no one else had done, they would not be guilty of sinning. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 This all happened so the Scripture, written in their law [Psa. 35:19], would be fulfilled, 'They hated me for no reason.'
26 "But the Helper will come, that is, the Holy Spirit of truth [i.e., who reveals truth]. He comes from the Father and I will send Him to you from the Father. [When He comes] He will give testimony about me. 27 And you will give testimony about me [also], because you men have been with me from the beginning [of my ministry]."