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John 15
New King James Version

### The True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 (A)Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [a]takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear (B)more fruit. 3 (C)You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 (D)Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much (E)fruit; for without Me you can do (F)nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, (G)he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words (H)abide in you, (I)you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 (J)By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; (K)so you will be My disciples.

### Love and Joy Perfected

9 “As the Father (L)loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 (M)If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and (N)that your joy may be full. 12 (O)This is My (P)commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 (Q)Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 (R)You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, (S)for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 (T)You did not choose Me, but I chose you and (U)appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father (V)in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

### The World’s Hatred

18 (W)“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 (X)If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet (Y)because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, (Z)‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. (AA)If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But (AB)all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 (AC)If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, (AD)but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 (AE)He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them (AF)the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have (AG)seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, (AH)‘They hated Me without a cause.’

### The Coming Rejection

26 (AI)“But when the [c]Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, (AJ)He will testify of Me. 27 And (AK)you also will bear witness, because (AL)you have been with Me from the beginning.

#### Footnotes

1. John 15:2 Or lifts up
2. John 15:7 NU omits you will
3. John 15:26 Comforter, Gr. Parakletos

#### Cross references

1. John 15:2 : Matt. 15:13
2. John 15:2 : [Matt. 13:12]
3. John 15:3 : [John 13:10; 17:17]; Eph. 5:26
4. John 15:4 : John 17:23; Eph. 3:17; [Col. 1:23]
5. John 15:5 : Hos. 14:8; [Gal. 5:22, 23]
6. John 15:5 : 2 Cor. 3:5
7. John 15:6 : Matt. 3:10
8. John 15:7 : 1 John 2:14
9. John 15:7 : John 14:13; 16:23
10. John 15:8 : Ps. 22:23; [Matt. 5:16]; John 13:31; 17:4; [Phil. 1:11]; 1 Pet. 4:11
11. John 15:8 : John 8:31
12. John 15:9 : John 5:20; 17:26
13. John 15:10 : John 14:15
14. John 15:11 : [John 16:24]; 1 John 1:4
15. John 15:12 : John 13:34; 1 John 3:11
16. John 15:12 : Rom. 12:9
17. John 15:13 : Eph. 5:2; 1 John 3:16
18. John 15:14 : [Matt. 12:50; 28:20]; John 14:15, 21; Acts 10:42; 1 John 3:23, 24
19. John 15:15 : Gen. 18:17
20. John 15:16 : John 6:70; 13:18; 15:19; 1 John 4:10
21. John 15:16 : [Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15; Col. 1:6]
22. John 15:16 : John 14:13; 16:23, 24
23. John 15:18 : John 7:7; 1 John 3:13
24. John 15:19 : 1 John 4:5
25. John 15:19 : John 17:14
26. John 15:20 : Matt. 10:24; John 13:16
27. John 15:20 : Ezek. 3:7
28. John 15:21 : Matt. 10:22; 24:9; [1 Pet. 4:14]; Rev. 2:3
29. John 15:22 : John 9:41; 15:24
30. John 15:22 : [Rom. 1:20; James 4:17]
31. John 15:23 : 1 John 2:23
32. John 15:24 : John 3:2
33. John 15:24 : John 14:9
34. John 15:25 : Ps. 35:19; 69:4; 109:3–5
35. John 15:26 : Luke 24:49; [John 14:17]; Acts 2:4, 33
36. John 15:26 : 1 John 5:6
37. John 15:27 : Luke 24:48; 1 Pet. 5:1; 2 Pet. 1:16
38. John 15:27 : Matt. 3:14; Luke 1:2; 1 John 1:1

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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