John 15 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.
1 Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή, καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστι.
2 He takes away every branch in me which has no fruit, and every branch which has fruit he makes clean, so that it may have more fruit.
2 πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπόν, αἴρει αὐτό, καὶ πᾶν τὸ καρπὸν φέρον, καθαίρει αὐτό, ἵνα πλείονα καρπὸν φέρῃ.
3 You are clean, even now, through the teaching which I have given you.
3 ἤδη ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε διὰ τὸν λόγον ὃν λελάληκα ὑμῖν.
4 Be in me at all times as I am in you. As the branch is not able to give fruit of itself, if it is not still on the vine, so you are not able to do so if you are not in me.
4 μείνατε ἐν ἐμοί, κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. καθὼς τὸ κλῆμα οὐ δύναται καρπὸν φέρειν ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ, ἐὰν μὴ μείνῃ ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ, οὕτως οὐδὲ ὑμεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ἐν ἐμοὶ μείνητε.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches: he who is in me at all times as I am in him, gives much fruit, because without me you are able to do nothing.
5 ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα. ὁ μένων ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὗτος φέρει καρπὸν πολύν, ὅτι χωρὶς ἐμοῦ οὐ δύνασθε ποιεῖν οὐδέν.
6 If a man does not keep himself in me, he becomes dead and is cut off like a dry branch; such branches are taken up and put in the fire and burned.
6 ἐὰν μή τις μείνῃ ἐν ἐμοί, ἐβλήθη ἔξω ὡς τὸ κλῆμα καὶ ἐξηράνθη, καὶ συνάγουσιν αὐτὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ πῦρ βάλλουσι, καὶ καίεται.
7 If you are in me at all times, and my words are in you, then anything for which you make a request will be done for you.
7 ἐὰν μείνητε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ τὰ ῥήματά μου ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ, ὃ ἐὰν θέλητε αἰτήσασθε, καὶ γενήσεται ὑμῖν.
8 Here is my Father's glory, in that you give much fruit and so are my true disciples.
8 ἐν τούτῳ ἐδοξάσθη ὁ πατήρ μου, ἵνα καρπὸν πολὺν φέρητε, καὶ γενήσεσθε ἐμοὶ μαθηταί.
9 Even as the Father has given me his love, so I have given my love to you: be ever in my love.
9 καθὼς ἠγάπησέ με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς· μείνατε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἐμῇ.
10 If you keep my laws, you will be ever in my love, even as I have kept my Father's laws, and am ever in his love.
10 ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσητε, μενεῖτε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ μου, καθὼς ἐγὼ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ πατρός μου τετήρηκα καὶ μένω αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ.
11 I have said these things to you so that I may have joy in you and so that your joy may be complete.
11 Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ καὶ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ.
12 This is the law I give you: Have love one for another, even as I have love for you.
12 αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ ἐμή, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς.
13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his friends.
13 μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει, ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ.
14 You are my friends, if you do what I give you orders to do.
14 ὑμεῖς φίλοι μού ἐστε, ἐὰν ποιῆτε ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν.
15 No longer do I give you the name of servants; because a servant is without knowledge of what his master is doing: I give you the name of friends, because I have given you knowledge of all the things which my Father has said to me.
15 οὐκέτι ὑμᾶς λέγω δούλους, ὅτι ὁ δοῦλος οὐκ οἶδε τί ποιεῖ αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος· ὑμᾶς δὲ εἴρηκα φίλους, ὅτι πάντα ἃ ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου ἐγνώρισα ὑμῖν.
16 You did not take me for yourselves, but I took you for myself; and I gave you the work of going about and producing fruit which will be for ever; so that whatever request you make to the Father in my name he may give it to you.
16 οὐχ ὑμεῖς με ἐξελέξασθε, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔθηκα ὑμᾶς ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑπάγητε καὶ καρπὸν φέρητε, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς ὑμῶν μένῃ, ἵνα ὅ τι ἂν αἰτήσητε τὸν πατέρα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, δῷ ὑμῖν.
17 So this is my law for you: Have love one for another.
17 ταῦτα ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους.
18 If you are hated by the world, keep in mind that I was hated by the world before you.
18 Εἰ ὁ κόσμος ὑμᾶς μισεῖ, γινώσκετε ὅτι ἐμὲ πρῶτον ὑμῶν μεμίσηκεν.
19 If you were of the world, you would be loved by the world: but because you are not of the world, but I have taken you out of the world, you are hated by the world.
19 εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἦτε, ὁ κόσμος ἂν τὸ ἴδιον ἐφίλει· ὅτι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ ἐστέ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, διὰ τοῦτο μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος.
20 Keep in mind the words I said to you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they were cruel to me, they will be cruel to you; if they kept my words, they will keep yours.
20 μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· οὐκ ἔστι δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν· εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν.
21 They will do all this to you because of my name — because they have no knowledge of him who sent me.
21 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα ποιήσουσιν ὑμῖν διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδασι τὸν πέμψαντά με.
22 If I had not come and been their teacher they would have had no sin: but now they have no reason to give for their sin.
22 εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἶχον· νῦν δὲ πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχουσι περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.
23 He who has hate for me has hate for my Father.
23 ὁ ἐμὲ μισῶν καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου μισεῖ.
24 If I had not done among them the works which no other man ever did, they would have had no sin: but now they have seen, and they have had hate in their hearts for me and my Father.
24 εἰ τὰ ἔργα μὴ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς ἃ οὐδεὶς ἄλλος πεποίηκεν, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἶχον· νῦν δὲ καὶ ἑωράκασι καὶ μεμισήκασι καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου.
25 This comes about so that the writing in their law may be made true, Their hate for me was without cause.
25 ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα πληρωθῇ ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἐμίσησάν με δωρεάν.
26 When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father even the Spirit of true knowledge who comes from the Father — he will give witness about me;
26 ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ παράκλητος ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας ὃ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ·
27 And you, in addition, will give witness because you have been with me from the first.
27 καὶ ὑμεῖς δὲ μαρτυρεῖτε, ὅτι ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐστε.
Cross references (27)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Jeremiah 2:21; Isaiah 27:2–3; 1 Corinthians 3:9; Isaiah 60:21; Psalm 80:8–19
- 2 Matthew 3:10; Hebrews 12:10–11; Matthew 15:13; Revelation 3:19; John 15:8
- 3 John 17:17; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Peter 1:22; John 13:10
- 4 1 John 2:6; Galatians 2:20; John 8:31; 2 John 9; John 6:56
- 5 Philippians 4:13; Colossians 1:10; John 15:16; Galatians 5:22; Proverbs 11:30
- 6 Matthew 7:19; Hebrews 6:7–8; Matthew 13:41; John 15:2; Matthew 3:10
- 7 Psalm 37:4; 1 John 5:14; John 14:13; 1 John 3:22; John 15:16
- 8 Matthew 5:16; John 8:31; Philippians 1:11; 2 Corinthians 9:10–15; John 15:5
- 9 John 17:23–24; John 17:26; 1 John 2:28; Revelation 1:5; John 15:13
- 10 John 14:15; 1 John 5:3; 1 John 3:21–24; 1 John 2:5; 2 Peter 2:21
- 11 Romans 15:13; John 17:13; John 16:24; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 1:4
- 12 1 John 4:21; 1 Peter 4:8; John 13:34; Ephesians 5:2; Romans 12:10
- 13 John 10:11; Ephesians 5:2; Romans 5:6–8; John 10:15; 1 John 4:7–11
- 14 Matthew 12:50; 1 John 5:3; James 2:23; John 14:21; John 14:15
- 15 Psalm 25:14; 1 Corinthians 2:9–12; Matthew 13:11; James 2:23; Colossians 1:26
- 16 Jeremiah 1:5–7; John 15:19; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 1 John 4:19
- 17 John 15:12; 1 John 3:14–17; 1 Peter 2:17
- 18 1 John 3:13; John 7:7; Luke 6:22; Mark 13:13; John 3:20
- 19 1 John 4:4–5; John 17:14–16; Ephesians 1:4–11; Titus 3:3–7; John 15:16
- 20 2 Timothy 3:12; John 13:16; Matthew 10:24; Ezekiel 3:7; 1 Corinthians 4:12
- 21 Matthew 10:22; John 16:3; John 8:19; Matthew 10:18; Matthew 24:9
- 22 John 9:41; James 4:17; Acts 17:30; Romans 1:20; John 12:48
- 23 John 8:40–42; 1 John 2:23; 2 John 9
- 24 John 14:9; John 5:36; John 10:32; John 7:31; John 10:37
- 25 Psalm 109:3; Psalm 69:4; Psalm 35:19; Luke 24:44; 2 Corinthians 11:7
- 26 John 14:26; John 14:16–17; John 16:13–15; Acts 5:32; Acts 2:32–33
- 27 1 John 4:14; John 21:24; Acts 10:39–42; Luke 24:48; Acts 23:11
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Jesus called Himself the vine, and His disciples the branches, and His Father the husbandman; whereon we have already discoursed as we were able.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
All things good then have their reward, when they arrive at their proper end, but if they be cut off midway, shipwreck ensues.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
… Him, as He does Himself declare to His disciples: "I will not now call you servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends, for all things which I have heard from My Father I have made known." For in that which He says, "I will not now call you servants," He indicates …
… handed down to us from the Lord, and to do nothing that our Lord has not first done for us: so that the cup which is offered in remembrance of Him should be mixed with wine. For, as Christ says, I am the true vine,' it follows that the blood of Christ is wine, not water; and the cup cannot …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For "He will burn the chaff," saith he, "with unquenchable fire." Thou seest that He is Lord of all things, and that He is Himself the Husbandman; albeit in another place He calls His Father the same. For "My Father," saith He, "is the Husbandman." Thus, inasmuch as He had spoken of an axe, lest thou shouldest suppose that the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)