I Am the True Vine
1 “I am the rtrue vine, and my Father is sthe vinedresser. 2 tEvery branch in me that does not bear fruit uhe takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, vthat it may bear more fruit. 3 Already wyou are clean xbecause of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 yAbide zin me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; ayou are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bbears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me che is thrown away like a branch and withers; dand the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If eyou abide in me, and my words abide in you, fask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 gBy this my Father is glorified, that you hbear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 iAs the Father has loved me, jso have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 kIf you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as lI have kept mmy Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, nthat my joy may be in you, and that oyour joy may be full.
12 p“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 qGreater love has no one than this, rthat someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are smy friends tif you do what I command you. 15 uNo longer do I call you servants,1 for the servant wdoes not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for xall that I have heard from my Father yI have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but zI chose you and appointed you that you should go and abear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that bwhatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, cso that you will love one another.
The Hatred of the World
18 d“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 eIf you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because fyou 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: g‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, hthey will also persecute you. iIf they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But jall these things they will do to you kon account of my name, lbecause they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, mthey would not have been guilty of sin,2 but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 nWhoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 oIf I had not done among them the works that no one else did, mthey would not be guilty of sin, but now they have pseen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But qthe word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: r‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But swhen the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, the will bear witness about me. 27 And uyou also will bear witness, vbecause you have been with me wfrom the beginning.
1 pA good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
2 qThe rich and the poor meet together;
the Lord is rthe Maker of them all.
3 sThe prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
is triches and honor and life.1
5 uThorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
whoever vguards his soul will keep far from them.
6 wTrain up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 xThe rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
8 Whoever ysows injustice will reap calamity,
and zthe rod of his fury will fail.
9 aWhoever has a bountiful2 eye will be blessed,
for he bshares his bread with the poor.
10 cDrive out a scoffer, dand strife will go out,
and equarreling and abuse will cease.
11 He who floves purity of heart,
and whose gspeech is gracious, hwill have the king as his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he ioverthrows the words of the traitor.
13 jThe sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of kforbidden3 women is la deep pit;
mhe with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but nthe rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
or gives to the rich, owill only come to poverty.
Words of the Wise
17 pIncline your ear, and hear qthe words of the wise,
rand apply your heart to my knowledge,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 That your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.
20 Have I not written for you sthirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
21 to tmake you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
22 uDo not rob the poor, because he is poor,
or vcrush the afflicted at wthe gate,
23 for xthe Lord will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
25 lest you learn his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Be not one of those who ygive pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should zyour bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient alandmark
that your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will bstand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.
