New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.
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I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.
2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
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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.
3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.
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You are clean, even now, through the teaching which I have given you.
4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
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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.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
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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.
6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
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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.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
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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.
8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
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Here is my Father's glory, in that you give much fruit and so are my true disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.
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Even as the Father has given me his love, so I have given my love to you: be ever in my love.
10 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.
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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.
11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
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I have said these things to you so that I may have joy in you and so that your joy may be complete.
12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
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This is the law I give you: Have love one for another, even as I have love for you.
13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.
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Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
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You are my friends, if you do what I give you orders to do.
15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.
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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.
16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.
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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.
17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
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So this is my law for you: Have love one for another.
18 "If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you.
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If you are hated by the world, keep in mind that I was hated by the world before you.
19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you.
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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.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, "Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.
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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.
21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
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They will do all this to you because of my name--because they have no knowledge of him who sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
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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.
23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
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He who has hate for me has hate for my Father.
24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
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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.
25 It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, "They hated me without a cause.'
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This comes about so that the writing in their law may be made true, Their hate for me was without cause.
26 "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.
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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;
27 You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
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And you, in addition, will give witness because you have been with me from the first.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.