John 17

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I Am the True Vine

15 I am the rtrue vine, and my Father is sthe vinedresser. 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. Already wyou are clean xbecause of the word that I have spoken to you. 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. 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. 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. If eyou abide in me, and my words abide in you, fask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. gBy this my Father is glorified, that you hbear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 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 pThis 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 dIf 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: gA 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: rThey 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.

16 I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. xThey will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, ythe hour is coming when zwhoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things abecause they have not known the Father, nor me. But bI have said these things to you, that when ctheir hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

I did not say these things to you from the beginning, dbecause I was with you. But now eI am going to him who sent me, and fnone of you asks me, Where are you going? But because I have said these things to you, gsorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for hif I do not go away, ithe Helper will not come to you. But jif kI go, lI will send him to you. mAnd when he comes, he will nconvict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, obecause they do not believe in me; 10 pconcerning righteousness, qbecause I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 rconcerning judgment, because the ruler of this world sis judged.

12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When tthe Spirit of truth comes, uhe will vguide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but wwhatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will xglorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 yAll that the Father has is mine; ztherefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

16 aA little while, and you will see me no longer; and bagain a little while, and you will see me. 17 So csome of his disciples said to one another, What is this that he says to us, dA little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me; and, ebecause I am going to the Father? 18 So they were saying, What does he mean by a little while? fWe do not know what he is talking about. 19 gJesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, hyou will weep and lament, but ithe world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but jyour sorrow will turn into joy. 21 kWhen a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 lSo also you have sorrow now, but mI will see you again, and nyour hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 oIn that day you will pask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, qwhatever you ask of the Father in my name, rhe will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. sAsk, and you will receive, tthat your joy may be full.

I Have Overcome the World

25 I have said these things to you in figures of speech. uThe hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 vfor the Father himself loves you, because wyou have loved me and xhave believed that I came from God.1 28 yI came from the Father and have come into the world, and now zI am leaving the world and going to the Father.

29 His disciples said, Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not ausing figurative speech! 30 Now we know that byou know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that cyou came from God. 31 Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? 32 Behold, dthe hour is coming, indeed it has come, when eyou will be scattered, each to his own home, and fwill leave me alone. gYet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that hin me you may have peace. iIn the world you will have jtribulation. But ktake heart; lI have overcome the world.

The High Priestly Prayer

17 When Jesus had spoken these words, mhe lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, nthe hour has come; oglorify your Son that the Son may pglorify you, since qyou have given him authority over all flesh, rto give eternal life to all swhom you have given him. tAnd this is eternal life, uthat they know you, vthe only wtrue God, and xJesus Christ whom you have sent. I yglorified you on earth, zhaving accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, aglorify me in your own presence with the glory bthat I had with you cbefore the world existed.

dI have manifested your name to the people ewhom you gave me out of the world. fYours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything fthat you have given me is from you. For I have given them gthe words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that hI came from you; and ithey have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. jI am not praying for the world but for those kwhom you have given me, for lthey are yours. 10 mAll mine are yours, and yours are mine, and nI am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but othey are in the world, and pI am coming to you. qHoly Father, rkeep them in your name, swhich you have given me, tthat they may be one, ueven as we are one. 12 vWhile I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have wguarded them, and xnot one of them has been lost except ythe son of destruction, zthat the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now aI am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have bmy joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 cI have given them your word, and dthe world has hated them ebecause they are not of the world, fjust as I am not of the world. 15 I gdo not ask that you htake them out of the world, but that you ikeep them from jthe evil one.1 16 kThey are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 lSanctify them2 in the truth; myour word is truth. 18 nAs you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And ofor their sake pI consecrate myself,3 that they also qmay be sanctified4 in truth.

20 I do not rask for these only, but also for those swho will believe in me through their word, 21 tthat they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that uthey also may be in vus, so that the world wmay believe that you have sent me. 22 xThe glory that you have given me yI have given to them, tthat they may be one even as we are one, 23 zI in them and you in me, athat they may become perfectly one, bso that the world may know that you sent me and cloved them even as dyou loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be ewith me fwhere I am, gto see my glory that you have given me because you loved me hbefore the foundation of the world. 25 iO righteous Father, even though jthe world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 kI made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love lwith which you have loved me may be in them, and mI in them.

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, nhe went out with his disciples across othe brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew pthe place, for qJesus often met there with his disciples. rSo Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, sknowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, tWhom do you seek? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he.1 Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. uWhen Jesus2 said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, tWhom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go. vThis was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one. 10 Then Simon Peter, whaving a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant3 and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into its sheath; xshall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?

Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas

12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews4 arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they yled him to zAnnas, for he was the father-in-law of aCaiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews bthat it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Peter Denies Jesus

15 cSimon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 dbut Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 eThe servant girl at the door said to Peter, You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you? He said, I am not. 18 Now the servants5 and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. fPeter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

19 gThe high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, I have spoken hopenly ito the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. jI have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said. 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, kIs that how you answer the high priest? 23 Jesus answered him, If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me? 24 lAnnas then sent him bound to lCaiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Jesus Again

25 mNow Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, You also are not one of his disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not. 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of nthe man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, Did I not see you oin the garden with him? 27 Peter again denied it, and pat once a rooster crowed.

Jesus Before Pilate

28 qThen they led Jesus rfrom the house of Caiaphas to sthe governor’s headquarters.6 It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, tso that they would not be defiled, ubut could eat the Passover. 29 vSo Pilate went outside to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this man? 30 They answered him, If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you. 31 Pilate said to them, wTake him yourselves and judge him by your own law. The Jews said to him, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. 32 xThis was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken yto show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33 zSo Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, aAre you the King of the Jews? 34 Jesus answered, Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me? 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? 36 Jesus answered, bMy kingdom cis not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, dmy servants would have been fighting, that eI might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. 37 Then Pilate said to him, So you are a king? Jesus answered, fYou say that I am a king. gFor this purpose I was born and for this purpose hI have come into the worldito bear witness to the truth. jEveryone who is kof the truth llistens to my voice. 38 Pilate said to him, What is truth?

After he had said this, mhe went back outside to the Jews and told them, nI find no guilt in him. 39 oBut you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews? 40 They cried out again, pNot this man, but Barabbas! Now Barabbas was a robber.7

Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and qflogged him. rAnd the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that sI find no guilt in him. So Jesus came out, wearing tthe crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, uBehold the man! When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, Crucify him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, vTake him yourselves and crucify him, for wI find no guilt in him. The Jews1 answered him, We have a law, and xaccording to that law he ought to die because yhe has made himself the Son of God. When Pilate heard this statement, zhe was even more afraid. aHe entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, bWhere are you from? But cJesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you? 11 Jesus answered him, dYou would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore ehe who delivered me over to you fhas the greater sin.

12 From then on gPilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. hEveryone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar. 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on ithe judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic2 Gabbatha. 14 Now it was jthe day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour.3 He said to the Jews, kBehold your King! 15 They cried out, lAway with him, away with him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16 mSo he ndelivered him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus, 17 and ohe went out, pbearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 qThere they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate ralso wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for sthe place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews, but rather, This man said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, tWhat I have written I have written.

23 uWhen the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.4 But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be. vThis was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

wThey divided my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

So the soldiers did these things, 25 xbut standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and ythe disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, zWoman, behold, your son! 27 Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother! And from that hour the disciple took her to ahis own home.

The Death of Jesus

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now bfinished, said (vto fulfill the Scripture), cI thirst. 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, dso they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, eIt is finished, and he bowed his head and fgave up his spirit.

Jesus’ Side Is Pierced

31 Since it was gthe day of Preparation, and hso that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was ia high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other jwho had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out kblood and water. 35 lHe who saw it has borne witnessmhis testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truthnthat you also may believe. 36 oFor these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: pNot one of his bones qwill be broken. 37 And again another Scripture says, rThey will look on him whom they have pierced.

Jesus Is Buried

38 sAfter these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly tfor fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 uNicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus5 by night, came vbringing a mixture of wmyrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds6 in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and xbound it in ylinen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a zgarden, and ain the garden a new tomb bin which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish cday of Preparation, dsince the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.