14:11a

Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me: Jesus commanded his disciples to believe his statement that Jesus and God the Father are one. See how you translated this statement in 14:10, and use the same expression here. For example:

Believe what I said, that I live in the Father and the Father lives in me.

14:11b

or at least: This expression is short for “but if you do not believe this.” It refers to the possibility that the disciples would not believe that Jesus was united/one with God. Translate this possibility in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

If not (Good News Translation)
-or-
but if you do not believe me (NET Bible)

believe on account of the works themselves: There is a textual problem here:

(1) Many Greek manuscripts do not include the pronoun meaning “me” after believe here. For example:

believe because of the things I do (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, New Century Version)

(2) Some Greek manuscripts include the pronoun meaning “me” after believe here. For example:

believe me because of the things I do (God’s Word)

(Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, King James Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow those manuscripts that do not include the pronoun meaning “me.” However, it may be natural or necessary to include an object here for the verb believe. If that is true in your language, here are examples of objects that you can use:

believe ⌊me⌋
-or-
believe ⌊what I say⌋
-or-
believe ⌊it/this⌋

Use the object that is most natural in your language.

believe: This phrase here means “believe that what I say is true.” Or, “believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

on account of the works themselves: The phrase the Berean Standard Bible has translated as on account of the works themselves means “on the basis of my works.” Because Jesus’ disciples had seen the miracles that he did, they could know that God was with him. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

because of the things I do (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
because of the miracles I have done (New Century Version)

General Comment on 14:11a–b

There is a contrast in 14:11a–b. The contrast is between believing Jesus because of his own word and believing him because of his miracles. Jesus wanted his disciples to believe him because of his word. However, it was better that they believe because they saw his miracles than that they not believe at all. Here is another way to translate this sentence:

Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. (New Living Translation (2004))

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