15:4a

Remain in Me: This clause is a second-person plural command. Jesus told his disciples that they should continue to remain in close fellowship with him. To abide (remain/stay) in him means to remain close to him, living life aware of his presence, and constantly depending on him. Try to use an expression that is also suitable for the relationship of a branch to a vine. For example:

Stay joined to me (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Remain united to me (Good News Translation)

15:4b

and I will remain in you: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I will remain in you has no verb. It more literally says “and I in you.” There are two ways to interpret this:

(1) It is a reassuring promise. Christ assured his followers that he will remain in them. For example:

Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (1984), Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), NET Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, God’s Word)

(2) It is a description. Jesus wanted his followers to remain in him the same way that he remained in them. For example:

Remain in me, as I in you. (New Jerusalem Bible)

(Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, NIV2011)

The King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, and English Standard Version translate literally, with no verb supplied. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and most English translations. Here are other ways to translate this sentence:

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. (NET Bible)
-or-
Live in me, and I will live in you. (God’s Word)

you: This pronoun is plural and refers to the disciples.

15:4c–d

Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me: This sentence compares the situation of a vine branch and that of a believer. A vine branch depends on the main vine to produce fruit, and the believer depends on Christ to produce fruit. Indicate the comparison in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me. (God’s Word)
-or-
No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (New International Version)

15:4c

no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine: This expression indicates that a branch cannot bear (produce) fruit unless it is attached to the main vine. This is the first half of the comparison. Here are other ways to translate this expression:

No branch can bear fruit by itself, but only if it remains united with the vine. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the branch cannot bear any fruit unless it shares the life of the vine (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

no branch…the vine: There are many branches on one vine, so it may be natural to say:

not any branch…the vine

Articles can be definite or indefinite (the or “a”). Use the articles that are most natural in your language to refer to the branch and the vine.

bear fruit: This phrase means to grow or produce fruit.

fruit: This word is a metaphor. See the note on the same word at 15:2a and how you translated the word there.

by itself: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as by itself here probably means “on its own” or “apart from the vine.” In some languages it may be natural to leave these words untranslated as they are implied by the following clause.

unless it remains in the vine: This clause states the condition for the branch producing fruit. It must stay attached to the main part of the plant. For example:

it must remain in the vine (New International Version)

15:4d

neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me: This is the second part of the comparison. A believer cannot produce fruit unless he continues to draw strength from Christ. A believer producing fruit means that they will produce either good deeds or fruit of the Spirit. Abiding (remaining) in Christ is a necessary condition for producing fruit as a believer. Here are other ways to translate this expression:

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me (God’s Word)
-or-
In the same way, you cannot do good things if you do not remain with me. (God’s Word)

General Comment on 15:4c–d

The sentence “Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me” is a negative statement. In some languages it is more natural to express it as a positive statement. For example:

Just as the branch must remain in the vine to bear fruit, so you must remain in me to produce good fruit in your life.
-or-
A grape branch produces fruit only when/as the life of the vine flows through it. In the same way, you can produce good things only as my life flows through you.
-or-
A branch produces fruit only when it shares the life of the vine. Like that, you must share my life in order to produce good fruit in your life.

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