John 16
English Standard Version
16 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 (A)They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, (B)the hour is coming when (C)whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things (D)because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But (E)I have said these things to you, that when (F)their 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, (G)because I was with you. 5 But now (H)I am going to him who sent me, and (I)none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, (J)sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for (K)if I do not go away, (L)the Helper will not come to you. But (M)if (N)I go, (O)I will send him to you. 8 (P)And when he comes, he will (Q)convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, (R)because they do not believe in me; 10 (S)concerning righteousness, (T)because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 (U)concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world (V)is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When (W)the Spirit of truth comes, (X)he will (Y)guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but (Z)whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will (AA)glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 (AB)All that the Father has is mine; (AC)therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy
16 (AD)“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and (AE)again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So (AF)some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, (AG)‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, (AH)‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? (AI)We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 (AJ)Jesus 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, (AK)you will weep and lament, but (AL)the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but (AM)your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 (AN)When 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 (AO)So also you have sorrow now, but (AP)I will see you again, and (AQ)your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 (AR)In that day you will (AS)ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, (AT)whatever you ask of the Father in my name, (AU)he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. (AV)Ask, and you will receive, (AW)that your joy may be full.
I Have Overcome the World
25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. (AX)The 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 (AY)for the Father himself loves you, because (AZ)you have loved me and (BA)have believed that I came from God.[a] 28 (BB)I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now (BC)I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not (BD)using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that (BE)you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that (BF)you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, (BG)the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when (BH)you will be scattered, each to his own home, and (BI)will leave me alone. (BJ)Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that (BK)in me you may have peace. (BL)In the world you will have (BM)tribulation. But (BN)take heart; (BO)I have overcome the world.”
Footnotes
- John 16:27 Some manuscripts from the Father
John 16
New Living Translation
16 “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. 3 This is because they have never known the Father or me. 4 Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate[a] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
Sadness Will Be Turned to Joy
16 “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.”
17 Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? 18 And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”
19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. 21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
25 “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26 Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.[b] 28 Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.”
29 Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”
31 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
