John 16:16-23

New King James Version

Sorrow Will Turn to Joy

¹⁶ “A ^(A)little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, ^(B)because I go to the Father.”

¹⁷ Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not ^[a]know what He is saying.”

¹⁹ Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? ²⁰ Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and ^(C)lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into ^(D)joy. ^21 (E)A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and ^(F)your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

²³ “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. ^(G)Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.