16 “I have told you these things to keep you from ·giving up [stumbling; falling away; going astray]. ² People will ·put you out of [ban you from] their synagogues. Yes, ·the time [^Lan hour; ^Can indefinite reference to a future time but likely connected to the period after the death and resurrection of Christ] is coming when those who kill you will think they are offering ·service [worship] to God. ³ They will do this because they have not known the Father and they have not known me. ⁴ I have told you these things now so that when ·the time [^Ltheir hour; ^Cthe time of persecution] comes you will remember that I ·warned [told] you [about them].

The Work of the Holy Spirit

“I did not tell you ·these things [^Cthat they would experience persecution] ·at [from] the beginning, because I was with you then. ⁵ Now I am going back to the One who sent me. But none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ Your hearts are filled with ·sadness [grief; sorrow] because I have told you these things. ⁷ But I tell you the truth, it is ·better for you [for your advantage] that I go away. [^LFor] When I go away, I will send the ·Helper [Counselor; Advocate; ^Cthe Holy Spirit] to you. If I do not go away, the Helper will not come [to you]. ⁸ When the Helper comes, he will ·prove to the people of the world the truth about sin [^Lconvict/expose/convince the world about sin], about ·being right with God [^Lrighteousness], and about judgment [^Cthe meaning of this sentence is uncertain, as are the explanatory phrases in vv. 9–11]. ⁹ ·He will prove to them that sin is not believing in me [^Lconcerning sin, because they do not believe in me]. ¹⁰ ·He will prove to them that being right with God comes from my going to the Father and not being seen anymore [^Lconcerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will no longer see me; ^Cprobably means the Spirit will convict the world of its empty righteousness because Jesus is no longer present to model true righteousness]. ¹¹ ·And the Helper will prove to them that judgment happened when the ruler of this world was judged [^Lconcerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged; ^Cprobably means the Spirit will convict the world that its judgments are false because Satan—the one they follow—has been condemned by Christ’s victory on the cross].

¹² “I [^Lstill] have many more things to say to you, but ·they are too much for you [^Lyou cannot bear them] now. ¹³ But when the Spirit of truth [^Cthe Helper; see 16:7] comes, he will ·lead [guide] you into all truth. He will not speak ·his own words [from his own authority; ^Lfrom himself], but he will speak only what he hears [^Cfrom the Father], and he will ·tell [announce/declare to] you what is to come. ¹⁴ The Spirit of truth will ·bring glory to [glorify; honor] me, because he will take what ·I have to say [^Lis mine] and ·tell [announce; declare] it to you. ¹⁵ All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take what ·I have to say [^Lwhat is mine] and ·tell [announce; declare] it to you.

Sadness Will Become Happiness

¹⁶ “After a little while you will not see me [^Cafter his crucifixion], and then after a little while you will see me again [^Cafter his resurrection].”

¹⁷ [^LTherefore] Some of the ·followers [disciples] ·said to each other [discussed among themselves], “What does Jesus mean when he says, ‘After a little while you will not see me, and then after a little while you will see me again’? And what does he mean when he says, ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They also asked, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

¹⁹ Jesus ·saw [knew; was aware] that the ·followers [disciples] wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you ·asking each other [discussing among yourselves] what I meant when I said, ‘After a little while you will not see me, and then after a little while you will see me again’? ²⁰ ·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly I say to you], you will ·cry and be sad [weep and mourn/lament], but the world will be happy. You will ·be sad [grieve; have pain], but your ·sadness [grief; pain] will become joy. ²¹ When a woman ·gives birth to a baby [goes into labor], she has pain, because her ·time [^Lhour] has come. But when her baby is born, she ·forgets the pain [does not remember the suffering/affliction], because ·she is so happy [^Lof the joy] that a ·child [^Lhuman being] has been born into the world. ²² It is the same with you. Now you are ·sad [sorrowful; in pain; grieving], but I will see you again and ·you [^Lyour heart] will ·be happy [rejoice], and no one will take away your joy. ²³ In that day [^Cafter his resurrection] you will not ask me for anything. ·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly I say to you], my Father will give you anything you ask for in my name [see 14:13]. ²⁴ Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy will be ·the fullest possible joy [complete; fulfilled].

Victory over the World

²⁵ “I have told you these things ·indirectly in stories [in parables/figurative speech]. But ·the time [^Lthe hour] will come when I will ·not [no longer] use ·stories like that [parables; figurative speech; 10:6] to tell you things; I will speak to you in plain words about the Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask the Father for things in my name. I mean, I will not need to ask the Father for you. ²⁷ [^LFor] The Father himself loves you. He loves you because you loved me and believed that I came from God. ²⁸ I came from the Father into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

²⁹ Then the ·followers [disciples] of Jesus said, “You are speaking ·clearly [plainly] to us now and are not using ·stories that are hard to understand [parables; figurative speech]. ³⁰ We can see now that you know all things. ·You can answer a person’s question even before it is asked. [^LYou do not need anyone to question you.] This makes us believe you came from God.”

³¹ Jesus answered, “So now you believe? ³² Listen to me; ·a time [^Lan hour] is coming when you will be scattered, each to your own home [compare Zech. 13:7]. That time is now here. You will leave me alone, but I am ·never really [^Lnot] alone, because the Father is with me.

³³ “I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have ·trouble [persecution; suffering], but ·be brave [take courage/heart]! I have ·defeated [victory over; conquered; overcome] the world.”