圣灵的工作

16 “我把这些事告诉你们,以免你们失去信心。 人们将把你们赶出会堂,时候将到,杀害你们的人还以为是在事奉上帝。 他们这样做,是因为他们根本不认识父,也不认识我。 我把这些事提前告诉你们,是要叫你们到时候可以想起我曾跟你们讲过这些事。我以前没有告诉你们,那是因为我还跟你们在一起。

“现在我要去差我来的父那里,你们没有人问我去哪里。 因为我把这些事告诉了你们,你们心里充满了忧愁。 然而,我把实情告诉你们,我去对你们是有益的,因为如果我不去,护慰者就不会来,我去了就会派祂到你们这里来。 祂来了,就要在罪、义、审判方面责备世人。 在罪方面责备他们,是因为他们不信我; 10 在义方面责备他们,是因为我要去父那里,你们再也看不到我了; 11 在审判方面责备他们,是因为这世界的王受了审判。

12 “我还有许多事情要告诉你们,可是你们现在不能明白。 13 等到真理之灵来了,祂会引导你们,让你们明白一切的真理。祂不凭自己说话,而是把祂所听见的和有关将来的事告诉你们。 14 祂也要把从我那里领受的指示你们,使我得荣耀。 15 因为父的一切都是我的,所以我才说祂要把从我那里领受的指示你们。

转忧为喜

16 “不久,你们就见不到我了,再过不久,你们还会看见我。”

17 几个门徒彼此议论说:“祂说,‘不久,你们就见不到我了,再过不久,你们还会看见我’,祂又说,‘因为我要去父那里’,这到底是什么意思呢? 18 祂说‘不久’是什么意思呢?我们真不明白!”

19 耶稣知道他们想问祂,就说:“你们在议论我刚才说的话是什么意思吗? 20 我实实在在地告诉你们,你们将痛哭、哀号,世人却要欢喜;你们将忧愁,然而你们的忧愁将变为喜乐。 21 妇人分娩时都会痛苦不已,但孩子生下来后,她就会因为这世界添了一个新生命而充满欢乐,忘掉了生产的痛苦。 22 同样,现在你们有忧愁,但到我再见你们的时候,你们的心必欢喜,而且这份喜乐是谁也夺不去的。

23 “到那一天,你们就什么也不用问我了。我实实在在地告诉你们,你们奉我的名无论向父求什么,祂都会赐给你们。 24 你们从来没有奉我的名求过什么,你们现在求,就必得到,好使你们的喜乐满溢。

胜过世界

25 “我一直用比喻跟你们讲这些事,不久,我就不再用比喻了,而是清楚地把父的事告诉你们。 26 到那天,你们将要奉我的名祈求,我不是说我要为你们向父祈求。 27 父爱你们,因为你们一直爱我,并且相信我来自上帝。 28 我从父那里来到这个世界,现在我要离开这个世界回到父那里。”

29 门徒说:“如今你直截了当地告诉我们,不再用比喻了。 30 现在我们知道你无所不知,无需人向你发问,因此我们相信你来自上帝。”

31 耶稣说:“你们现在相信吗? 32 看啊!时候快到了,现在就是,你们将要分散,各自回家,只留下我一人。不过,我并非一人,因为父与我在一起。 33 我把这些事告诉你们,是要叫你们在我里面有平安。你们在世上会有苦难,但你们要放心,我已经胜过这个世界。”

I Have Told You In Advance So That You May Not Fall

16 “I have spoken these things to you in order that you may not be caused-to-fall. They will make you put-out-of-the-synagogue ones. Indeed, an hour is coming for everyone having killed you to think that he is offering service[a] to God. And they will do these things because they did not know the Father nor Me. But I have spoken these things to you so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

It Is Better That I Go Away, For I Will Send You The Helper To Convict The World

“Now I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to the One having sent Me. And none of you is asking Me, ‘Where are You going?’, but grief has filled your heart because I have spoken these things to you. But I tell you the truth— it is better[b] for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. And having come, that One will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment— concerning sin, because[c] they are not believing in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because[d] I am going to the Father and you are no longer going to see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

When The Helper Comes, He Will Guide You Into All Truth

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now. 13 But when that One, the Spirit of truth, comes— He will guide you in all the truth. For He will not speak from Himself, but He will speak whatever He will hear. And He will declare to you the things coming. 14 That One will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All[e] that the Father has is Mine. For this reason I said that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you.

A Little While Longer And I Will Be Gone. A Little While Longer And You Will See Me

16 A little while and you are no-longer going to see Me. And again a little while, and you will see Me”. 17 Then some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this which He is saying to us— ‘A little while, and you are not going to see Me. And again a little while, and you will see Me’. And— ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 Then they were saying, “What is this which He is saying— ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is speaking about.

You Will Weep, Then You Will Rejoice When I See You Again

19 Jesus knew that they were wanting to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you seeking with one another concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you are not going to see Me. And again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be grieved, but your grief will become joy. 21 The woman has grief when she gives-birth, because her hour came. But when she bears the child, she no longer remembers the affliction because of the joy that a person was born into the world. 22 You then also now have grief— but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice. And no one is going to take away your joy from you. 23 And in that day you will not question Me as to anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 Until now you did not ask anything in My name. Be asking and you will receive, in order that your joy may be full.

Then I Will Speak To You Plainly About The Father

25 “I have spoken these things to you in figures-of-speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures-of-speech, but I will tell you about the Father with plainness. 26 In that day you will ask in My name. And I am not saying to you that I will request the Father on[f] your behalf. 27 For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father, and I have come into the world. Again[g], I am leaving the world and going to the Father”.

But Soon You Will Be Scattered

29 His disciples say, “Look— now You are speaking with plainness, and You are speaking no figure-of-speech. 30 Now we know that You know all things, and You have no need that anyone question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God”. 31 Jesus responded to them, “Now[h] you believe! 32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has come, for you to be scattered— each to his own things— and leave Me alone. And-yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

Take Courage, I Have Overcome The World

33 “I have spoken these things to you in order that you may have peace in Me. You have affliction in the world, but take-courage— I have overcome the world”.

Footnotes

  1. John 16:2 Or, worship.
  2. John 16:7 Or, profitable, advantageous.
  3. John 16:9 Or, that, in-that. Likewise in v 10 and 11.
  4. John 16:10 One who understands why Jesus returned to the Father will also understand what true righteousness is and how it can be obtained.
  5. John 16:15 Only One making Himself equal to God (5:18) could make such a statement. No finite being could say this. See 17:10.
  6. John 16:26 Or, for you. You will directly ask the Father in My name.
  7. John 16:28 That is, Again [I say], I am... going to; or, I am leaving...and going again to.
  8. John 16:31 Or, Do you now believe?