Ezekiel Is Israel's Watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: (A)“Son of man, speak to (B)your people and say to them, If (C)I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their (D)watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and (E)blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, (F)his blood shall be upon his own head. (G)He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. (H)But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, (I)that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

(J)“So you, (K)son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. (L)Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. (M)If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, (N)and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, (O)that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. (P)But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, (Q)that person shall die in his iniquity, (R)but you will have delivered your soul.

Why Will You Die, Israel?

10 “And you, (S)son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and (T)we rot away because of them. (U)How then can we live?’ 11 Say to them, (V)As I live, declares the Lord God, (W)I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; (X)turn back, turn back from your evil ways, (Y)for why will you die, O house of Israel?

12 (Z)“And you, son of man, say to (AA)your people, (AB)The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, (AC)and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, (AD)and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness[a] when he sins. 13 Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet (AE)if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. 14 Again, (AF)though I say to the wicked, (AG)‘You shall surely die,’ yet (AH)if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, 15 if the wicked (AI)restores the pledge, (AJ)gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks (AK)in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 (AL)None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.

17 “Yet (AM)your people say, (AN)‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. 18 (AO)When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. 19 And (AP)when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, (AQ)I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

Jerusalem Struck Down

21 In the (AR)twelfth year (AS)of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, (AT)a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, (AU)“The city has been struck down.” 22 (AV)Now (AW)the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

23 The word of the Lord came to me: 24 (AX)“Son of man, the inhabitants of these (AY)waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, (AZ)‘Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but (BA)we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.’ 25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: (BB)You eat flesh with the blood and (BC)lift up your eyes to your idols and (BD)shed blood; shall you then possess the land? 26 (BE)You rely on the sword, (BF)you commit abominations, and (BG)each of you defiles his neighbor's wife; shall you then possess the land? 27 Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: (BH)As I live, surely those who are in (BI)the waste places shall fall by (BJ)the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to (BK)the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in (BL)strongholds and in caves shall die by (BM)pestilence. 28 (BN)And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and (BO)her proud might shall come to an end, and (BP)the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through. 29 (BQ)Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.

30 “As for you, (BR)son of man, (BS)your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 (BT)And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for (BU)with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. 32 And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and (BV)plays[b] well on an instrument, for (BW)they hear what you say, but they will not do it. 33 (BX)When this comes—and come it will!—(BY)then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

34 The word of the Lord came to me: (BZ)“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: (CA)Ah, shepherds of Israel (CB)who have been feeding yourselves! (CC)Should not shepherds feed the sheep? (CD)You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, (CE)you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. (CF)The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, (CG)the injured you have not bound up, (CH)the strayed you have not brought back, (CI)the lost you have not sought, and with force and (CJ)harshness you have ruled them. (CK)So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and (CL)they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, (CM)with none to search or seek for them.

“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: (CN)As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because (CO)my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God, (CP)Behold, I am against the shepherds, and (CQ)I will require my sheep at their hand and (CR)put a stop to their feeding the sheep. (CS)No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. (CT)I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

11 “For thus says the Lord God: (CU)Behold, I, I (CV)myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on (CW)a day of clouds and (CX)thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples (CY)and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on (CZ)the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 (DA)I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. (DB)There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 (DC)I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, (DD)and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 (DE)I will seek the lost, (DF)and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and (DG)the fat and the strong I will destroy.[c] I will feed them in justice.

17 “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: (DH)Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and (DI)male goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of (DJ)clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

20 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and (DK)thrust at all the (DL)weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue[d] my flock; (DM)they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And (DN)I will set up over them one shepherd, (DO)my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And (DP)I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. (DQ)I am the Lord; I have spoken.

The Lord's Covenant of Peace

25 (DR)“I will make with them a covenant of peace and (DS)banish wild beasts from the land, (DT)so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill (DU)a blessing, and (DV)I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be (DW)showers of blessing. 27 (DX)And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, (DY)and they shall be secure in their land. And (DZ)they shall know that I am the Lord, when (EA)I break the bars of their yoke, and (EB)deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 (EC)They shall no more be a prey to the nations, (ED)nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. (EE)They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. 29 And I will provide for them (EF)renowned plantations so that (EG)they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer (EH)suffer the reproach of the nations. 30 And they shall know that (EI)I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. 31 And you are my sheep, (EJ)human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:12 Hebrew by it
  2. Ezekiel 33:32 Hebrew like the singing of lustful songs with a beautiful voice and one who plays
  3. Ezekiel 34:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate I will watch over
  4. Ezekiel 34:22 Or save

Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword(A) against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,(B) and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet(C) to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning(D) and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.(E) Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head.(F) If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves.(G) But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’(H)

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman(I) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(J) When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,(K)’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(L) But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so,(M) they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.(N)

10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away(O) because of[b] them. How then can we live?(P)”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.(Q) Turn!(R) Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’(S)

12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people,(T) ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’(U) 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.(V) 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just(W) and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge(X) for a loan, return what they have stolen,(Y) follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.(Z) 16 None of the sins(AA) that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.(AB)

17 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil,(AC) they will die for it.(AD) 19 And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.(AE) 20 Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”(AF)

Jerusalem’s Fall Explained

21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped(AG) from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!(AH) 22 Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was on me,(AI) and he opened my mouth(AJ) before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.(AK)

23 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, the people living in those ruins(AL) in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many;(AM) surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’(AN) 25 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat(AO) meat with the blood(AP) still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?(AQ) 26 You rely on your sword, you do detestable things,(AR) and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife.(AS) Should you then possess the land?’

27 “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague.(AT) 28 I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains(AU) of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.(AV) 29 Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolate(AW) waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’(AX)

30 “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before(AY) you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy(AZ) for unjust gain.(BA) 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs(BB) with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.(BC)

33 “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.(BD)

The Lord Will Be Israel’s Shepherd

34 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?(BE) You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.(BF) You have not strengthened the weak or healed(BG) the sick or bound up(BH) the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.(BI) So they were scattered because there was no shepherd,(BJ) and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.(BK) My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.(BL) They were scattered(BM) over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.(BN)

“‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered(BO) and has become food for all the wild animals,(BP) and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,(BQ) therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against(BR) the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue(BS) my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.(BT)

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep(BU) and look after them. 12 As a shepherd(BV) looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.(BW) 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather(BX) them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.(BY) I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.(BZ) 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel(CA) will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture(CB) on the mountains of Israel.(CC) 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,(CD) declares the Sovereign Lord.(CE) 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up(CF) the injured and strengthen the weak,(CG) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.(CH) I will shepherd the flock with justice.(CI)

17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.(CJ) 18 Is it not enough(CK) for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet?(CL) Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.(CM) 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns(CN) until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.(CO) 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend(CP) them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.(CQ) 24 I the Lord will be their God,(CR) and my servant David(CS) will be prince among them.(CT) I the Lord have spoken.(CU)

25 “‘I will make a covenant(CV) of peace(CW) with them and rid the land of savage beasts(CX) so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.(CY) 26 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.[c](CZ) I will send down showers in season;(DA) there will be showers of blessing.(DB) 27 The trees will yield their fruit(DC) and the ground will yield its crops;(DD) the people will be secure(DE) in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke(DF) and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.(DG) 28 They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety,(DH) and no one will make them afraid.(DI) 29 I will provide for them a land renowned(DJ) for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine(DK) in the land or bear the scorn(DL) of the nations.(DM) 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.(DN) 31 You are my sheep,(DO) the sheep of my pasture,(DP) and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:8 Or in; also in verse 9
  2. Ezekiel 33:10 Or away in
  3. Ezekiel 34:26 Or I will cause them and the places surrounding my hill to be named in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or I will cause them and the places surrounding my hill to be seen as blessed

16 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. (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. And they will do these things (D)because they have not known the Father, nor me. 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. But now (H)I am going to him who sent me, and (I)none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, (J)sorrow has filled your heart. 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. (P)And when he comes, he will (Q)convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 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

  1. John 16:27 Some manuscripts from the Father

16 “All this(A) I have told you so that you will not fall away.(B) They will put you out of the synagogue;(C) in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.(D) They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.(E) I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember(F) that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you,(G) but now I am going to him who sent me.(H) None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’(I) Rather, you are filled with grief(J) because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate(K) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.(L) When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin,(M) because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness,(N) because I am going to the Father,(O) where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world(P) now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.(Q) 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth,(R) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.(S) He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine.(T) That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while(U) you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”(V)

17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’(W) and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”(X) 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn(Y) while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.(Z) 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain(AA) because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief,(AB) but I will see you again(AC) and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.(AD) 23 In that day(AE) you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.(AF) 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive,(AG) and your joy will be complete.(AH)

25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively,(AI) a time is coming(AJ) when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name.(AK) I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me(AL) and have believed that I came from God.(AM) 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”(AN)

29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.(AO) 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe(AP) that you came from God.”(AQ)

31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming(AR) and in fact has come when you will be scattered,(AS) each to your own home. You will leave me all alone.(AT) Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.(AU)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.(AV) In this world you will have trouble.(AW) But take heart! I have overcome(AX) the world.”