Jesus’ Warning

16 (A)These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from (B)stumbling. [a]They will (C)make you outcasts from the synagogue, but (D)an hour is coming for everyone (E)who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do (F)because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, (G)so that when their hour comes, you [b]may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you (H)at the beginning, because I was with you.

The Holy Spirit Promised

“But now (I)I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘(J)Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, (K)sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the [c](L)Helper will not come to you; but if I go, (M)I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, (N)because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning (O)righteousness, because (P)I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 (Q)and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when He, (R)the Spirit of truth, comes, He will (S)guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will (T)glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 (U)All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Foretold

16 (V)A little while, and (W)you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and (X)you will see Me.” 17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, (Y)A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because (Z)I go to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19 (AA)Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘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, that (AB)you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but (AC)your grief will be turned into joy. 21 (AD)Whenever a woman is in labor she has [d]pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a [e]child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore (AE)you too have grief now; but (AF)I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

Prayer Promises

23 (AG)In that day (AH)you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, (AI)if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 (AJ)Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your (AK)joy may be made full.

25 “These things I have spoken to you in [f](AL)figurative language; (AM)an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in [g]figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 (AN)In that day (AO)you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for (AP)the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and (AQ)have believed that (AR)I came forth from the Father. 28 (AS)I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and (AT)going to the Father.”

29 His disciples *said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not [h]using (AU)a figure of speech. 30 Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we (AV)believe that You (AW)came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, (AX)an hour is coming, and has already come, for (AY)you to be scattered, each to (AZ)his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet (BA)I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, so that (BB)in Me you may have peace. (BC)In the world you have tribulation, but (BD)take courage; (BE)I have overcome the world.”

Footnotes

  1. John 16:2 Or They will have you excommunicated
  2. John 16:4 Or will remember them, that I told you
  3. John 16:7 Gr Paracletos, one called alongside to help; or Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor
  4. John 16:21 Lit grief
  5. John 16:21 Lit human being
  6. John 16:25 Lit proverbs; or figures of speech
  7. John 16:25 Lit proverbs; or figures of speech
  8. John 16:29 Lit saying a proverb

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.”