Print Page Options

19 [a]ἔγνω Ἰησοῦς ὅτι ἤθελον αὐτὸν ἐρωτᾶν, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Περὶ τούτου ζητεῖτε μετ’ ἀλλήλων ὅτι εἶπον· Μικρὸν καὶ οὐ θεωρεῖτέ με, καὶ πάλιν μικρὸν καὶ ὄψεσθέ με; 20 ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι κλαύσετε καὶ θρηνήσετε ὑμεῖς, ὁ δὲ κόσμος χαρήσεται· [b]ὑμεῖς λυπηθήσεσθε, ἀλλ’ ἡ λύπη ὑμῶν εἰς χαρὰν γενήσεται. 21 ἡ γυνὴ ὅταν τίκτῃ λύπην ἔχει, ὅτι ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα αὐτῆς· ὅταν δὲ γεννήσῃ τὸ παιδίον, οὐκέτι μνημονεύει τῆς θλίψεως διὰ τὴν χαρὰν ὅτι ἐγεννήθη ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸν κόσμον. 22 καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν [c]νῦν μὲν λύπην ἔχετε· πάλιν δὲ ὄψομαι ὑμᾶς, καὶ χαρήσεται ὑμῶν ἡ καρδία, καὶ τὴν χαρὰν ὑμῶν οὐδεὶς [d]αἴρει ἀφ’ ὑμῶν. 23 καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἐρωτήσετε οὐδέν· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, [e]ἄν τι αἰτήσητε τὸν πατέρα [f]δώσει ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου. 24 ἕως ἄρτι οὐκ ᾐτήσατε οὐδὲν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου· αἰτεῖτε καὶ λήμψεσθε, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 16:19 ἔγνω WH Treg ] + ὁ NIV; + οὖν ὁ RP
  2. ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 16:20 ὑμεῖς WH Treg NIV ] + δὲ RP
  3. ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 16:22 νῦν μὲν λύπην WH Treg NIV ] λύπην μὲν νῦν RP
  4. ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 16:22 αἴρει NIV RP ] ἀρεῖ WH Treg
  5. ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 16:23 ἄν τι WH Treg NIV ] ὅτι ὅσα ἄν RP
  6. ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 16:23 δώσει ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου WH Treg ] ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου δώσει ὑμῖν NIV RP

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(A) while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.(B) 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain(C) 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,(D) but I will see you again(E) and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.(F) 23 In that day(G) you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.(H) 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive,(I) and your joy will be complete.(J)

Read full chapter

19 Jesus knew that they wanted to question him, so he said to them, “I said, ‘In a little while you will not see me, and then a little while later you will see me.’ Is this what you are asking about among yourselves? 20 I am telling you the truth: you will cry and weep, but the world will be glad; you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into gladness. 21 When a woman is about to give birth, she is sad because her hour of suffering has come; but when the baby is born, she forgets her suffering, because she is happy that a baby has been born into the world. 22 That is how it is with you: now you are sad, but I will see you again, and your hearts will be filled with gladness, the kind of gladness that no one can take away from you.

23 “When that day comes, you will not ask me for anything. I am telling you the truth: the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name.[a] 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your happiness may be complete.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. John 16:23 the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name; some manuscripts have if you ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name.

19-23a Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him what he meant, so he said to them, “Are you trying to find out from each other what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will not see me, and again, in a little while you will see me’? I tell you truly that you are going to be both sad and sorry while the world is glad. Yes, you will be deeply distressed, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman gives birth to a child, she certainly knows pain when her time comes. Yet as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers her agony for joy that a man has been born into the world. Now you are going through pain, but I shall see you again and your hearts will thrill with joy—the joy that no one can take away from you—and on that day you will not ask me any questions.

23b-24 “I assure you that whatever you ask the Father he will give you in my name. Up to now you have asked nothing in my name; ask now, and you will receive, that your joy may be overflowing.

Read full chapter

The promise of eternity is a reminder that God’s children are made for a renewed world. There is great comfort amid fear, knowing believers will be reunited with Jesus and joined with the Father. As believers labor together in this world—enduring pain, loss, and unfulfilled desires—they should be encouraged that in eternity all needs will be fulfilled in the presence of God.

19 Jesus knew they had questions to ask of Him, so He approached them.

Jesus: Are you trying to figure out what I mean when I say you will see Me in a little while? 20 I tell you the truth, a time is approaching when you will weep and mourn while the world is celebrating. You will grieve, but that grief will give birth to great joy. 21-22 In the same way that a woman labors in great pain during childbirth only to forget the intensity of the pain when she holds her child, when I return, your labored grief will also change into a joy that cannot be stolen.

23 When all this transpires, you will finally have the answers you have been seeking. I tell you the truth, anything you ask of the Father in My name, He will give to you. 24 Until this moment, you have not sought after anything in My name. Ask and you will receive so that you will be filled with joy.

Read full chapter