16 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. They will ban you from the synagogues.(A) In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service(B) to God. They will do these things because they haven’t known(C) the Father or Me. But I have told you these things so that when their time[a] comes you may remember(D) I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

The Counselor’s Ministry

“But now I am going away(E) to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’(F) Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.(G) It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you.(H) When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father(I) and you will no longer see Me; 11 and about judgment,(J) because the ruler of this world(K) has been judged.(L)

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.(M) 13 When the Spirit of truth(N) comes, He will guide you into all the truth.(O) For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father(P) has is Mine.(Q) This is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you.(R)

Sorrow Turned to Joy

16 “A little while(S) and you will no longer see Me;(T) again a little while and you will see Me.”[b]

17 Therefore some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this He tells us: ‘A little while and you will not see Me; again a little while and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’(U)?” 18 They said, “What is this He is saying,[c] ‘A little while’? We don’t know what He’s talking about!”

19 Jesus knew they wanted to question Him, so He said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see Me; again a little while and you will see Me’?

20 “I assure you: You will weep and wail,(V) but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful,(W) but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21 When a woman is in labor she has pain(X) because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child,(Y) she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. 22 So you also have sorrow[d] now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice,(Z) and no one will rob you of your joy.(AA) 23 In that day you will not ask Me anything.

“I assure you: Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.(AB) 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in My name.(AC) Ask and you will receive,(AD) so that your joy may be complete.(AE)

Jesus the Victor

25 “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask(AF) in My name.(AG) I am not telling you that I will make requests to the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved(AH) Me and have believed that I came from God.[e](AI) 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”(AJ)

29 “Ah!” His disciples said. “Now You’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. 30 Now we know that You know everything(AK) and don’t need anyone to question You. By this we believe that You came from God.”(AL)

31 Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? 32 Look: An hour is coming, and has come,(AM) when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.(AN) 33 I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

Footnotes

  1. John 16:4 Other mss read when the time
  2. John 16:16 Other mss add because I am going to the Father
  3. John 16:18 Other mss omit He is saying
  4. John 16:22 Other mss read will have sorrow
  5. John 16:27 Other mss read from the Father

16 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. They will ban you from the synagogues.(A) In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service(B) to God. They will do these things because they haven’t known(C) the Father or me. But I have told you these things so that when their time[a] comes you will remember(D) I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going away(E) to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’(F) Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.(G) It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.(H) When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father(I) and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment,(J) because the ruler of this world(K) has been judged.(L)

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.(M) 13 When the Spirit of truth(N) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.(O) For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father(P) has is mine.(Q) This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.(R)

Sorrow Turned to Joy

16 “In a little while,(S) you will no longer see me; (T) again in a little while, you will see me.”[b]

17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this he’s telling us: ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’(U)?” 18 They said, “What is this he is saying,[c] ‘In a little while’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.”

19 Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, and so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me’? 20 Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn,(V) but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful,(W) but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21 When a woman is in labor, she has pain(X) because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child,(Y) she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. 22 So you also have sorrow[d] now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice,(Z) and no one will take away your joy from you.(AA)

23 “In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.(AB) 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in my name.(AC) Ask and you will receive,(AD) so that your joy may be complete.(AE)

Jesus the Victor

25 “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 On that day you will ask(AF) in my name, and(AG) I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved(AH) me and have believed that I came from God.[e](AI) 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”(AJ)

29 His disciples said, “Look, now you’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. 30 Now we know that you know everything(AK) and don’t need anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”(AL)

31 Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come,(AM) when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.(AN) 33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

Footnotes

  1. 16:4 Other mss read when the time
  2. 16:16 Other mss add because I am going to the Father
  3. 16:18 Other mss omit he is saying
  4. 16:22 Other mss read will have sorrow
  5. 16:27 Other mss read from the Father

16 I have said these things to you so that you won’t fall away. They will expel you from the synagogue. The time is coming when those who kill you will think that they are doing a service to God. They will do these things because they don’t know the Father or me. But I have said these things to you so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them.

I go away

“I didn’t say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to the one who sent me. None of you ask me, ‘Where are you going?’ Yet because I have said these things to you, you are filled with sorrow. I assure you that it is better for you that I go away. If I don’t go away, the Companion[a] won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will show the world it was wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment. He will show the world it was wrong about sin because they don’t believe in me. 10 He will show the world it was wrong about righteousness because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore. 11 He will show the world it was wrong about judgment because this world’s ruler stands condemned.

I still have many things to say

12 “I have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now. 13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and proclaim it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine. That’s why I said that the Spirit takes what is mine and will proclaim it to you. 16 Soon you won’t be able to see me; soon after that, you will see me.”

I will see you again

17 Some of Jesus’ disciples said to each other, “What does he mean: ‘Soon you won’t see me, and soon after that you will see me’ and ‘Because I’m going to the Father’? 18 What does he mean by ‘soon’? We don’t understand what he’s talking about.”

19 Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, so he said, “Are you trying to find out from each other what I meant when I said, ‘Soon you won’t see me, and soon after that you will see me’? 20 I assure you that you will cry and lament, and the world will be happy. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman gives birth, she has pain because her time has come. But when the child is born, she no longer remembers her distress because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 In the same way, you have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and you will be overjoyed. No one takes away your joy. 23 In that day, you won’t ask me anything. I assure you that the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Up to now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive so that your joy will be complete.

I have conquered the world

25 “I’ve been using figures of speech with you. The time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in such analogies. Instead, I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I’m not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 The Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and believed that I came from God. 28 I left the Father and came into the world. I tell you again: I am leaving the world and returning to the Father.”

29 His disciples said, “See! Now you speak plainly; you aren’t using figures of speech. 30 Now we know that you know everything and you don’t need anyone to ask you. Because of this we believe you have come from God.”

31 Jesus replied, “Now you believe? 32 Look! A time is coming—and is here!—when each of you will be scattered to your own homes and you will leave me alone. I’m not really alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I’ve said these things to you so that you will have peace in me. In the world you have distress. But be encouraged! I have conquered the world.”

Footnotes

  1. John 16:7 Or Advocate