John 16
Living Bible
16 “I have told you these things so that you won’t be staggered by all that lies ahead.[a] 2 For you will be excommunicated from the synagogues, and indeed the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service. 3 This is because they have never known the Father or me. 4 Yes, I’m telling you these things now so that when they happen you will remember I warned you. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.
5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me; and none of you seems interested in the purpose of my going; none wonders why.[b] 6 Instead you are only filled with sorrow. 7 But the fact of the matter is that it is best for you that I go away, for if I don’t, the Comforter won’t come. If I do, he will—for I will send him to you.
8 “And when he has come he will convince the world of its sin, and of the availability of God’s goodness, and of deliverance from judgment.[c] 9 The world’s sin is unbelief in me; 10 there is righteousness available because I go to the Father and you shall see me no more; 11 there is deliverance from judgment because the prince of this world has already been judged.
12 “Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t understand it now. 13 When the Holy Spirit, who is truth, comes, he shall guide you into all truth, for he will not be presenting his own ideas, but will be passing on to you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He shall praise me and bring me great honor by showing you my glory. 15 All the Father’s glory is mine; this is what I mean when I say that he will show you my glory.
16 “In just a little while I will be gone, and you will see me no more; but just a little while after that, and you will see me again!”
17-18 “Whatever is he saying?” some of his disciples asked. “What is this about ‘going to the Father’? We don’t know what he means.”
19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask him so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I mean? 20 The world will greatly rejoice over what is going to happen to me, and you will weep. But your weeping shall suddenly be turned to wonderful joy when you see me again.[d] 21 It will be the same joy as that of a woman in labor when her child is born—her anguish gives place to rapturous joy and the pain is forgotten. 22 You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and then you will rejoice; and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything, for you can go directly to the Father and ask him, and he will give you what you ask for because you use my name. 24 You haven’t tried this before, but begin now.[e] Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow.
25 “I have spoken of these matters very guardedly, but the time will come when this will not be necessary and I will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26 Then you will present your petitions over my signature![f] And I won’t need to ask the Father to grant you these requests, 27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from the Father. 28 Yes, I came from the Father into the world and will leave the world and return to the Father.”
29 “At last you are speaking plainly,” his disciples said, “and not in riddles. 30 Now we understand that you know everything and don’t need anyone to tell you anything.[g] From this we believe that you came from God.”
31 “Do you finally believe this?” Jesus asked. 32 “But the time is coming—in fact, it is here—when you will be scattered, each one returning to his own home, leaving me alone. Yet I will not be alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world.”
Footnotes
- John 16:1 by all that lies ahead, implied.
- John 16:5 none wonders why, literally, “none of you is asking me whither I am going.” The question had been asked before (13:36; 14:5), but apparently not in this deeper sense.
- John 16:8 of deliverance from judgment, literally, “he will convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment.”
- John 16:20 when you see me again, implied.
- John 16:24 but begin now, implied.
- John 16:26 you will present your petitions over my signature, literally, “you shall ask in my name.” The above paraphrase is the modern equivalent of this idea, otherwise obscure.
- John 16:30 don’t need anyone to tell you anything, literally, “need not that anyone should ask you,” i.e., discuss what is true.
John 16
English Standard Version
16 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 (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. 3 And they will do these things (D)because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 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. 5 But now (H)I am going to him who sent me, and (I)none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, (J)sorrow has filled your heart. 7 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. 8 (P)And when he comes, he will (Q)convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 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
- John 16:27 Some manuscripts from the Father
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
