Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

16 (A)“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and (B)again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So (C)some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, (D)‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, (E)‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? (F)We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 (G)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, (H)you will weep and lament, but (I)the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but (J)your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 (K)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 (L)So also you have sorrow now, but (M)I will see you again, and (N)your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 (O)In that day you will (P)ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, (Q)whatever you ask of the Father in my name, (R)he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. (S)Ask, and you will receive, (T)that your joy may be full.

I Have Overcome the World

25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. (U)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 (V)for the Father himself loves you, because (W)you have loved me and (X)have believed that I came from God.[a] 28 (Y)I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now (Z)I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not (AA)using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that (AB)you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that (AC)you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, (AD)the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when (AE)you will be scattered, each to his own home, and (AF)will leave me alone. (AG)Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that (AH)in me you may have peace. (AI)In the world you will have (AJ)tribulation. But (AK)take heart; (AL)I have overcome the world.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 16:27 Some manuscripts from the Father

16 In a little while you will no longer see me, then in a little while you will see me again.”

17 At this point, some of his disciples asked each other, “What does he mean by telling us, ‘In a little while you will no longer see me, then in a little while you will see me again,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept saying, “What is this ‘in a little while’ that he keeps talking about? We don’t know what he means.”

Sorrow will Turn to Joy

19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him a question, so he asked them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will no longer see me, then in a little while you will see me again’? 20 Truly, I tell all of you[a] emphatically, you’ll cry and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You’ll be deeply distressed, but your pain will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is in labor she has pain, because her time has come. Yet when she has given birth to her child, she doesn’t remember the agony anymore because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. 22 Now you are having pain. But I’ll see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 23 On that day, you won’t ask me for anything. Truly, I tell all of you[b] emphatically, whatever you ask the Father for in my name, he will give it to you.[c] 24 So far you haven’t asked for anything in my name. Keep asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”

Victory over the World

25 “I have said these things to you in figurative language. The time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 At that time, you will make your requests in my name, so that I will have no need to ask the Father on your behalf, 27 because the Father himself loves you, and because you have loved me and believed that I came from God.[d] 28 I left the Father and came into the world. Now[e] I’m leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

29 Jesus’[f] disciples said, “Well, now you’re speaking plainly and not using figurative language. 30 Now we know that you know everything and don’t need to have anyone ask you any questions. Because of this, we believe that you have come from God.”

31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Listen, the time is coming, indeed it has already come, when you will be scattered, each of you to his own home, and you will leave me all by myself. Yet I’m not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you this so that through me you may have peace. In the world you’ll have trouble, but be courageous—I’ve overcome the world!”

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Footnotes

  1. John 16:20 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  2. John 16:23 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  3. John 16:23 Other mss. read ask the Father for, he will give it to you in my name
  4. John 16:27 Other mss. read from the Father
  5. John 16:28 Lit. Again
  6. John 16:29 Lit. His