John 16:16-33
Legacy Standard Bible
Sorrow Turned to Joy
16 “(A)A little while, and (B)you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and (C)you will see Me.” 17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this He is telling us, ‘(D)A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because (E)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 (F)Jesus knew that they were wishing 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 (G)you will cry and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but (H)your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21 (I)Whenever a woman is in labor she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a [a]child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore (J)you too have sorrow now; but (K)I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
I Have Overcome the World
23 (L)And on that day (M)you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, (N)if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 (O)Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your (P)joy may be made complete.
25 “These things I have spoken to you in (Q)figures of speech; (R)an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you openly of the Father. 26 (S)On that day (T)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 (U)the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and (V)have believed that (W)I came forth from the Father. 28 (X)I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and (Y)going to the Father.”
29 His disciples *said, “Behold, now You are speaking openly and are not [b]using (Z)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 (AA)believe that You (AB)came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, (AC)an hour is coming, and has already come, for (AD)you to be scattered, each to (AE)his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet (AF)I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, so that (AG)in Me you may have peace. (AH)In the world you have tribulation, but (AI)take courage; (AJ)I have overcome the world.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 16:21 Lit human being
- John 16:29 Lit saying a proverb
John 16:16-33
Lexham English Bible
Jesus Predicts His Return to the Disciples
16 “A little while and you will see me no more, and again a little while and you will see me. 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he is saying to us, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going away to the Father’?” 18 So they kept on saying, “What is this that he is saying, ‘A little while’? We do not understand what he is speaking about!”
19 Jesus knew that they were wanting to ask him, and he said to them, “Are you deliberating with one another 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 you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will change to joy. 21 A woman, when she gives birth, experiences pain because her hour has come. But when her[a] child is born, she no longer remembers the affliction, on account of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So you also are experiencing sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you. 23 And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
Jesus’ Victory Over the World
25 “I have said these things to you in figurative sayings. An hour is coming when I will speak to you in figurative sayings no longer, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 On 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 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I have gone out from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.”
29 His disciples said, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly[b] and are telling us[c] no figurative saying! 30 Now we know that you know everything and do not need for[d] anyone to ask you questions.[e] By this we believe that you have come from God.”
31 Jesus replied to them, “Now do you believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming—and has come—that you will be scattered each one to his own home,[f] and you will leave me alone. And I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 16:21 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- John 16:29 Literally “with plainness”
- John 16:29 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 16:30 Literally “have need that”
- John 16:30 *Here the word “questions” is not in the Greek text but is implied
- John 16:32 Or “to his own things”; or “to his own people” (i.e., family); the Greek text is somewhat ambiguous here
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