John 17:20-26
Christian Standard Bible
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one,(A) as you, Father, are in me and I am in you.(B) May they also be[a] in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory(C) you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me,(D) so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved(E) them as you have loved me.(F)
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,(G) so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you,(H) and they have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name(I) known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”(J)
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- 17:21 Other mss add one
John 17:20-26
New English Translation
Jesus Prays for Believers Everywhere
20 “I am not praying[a] only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe[b] in me through their testimony,[c] 21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray[d] that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 22 The glory[e] you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one,[f] so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,[g] so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world[h] . 25 Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men[i] know that you sent me. 26 I made known your name[j] to them, and I will continue to make it known,[k] so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”
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- John 17:20 tn Or “I do not pray.”
- John 17:20 tn Although πιστευόντων (pisteuontōn) is a present participle, it must in context carry futuristic force. The disciples whom Jesus is leaving behind will carry on his ministry and in doing so will see others come to trust in him. This will include not only Jewish Christians, but other Gentile Christians who are “not of this fold” (10:16), and thus Jesus’ prayer for unity is especially appropriate in light of the probability that most of the readers of the Gospel are Gentiles (much as Paul stresses unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Eph 2:10-22).
- John 17:20 tn Grk “their word.”
- John 17:21 tn The words “I pray” are repeated from the first part of v. 20 for clarity.
- John 17:22 tn Grk And the glory.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
- John 17:23 tn Or “completely unified.”
- John 17:24 tn Grk “the ones you have given me, I want these to be where I am with me.”
- John 17:24 tn Grk “before the foundation of the world.”
- John 17:25 tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more general term like “people” because the use of the aorist verb ἔγνωσαν (egnōsan) implies that Jesus is referring to the disciples present with him as he spoke these words (presumably all of them men in the historical context), rather than to those who are yet to believe because of their testimony (see John 17:20).
- John 17:26 sn The theme of the revelation of the Father’s name is picked up from John 17:6 and refers to Jesus’ revelation of the divine Name of Exod 3:14 in his person (see additional discussion at 17:6).
- John 17:26 tn The translation “will continue to make it known” is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).
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