John 16

¹ “I have told you these things so that you will not stumble.

² They will put you out of the synagogue. And a time is coming when everyone who kills you will think they are offering worship to God.

³ They will do these things because they have known neither the Father nor me.

⁴ But I have told you these things so that, when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

⁵ Now, however, I am going to the one who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

⁶ But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your hearts.

⁷ Yet I tell you the truth: it is better for you that I go away. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

⁸ When he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.

⁹ Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me.

¹⁰ Concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will see me no longer.

¹¹ Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

¹² I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now.

¹³ But when he comes, the Spirit of truth will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and will announce to you the things to come.

¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will receive what is mine and announce it to you.

¹⁵ Everything the Father has is mine. That is why I said, ‘He receives what is mine and will announce it to you.’”

¹⁶ “A little while, and you will see me no longer; then again a little while, and you will see me.”

¹⁷ Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean when he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me; then again a little while, and you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”

¹⁸ They kept saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don't know what he is talking about.”

¹⁹ Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see me; then again a little while, and you will see me’?

²⁰ Truly, truly, I tell you: you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

²¹ When a woman is giving birth, she is in pain because her time has come. But when the child is born, she no longer remembers her distress, because of the joy that a person has been born into the world.

²² So you too are sorrowful now. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

²³ On that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly, I tell you: if you ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name.

²⁴ Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”

²⁵ “I have told you these things in comparisons. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in comparisons, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

²⁶ On that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying 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 came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

²⁹ His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly and not using any comparison.

³⁰ Now we know that you know everything and do not need anyone to question you. This is why we believe that you came from God.”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?

³² Look, a time is coming—in fact, it has come—when you will be scattered, each to your own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

³³ I have told you these things so that you may have peace in me. In the world you have trouble, but take courage: I have overcome the world.”

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