John 16  Christian Standard Bible

16 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. ² They will ban you from the synagogues.^(A) In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service^(B) to God. ³ They will do these things because they haven’t known^(C) the Father or me. ⁴ But I have told you these things so that when their time^[a] comes you will remember^(D) I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going away^(E) to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’^{(F) 6} Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.^(G) It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.^{(H) 8} When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: ⁹ About sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father^(I) and you will no longer see me; ¹¹ and about judgment,^(J) because the ruler of this world^(K) has been judged.^(L)

¹² “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.^{(M) 13} When the Spirit of truth^(N) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.^(O) For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ Everything the Father^(P) has is mine.^(Q) This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.^(R)

Sorrow Turned to Joy

¹⁶ “In a little while,^(S) you will no longer see me; ^(T) again in a little while, you will see me.”^[b]

¹⁷ Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this he’s telling us: ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’^(U)?” ¹⁸ They said, “What is this he is saying,^[c] ‘In a little while’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.”

¹⁹ Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, and so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me’? ²⁰ Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn,^(V) but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful,^(W) but your sorrow will turn to joy. ²¹ When a woman is in labor, she has pain^(X) because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child,^(Y) she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. ²² So you also have sorrow^[d] now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice,^(Z) and no one will take away your joy from you.^(AA)

²³ “In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.^{(AB) 24} Until now you have asked for nothing in my name.^(AC) Ask and you will receive,^(AD) so that your joy may be complete.^(AE)

Jesus the Victor

²⁵ “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. ²⁶ On that day you will ask^(AF) in my name, and^(AG) I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved^(AH) me and have believed that I came from God.^{[e](AI) 28} I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”^(AJ)

²⁹ His disciples said, “Look, now you’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. ³⁰ Now we know that you know everything^(AK) and don’t need anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”^(AL)

³¹ Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? ³² Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come,^(AM) when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.^{(AN) 33} I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”