John 16  Lexham English Bible

Persecution of Disciples Predicted

16 “I have said these things to you so that you will not fall away. ² They will expel you from the synagogue,^[a] but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God. ³ And they will do these things because they do not know the Father or me. ⁴ But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you about them.

Jesus’ Departure and the Coming of the Holy Spirit

“And I have not said these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and none of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. ⁷ But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he^[b] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment: ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in me, ¹⁰ and concerning righteousness, because I am going away to the Father and you will see me no more, ¹¹ and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

¹² I still have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them^[c] now. ¹³ But when he—the Spirit of truth—comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will proclaim to you the things to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and will proclaim it^[d] to you. ¹⁵ Everything that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he takes from what is mine and will proclaim it^[e] to you.

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^[f] 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^[g] and are telling us^[h] no figurative saying! ³⁰ Now we know that you know everything and do not need for^[i] anyone to ask you questions.^[j] 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,^[k] 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.”