John 16

New King James Version

Jesus Warns and Comforts His Disciples

16 “These things I have spoken to you, that you ^(A)should not be made to stumble. ^2 (B)They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming ^(C)that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. ³ And ^(D)these things they will do ^[a]to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. ⁴ But these things I have told you, that when ^[b]the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

“And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

⁵ “But now I ^(E)go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, ^(F)sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but ^(G)if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has ^(H)come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ^9 (I)of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ^10 (J)of righteousness, ^(K)because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ^11 (L)of judgment, because ^(M)the ruler of this world is judged.

¹² “I still have many things to say to you, ^(N)but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ However, when He, ^(O)the Spirit of truth, has come, ^(P)He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ^14 (Q)He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. ^15 (R)All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He ^[c]will take of Mine and declare it to you.

Sorrow Will Turn to Joy

¹⁶ “A ^(S)little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, ^(T)because I go to the Father.”

¹⁷ Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not ^[d]know what He is saying.”

¹⁹ Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? ²⁰ Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and ^(U)lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into ^(V)joy. ^21 (W)A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and ^(X)your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

²³ “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. ^(Y)Most assuredly, 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, ^(Z)that your joy may be ^(AA)full.

Jesus Christ Has Overcome the World

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you ^(AB)plainly about the Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; ^27 (AC)for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and ^(AD)have believed that I came forth from God. ^28 (AE)I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

²⁹ His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! ³⁰ Now we are sure that ^(AF)You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this ^(AG)we believe that You came forth from God.”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? ^32 (AH)Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, ^(AI)each to his ^[e]own, and will leave Me alone. And ^(AJ)yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. ³³ These things I have spoken to you, that ^(AK)in Me you may have peace. ^(AL)In the world you ^[f]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, ^(AM)I have overcome the world.”