Psalm 118

Thanksgiving for Victory

Persecutions Predicted

¹⁸ “If the world hates^(A) you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen^(B) you out of it, the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^(C) If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word,^(D) they will also keep yours. ²¹ But they will do all these things to you on account of my name,^(E) because they don’t know^(F) the one who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.^(G) Now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ The one who hates me also hates my Father.^{(H) 24} If I had not done the works^(I) among them that no one else has done,^(J) they would not be guilty of sin.^(K) Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled:^(L) They hated me for no reason.^[a](M)

The Counselor’s Ministry

²⁶ “When the Counselor^(N) comes, the one I will send to you from the Father^(O) —the Spirit of truth^(P) who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. ²⁷ You also will testify,^(Q) because you have been with me from the beginning.

16 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. ² They will ban you from the synagogues.^(R) In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service^(S) to God. ³ They will do these things because they haven’t known^(T) the Father or me. ⁴ But I have told you these things so that when their time^[b] comes you will remember^(U) 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^(V) to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’^{(W) 6} Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.^(X) 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.^{(Y) 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^(Z) and you will no longer see me; ¹¹ and about judgment,^(AA) because the ruler of this world^(AB) has been judged.^(AC)

¹² “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.^{(AD) 13} When the Spirit of truth^(AE) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.^(AF) 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^(AG) has is mine.^(AH) This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.^(AI)

Sorrow Turned to Joy

¹⁶ “In a little while,^(AJ) you will no longer see me; ^(AK) again in a little while, you will see me.”^[c]

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’^(AL)?” ¹⁸ They said, “What is this he is saying,^[d] ‘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,^(AM) but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful,^(AN) but your sorrow will turn to joy. ²¹ When a woman is in labor, she has pain^(AO) because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child,^(AP) 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^[e] now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice,^(AQ) and no one will take away your joy from you.^(AR)

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.^{(AS) 24} Until now you have asked for nothing in my name.^(AT) Ask and you will receive,^(AU) so that your joy may be complete.^(AV)

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^(AW) in my name, and^(AX) 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^(AY) me and have believed that I came from God.^{[f](AZ) 28} I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”^(BA)

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

³¹ Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? ³² Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come,^(BD) 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.^{(BE) 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.”