16 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Of sin, because they believe not on me;

10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

16 1 He foretelleth the disciples of persecution. 7 He promiseth the Comforter, and declareth his office. 21 He compareth the affliction of his, to a woman that travaileth with child.

These [a]things have I said unto you, that ye should not be offended.

They shall excommunicate you: yea the time shall come, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service.

And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

(A)But these things have I told you, that when the hour shall come, ye might remember, that I told you them. And these things said I not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you.

But now I go my way to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

But because I have said these things unto you, your hearts are full of sorrow.

[b]Yet I tell you the truth, It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, that Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you,

[c]And when he is come, he will [d]reprove the [e]world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

Of sin, because they believed not in me:

10 Of [f]righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye shall see me no more.

11 Of [g]judgment, [h]because the prince of this world is judged.

12 [i]I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

13 Howbeit, when he is come which is the spirit of truth, he will lead you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, shall he speak, and he will show you the things to come.

14 [j]He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.

15 All things that the Father hath, are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and show it unto you.

16 [k]A [l]little while, and ye shall not see me: and again a little while, and ye shall see me: [m]for I go to the Father.

17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me, and, For I go to the Father.

18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we know not what he saith.

19 Now Jesus knew that they would ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves, of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

20 Verily, verily I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, and the world shall rejoice, and ye shall sorrow, but your sorrow shall be turned to joy.

21 A woman when she travaileth hath sorrow because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

22 And ye now therefore are in sorrow: but I will see you again, and your hearts shall rejoice, and your joy shall no man take from you.

23 And in that day shall ye ask me nothing. (B)Verily, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you.

24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my Name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

25 [n]These things have I spoken unto you in parables: but the time will come, when I shall no more speak to you in parables: but I shall show you plainly of the Father.

26 [o]At that day shall ye ask in my Name, and I say not unto you, that I will pray unto the Father for you:

27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, (C)and have believed that I came out from God.

28 I am come out from the Father, and came into the world: again I leave the world, and go to the Father.

29 [p]His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and thou speakest no parable.

30 Now know we that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe, that thou art come out from God.

31 Jesus answered them, Do you believe now?

32 (D)[q]Behold, the hour cometh, and is already come, that ye shall be scattered every man into his own, and shall leave me alone: But I am not alone: for the Father is with me.

33 [r]These things have I spoken unto you, that [s]in me ye might have peace: in the world ye shall have affliction, but be of good comfort: I have overcome the world.

Footnotes

  1. John 16:1 The ministers of the Gospel must look for all manner of reproaches, not only of them which are open enemies, but even of them also which seem to be of the same household, and the very pillars of the Church.
  2. John 16:7 The absence of Christ, according to the flesh, is profitable to the Church, that we may wholly depend upon his spiritual power.
  3. John 16:8 The Spirit of God worketh so mightily by the preaching of the word, that he constraineth the world, will it, nill it, to confess its own unrighteousness, and Christ’s righteousness and almightiness.
  4. John 16:8 He will so reprove the world, that the worldlings shall be able to present no excuse.
  5. John 16:8 He respecteth the time that followed his ascension, when as all gainsayers were manifestly reproved through the pouring out of the holy Ghost upon the Church: So that the very enemies of Christ were reproved of sin, in that they were constrained to confess that they were deceived, in that they believed not, and therefore they said to Peter, Acts 2, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
  6. John 16:10 Of Christ himself: For when the world shall see, that I have poured out the holy Ghost, they shall be constrained to confess that I was just, and was not condemned of my Father, when I went out of this world.
  7. John 16:11 Of that authority and power, which I have both in heaven and earth.
  8. John 16:11 That is, because they shall then understand and know indeed, that I have overcome the devil, and do govern the world, when all men shall see, that they set themselves against you in vain, for I will arm you with that heavenly power, whereby you may destroy every high thing which is lifted up against the knowledge of God, 2 Cor. 10:12.
  9. John 16:12 The doctrine of the Apostles proceeded from the holy Ghost, and is most perfect.
  10. John 16:14 The holy Ghost bringeth no new doctrine, but teacheth that which was uttered by Christ’s own mouth, and imprinteth it in our minds.
  11. John 16:16 The grace of the holy Ghost is a most lively glass, wherein Christ is truly beholden with the most sharpsighted eyes of faith, and not with the bleared eyes of the flesh: whereby we feel a continual joy even in the midst of sorrows.
  12. John 16:16 When a little time is once past.
  13. John 16:16 For I pass to eternal glory, so that I shall be much more present with you, than I was before: for then you shall feel indeed what I am, and what I am able to do.
  14. John 16:25 The holy Ghost which was poured upon the Apostles after the Ascension of Christ, instructed both them in all chiefest mysteries and secrets of our salvation, and also by them the Church, and will also instruct it to the end of the world.
  15. John 16:26 The sum of the worship of God, is the invocation of the Father in the Name of the Son the Mediator, who is already heard for us, for whom he hath abased himself, and is now also glorified.
  16. John 16:29 Faith and foolish security differ very much.
  17. John 16:32 Neither the wickedness of the world, neither the weakness of his own can diminish anything of the virtue of Christ.
  18. John 16:33 The surety and stay of the Church dependeth only upon the victory of Christ.
  19. John 16:33 That in me you might be thoroughly quieted. For by (peace) is meant in this place, that quiet state of mind, which is clean contrary to disquietness and heaviness.

16 “All this(A) I have told you so that you will not fall away.(B) They will put you out of the synagogue;(C) in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.(D) They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.(E) I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember(F) that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you,(G) but now I am going to him who sent me.(H) None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’(I) Rather, you are filled with grief(J) because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate(K) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.(L) When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin,(M) because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness,(N) because I am going to the Father,(O) where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world(P) now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.(Q) 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth,(R) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.(S) He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine.(T) That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while(U) you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”(V)

17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’(W) and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”(X) 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn(Y) while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.(Z) 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain(AA) because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief,(AB) but I will see you again(AC) and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.(AD) 23 In that day(AE) you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.(AF) 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive,(AG) and your joy will be complete.(AH)

25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively,(AI) a time is coming(AJ) when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name.(AK) I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me(AL) and have believed that I came from God.(AM) 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”(AN)

29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.(AO) 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe(AP) that you came from God.”(AQ)

31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming(AR) and in fact has come when you will be scattered,(AS) each to your own home. You will leave me all alone.(AT) Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.(AU)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.(AV) In this world you will have trouble.(AW) But take heart! I have overcome(AX) the world.”