John 16:16–33

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

¹⁶Jesus went on to say, “In a little while^d you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”^e

¹⁷At 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,’^f and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”^{g 18}They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

¹⁹Jesus 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’? ²⁰Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn^h while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.^{i 21}A woman giving birth to a child has pain^j 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. ²²So with you: Now is your time of grief,^k but I will see you again^l and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.^{m 23}In that dayⁿ you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.^{o 24}Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive,^p and your joy will be complete.^q

²⁵“Though I have been speaking figuratively,^r a time is coming^s when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. ²⁶In that day you will ask in my name.^t I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me^u and have believed that I came from God.^{v 28}I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”^w

²⁹Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.^{x 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^y that you came from God.”^z

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

³³“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.^e In this world you will have trouble.^f But take heart! I have overcome^g the world.”