John 16 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 I have said these things to you so that you may not be in doubt.
1 “I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble.
2 They will put you out of the Synagogues: yes, the time is coming when whoever puts you to death will have the belief that he is doing God's pleasure.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.
3 They will do these things to you because they have not had knowledge of the Father or of me.
3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father nor me.
4 I have said these things to you so that when the time comes, what I have said may come to your mind. I did not say them to you at the first, because then I was still with you.
4 But I have told you these things so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.
5 But now I am going to him who sent me; and not one of you says to me, Where are you going?
5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
6 But your hearts are full of sorrow because I have said these things.
6 But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 But what I am saying is true: my going is for your good: for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
8 And he, when he comes, will make the world conscious of sin, and of righteousness, and of being judged:
8 When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;
9 Of sin, because they have not faith in me;
9 about sin, because they don’t believe in me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will see me no more;
10 about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more;
11 Of being judged, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
11 about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.
12 I have still much to say to you, but you are not strong enough for it now.
12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.
13 However, when he, the Spirit of true knowledge, has come, he will be your guide into all true knowledge: for his words will not come from himself, but whatever has come to his hearing, that he will say: and he will make clear to you the things to come.
13 However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.
14 He will give me glory, because he will take of what is mine, and make it clear to you.
14 He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine and will declare it to you.
15 Everything which the Father has is mine: that is why I say, He will take of what is mine and will make it clear to you.
15 All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine and will declare it to you.
16 After a little time you will see me no longer; and then again, after a little time, you will see me.
16 “A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.”
17 So some of the disciples said one to another, What is this he is saying, After a little time, you will see me no longer; and then again, after a little time, you will see me? and, I am going to the Father?
17 Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;’ and, ‘Because I go to the Father’?”
18 So they said again and again, What is this he is saying, A little time? His words are not clear to us.
18 They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they had a desire to put the question to him, so he said to them, Is this what you are questioning one with another, why I said, After a little time, you will see me no longer; and then again, after a little time, you will see me?
19 Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’?
20 Truly I say to you, You will be weeping and sorrowing, but the world will be glad: you will be sad, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
20 Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
21 When a woman is about to give birth she has sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she has given birth to the child, the pain is put out of her mind by the joy that a man has come into the world.
21 A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world.
22 So you have sorrow now: but I will see you again, and your hearts will be glad, and no one will take away your joy.
22 Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
23 And on that day you will put no questions to me. Truly I say to you, Whatever request you make to the Father, he will give it to you in my name.
23 “In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
24 Up to now you have made no request in my name: do so, and it will be answered, so that your hearts may be full of joy.
24 Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
25 All this I have said to you in veiled language: but the time is coming when I will no longer say things in veiled language but will give you knowledge of the Father clearly.
25 “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.
26 In that day you will make requests in my name: and I do not say that I will make prayer to the Father for you,
26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you that I will pray to the Father for you,
27 For the Father himself gives his love to you, because you have given your love to me and have had faith that I came from God.
27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God.
28 I came out from the Father and have come into the world: again, I go away from the world and go to the Father.
28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”
29 His disciples said, Now you are talking clearly and not in veiled language.
29 His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly, and using no figures of speech.
30 Now we are certain that you have knowledge of all things and have no need for anyone to put questions to you: through this we have faith that you came from God.
30 Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”
31 Jesus made answer, Have you faith now?
31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?
32 See, a time is coming, yes, it is now here, when you will go away in all directions, every man to his house, and I will be by myself: but I am not by myself, because the Father is with me.
32 Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
33 I have said all these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble: but take heart! I have overcome the world.
33 I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”
Cross references (33)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Peter 2:8; Matthew 13:21; Matthew 26:31–33; John 15:18–27; Matthew 24:10
- 2 John 9:22; Acts 26:9–11; Romans 10:2–3; Acts 22:3–4; Matthew 10:28
- 3 John 15:21; John 17:25; John 8:19; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
- 4 John 14:29; Mark 13:23; John 13:19; John 17:12–13; Matthew 9:15
- 5 John 13:36; John 7:33; John 16:28; Ephesians 4:7–11; John 14:4–6
- 6 Luke 24:17; John 20:11–15; Luke 22:45; John 16:20–22; John 14:1
- 7 John 14:26; John 14:16–17; John 15:26; Acts 2:33; John 7:39
- 8 Jude 15; Acts 2:37; Zechariah 12:10; Acts 16:29–30; John 8:9
- 9 John 15:22–25; John 12:47–48; John 8:23–24; Mark 16:16; Hebrews 3:12
- 10 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 10:3–4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Timothy 3:16
- 11 John 12:31; 1 John 3:8; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14; John 14:30
- 12 Mark 4:33; John 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:1–2; Acts 1:3; Hebrews 5:11–14
- 13 John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10–13; John 14:17; John 15:26; 1 John 2:27
- 14 1 John 4:13–14; 2 Corinthians 3:14–18; John 15:26; Revelation 19:10; 1 Corinthians 12:3
- 15 John 17:10; Matthew 11:27; John 3:35; Luke 10:22; Colossians 1:19
- 16 John 7:33; Acts 10:40–41; John 16:22; John 14:18–24; John 16:28
- 17 John 16:16; Mark 9:32; John 16:5; John 14:5; John 16:19
- 18 Luke 24:25; Hebrews 5:12; Matthew 16:9–11
- 19 John 14:19; John 16:16; John 16:30; John 13:33; Hebrews 4:13
- 20 James 1:2; Matthew 5:4; Revelation 7:14–17; Psalm 126:5–6; Mark 16:10
- 21 Isaiah 13:8; Psalm 113:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; Jeremiah 30:6–7; Isaiah 26:16–18
- 22 1 Peter 1:8; Acts 13:52; John 16:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 Peter 4:13–14
- 23 John 15:7; John 14:13–14; Matthew 21:22; Isaiah 65:24; 1 John 5:14–16
- 24 Matthew 7:7–8; James 4:2–3; John 15:11; John 16:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17
- 25 John 16:12; Mark 4:13; John 10:6; John 16:28–29; Matthew 13:34–35
- 26 Romans 8:34; John 17:9; John 17:24; John 17:19; John 16:23
- 27 John 14:23; John 14:21; John 17:23; John 8:42; 1 John 4:19
- 28 John 13:1; John 13:3; John 8:14; John 14:28; John 17:5
- 29 John 16:25
- 30 John 21:17; John 17:8; Hebrews 4:13; John 16:17; John 16:27–28
- 31 Luke 9:44–45; John 13:38
- 32 Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 26:31; John 8:29; Mark 14:27; John 8:16
- 33 John 14:27; 1 John 5:4; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; 1 John 4:4; Philippians 4:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The medicine for all the wounds of the soul, and the one propitiation for the offences of men, is to believe on Christ; nor can any one be cleansed at all, whether from original sin which he derived from Adam, in whom all men have sinned, and become by nature children of wrath; or from the sins which they have …
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When the Lord Jesus had foretold His disciples the persecutions they would have to suffer after His departure, He went on to say: "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 here the first thing we have to look at …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
Great is the tyranny of despondency, and much courage do we need so as to stand manfully against the feeling, and after gathering from it what is useful, to let the superfluous go.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
… under their feet, and turn again and rend you." For the Lord Himself, although He never told a lie, yet showed that He was concealing certain truths, when He said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." And the Apostle Paul, too, says: "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
For, saith He, "In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;" and, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread;" and, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." But of our state there, no such word at all is spoken, but all the contrary; that "grief and sorrow and sighing have fled away." And that "men shall come …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)