John 16 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 “I've told you this so you won't give up your trust in me.
1 “I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble.
2 They will expel you from the synagogues—in fact the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service.
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'll do this because they have never known the Father or me. I've told you this so that when these things happen, you'll remember what I told you.
3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father nor me.
4 I didn't need to tell you this right at the beginning because I was going to be 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'm going to the one who sent me, and yet not one of you is asking 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 Of course, now that I've told you, you're full of grief.
6 But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 But I'm telling you the truth: it's better for you that I go away, for if I don't the Comforter won't come to you. If I go away, 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 When he comes, he will convince those in the world that they have wrong ideas regarding sin, about what is right, and about judgment:
8 When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;
9 Sin, for they don't trust in me.
9 about sin, because they don’t believe in me;
10 What is right, for I'm going to the Father and you won't see me any longer.
10 about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more;
11 Judgment, for the ruler of this world has been condemned.
11 about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.
12 There's much more I want to explain to you, but you couldn't stand it now.
12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.
13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, he will teach you the whole truth. He doesn't speak for himself, but he only says what he hears, and he will tell you what's going to happen.
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 brings me glory for he teaches you whatever he receives from me.
14 He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine and will declare it to you.
15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. This is why I said that the Spirit teaches you whatever he receives from me.
15 All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine and will declare it to you.
16 In a little while you won't see me anymore, but then a little while after that you will see me.”
16 “A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.”
17 Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean, ‘In a little while you won't see me, but a little while after that you will see me’? and ‘For I'm 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 They were asking, “What does he mean by ‘in a little while’? We don't know what he's talking about.”
18 They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”
19 Jesus realized that they wanted to ask him about this. So he asked them, “Are you wondering about my comment, ‘In a little while you won't see me, but a little while after that 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 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will turn 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 A woman in labor suffers pain because her time has come, but once the baby is born, she forgets the agony because of the joy that a child has been brought 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 Yes, you're grieving now, but I will see you again; and you will rejoice, and no one can 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 When that time comes you won't need to ask me about anything. I tell you the truth, the Father will give you whatever you ask 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 Until now you haven't asked for anything in my name, so ask and you shall receive, and your happiness will be complete.
24 Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
25 I've been talking to you using picture language. But shortly I won't use such picture language any more when I speak to you. Instead I'll explain the Father to you very plainly.
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 At that time you will ask in my name. I'm not saying to you that I will plead with the Father on your behalf,
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 loves you—because you love me and believe 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 left the Father and came into the world; now I leave the world and return to my Father.”
28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”
29 Then the disciples said, “Now you're talking very plainly and not using picture language.
29 His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly, and using no figures of speech.
30 Now we're certain that you know everything, and that in order to know what questions people are thinking you don't need to ask them. This convinces us 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 “Are you really convinced now?” Jesus asked.
31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?
32 “The time is coming—in fact it's just about to happen—when you will be scattered, each of you to your own homes, leaving me all alone. But I'm not really alone, for 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've told you all this so that you may have peace because you are one with me. You will suffer in this world, but be brave—I have defeated 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)