Bible Reading Plan

John 16

Chapter 16

¹  "I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. ² They will ban you from the synagogues.^(a) In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service^(b) to God. ³ They will do these things because they haven't known^(c) the Father or Me. ⁴ But I have told you these things so that when their time^[a] comes you may remember^(d) I told them to you. I didn't tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

The Counselor's Ministry

⁵ "But now I am going away^(e) to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?'^{(f) 6} Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.^(g) 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.^{(h) 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⁽ⁱ⁾ and you will no longer see Me; ¹¹ and about judgment,^(j) because the ruler of this world^(k) has been judged. ^(l)

¹² "I still have many things to tell you, but you can't bear them now.^{(m) 13} When the Spirit of truth⁽ⁿ⁾ comes, He will guide you into all the truth.^(o) 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^(p) has is Mine.^(q) This is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you. ^(r)

Sorrow Turned to Joy

¹⁶ "A little while^(s) and you will no longer see Me;^(t) again a little while and you will see Me." ^[b]

¹⁷ Therefore some of His disciples said to one another, "What is this He tells us: ‘A little while and you will not see Me; again a little while and you will see Me' ; and, ‘because I am going to the Father'^(u) ?" ¹⁸ They said, "What is this He is saying,^[c] ‘A little while' ? We don't know what He's talking about!"

¹⁹ Jesus knew they wanted to question Him, so He said to them, "Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see Me; again a little while and you will see Me'?

²⁰ "I assure you: You will weep and wail,^(v) but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful,^(w) but your sorrow will turn to joy. ²¹ When a woman is in labor she has pain^(x) because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child,^(y) 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^[d] now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice,^(z) and no one will rob you of your joy.^{(aa) 23} In that day you will not ask Me anything.

"I assure you: Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. ^{(ab) 24} Until now you have asked for nothing in My name.^(ac) Ask and you will receive,^(ad) so that your joy may be complete. ^(ae)

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 In that day you will ask^(af) in My name.^(ag) I am not telling you that I will make requests to the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved^(ah) Me and have believed that I came from God. ^{[e](ai) 28} I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father." ^(aj)

²⁹ "Ah!" His disciples said. "Now You're speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. ³⁰ Now we know that You know everything^(ak) and don't need anyone to question You. By this we believe that You came from God."^(al)

³¹ Jesus responded to them, "Do you now believe? ³² Look: An hour is coming, and has come,^(am) 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.^{(an) 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."