John 16

1"I have told you all this so that you will not give up and turn away.

1These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

Note"Offended" in 1611 did not mean insulted. It translates a Greek word for being tripped up or made to stumble, so that a person abandons the path they were on. The rendering's "give up and turn away" carries the sense.

2People will throw you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is doing something God wants.

2They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

NoteBeing "put out of the synagogue" meant formal expulsion from the local Jewish assembly, which was the center of worship, schooling, legal life and social standing in a town. It was not just losing a place to attend; it cut a person off from their community. The phrase "doeth God service" translates a word used for the offering of formal worship, so the sense is that the killer thinks he is performing an act of religious devotion.

3They will do these things to you because they have never known the Father, and they have not known me.

3And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

4But I have told you these things so that when the time comes, you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at the start, because I was with you then.

4But 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.

NoteThe Greek says "when their hour comes," meaning the hour belonging to those things, the moment when they happen. "The time" here is that appointed moment, not time in general.

5But now I am going back to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'

5But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

NoteEarlier the same evening Peter asks "Lord, whither goest thou?" (13:36) and Thomas says "we know not whither thou goest" (14:5). The point here is about the present moment: now that the sorrow has settled on them, no one is pressing the question any further.

6Instead, because I have told you these things, your hearts are full of sorrow.

6But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

7But I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I go away. If I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

7Nevertheless 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.

Note"Expedient" in 1611 meant advantageous or beneficial, with none of the modern hint of cutting corners. "Comforter" translates the Greek word parakletos, literally someone called to your side. It covered a supporter, an advocate who speaks for you in a legal setting, and one who strengthens or consoles. No single English word holds all of it, which is why translations vary between Comforter, Helper, Advocate and Counselor.

8And when he comes, he will show the world that it is wrong about sin, about what is right, and about judgment.

8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Note"Reprove" in 1611 meant to convict, to expose someone as being in the wrong and prove the case against them. The Greek verb is at home in a courtroom. The preposition translated "of" means "concerning," so the three items are the subjects on which the world's judgment is shown to be wrong.

9He will show the world it is wrong about sin, because people do not believe in me.

9Of sin, because they believe not on me;

10He will show the world it is wrong about what is right, because I am going to my Father, and you will not see me anymore.

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

11And he will show the world it is wrong about judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

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

Note"Prince" here means ruler or the one in charge, not a king's son. The phrase refers to the power that governs the present world order, a figure John's readers would have understood as the accuser or adversary. "Is judged" is a past-tense form: the verdict has already been handed down.

12I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot carry them now.

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

Note"Bear" means carry the weight of, as with a load. The sense is not that they are forbidden to hear it but that they cannot yet take it in.

13But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own. He will say what he hears, and he will tell you what is going to happen.

13Howbeit 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.

Note"He shall not speak of himself" is easily misread today. The Greek means "he will not speak on his own authority," that is, out of his own initiative, rather than "he will not speak about himself." "Shew" is simply the older spelling of show.

14He will bring honor to me, because he will take what is mine and make it clear to you.

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

15Everything the Father has is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take what is mine and make it clear to you.

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

16In a little while you will not see me anymore. Then a little while after that, you will see me, because I am going to the Father."

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

NoteThe words "because I go to the Father" at the end of this verse are missing from the oldest surviving Greek manuscripts, though they appear in verse 17 where the disciples repeat them. The King James follows later manuscripts that include them in both places.

17Then some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by this? He says, 'In a little while you will not see me, and then a little while later you will see me,' and, 'Because I am going to the Father.'"

17Then 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?

18So they kept saying, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not understand what he is talking about."

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

19Jesus knew they wanted to ask him about it, so he said to them, "Are you asking each other what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will not see me, and then a little while later you will see me'?

19Now 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?

20I tell you the truth: you will cry and grieve out loud, but the world will be glad. You will be full of sorrow, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

20Verily, 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.

Note"Verily, verily" translates "Amen, amen," a doubled Hebrew word meaning "truly" or "it is so." Used at the front of a sentence rather than the end, it marks what follows as a solemn declaration. The word for "lament" means loud public mourning, the audible wailing expected at a death, not quiet sadness.

21When a woman is giving birth, she is in pain, because her time has come. But once the child is born, she no longer thinks about the pain, because she is so glad a child has been born into the world.

21A 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.

Note"Travail" is the old word for the labor of childbirth, and "delivered of the child" means having given birth. "A man is born into the world" uses a Greek word that means a human being, not specifically a male child.

22In the same way, you have sorrow now. But I will see you again, and your hearts will be glad, and no one will take your joy away from you.

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

Note"No man" in the King James regularly means "no one, nobody," with no restriction to males. The same holds for "any man" in verse 30.

23On that day you will not ask me anything. I tell you the truth: whatever you ask the Father for in my name, he will give you.

23And 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.

NoteTwo different Greek verbs sit behind the one English word "ask" in this verse. The first ("ye shall ask me nothing") is the verb for putting a question to someone. The second ("whatsoever ye shall ask the Father") is the verb for making a request. So the first half is about questioning and the second about petitioning.

24Up to now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy will be complete.

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

25I have been telling you these things using word pictures. But a time is coming when I will not talk to you that way anymore. Instead I will tell you about the Father in plain words.

25These 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.

Note"Proverbs" here does not mean short sayings of the kind collected in the book of Proverbs. The Greek word means veiled or figurative speech, language that carries its meaning indirectly and needs unpacking. The same word lies behind "proverb" in verse 29.

26On that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father for you,

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

Note"Pray" in 1611 English simply meant to ask or request, and could be said of asking anyone for anything. It carried no necessary sense of worship. The Greek verb here is the ordinary word for making a request of someone.

27because the Father himself loves you. He loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

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

NoteThe verb for "love" in this verse, used of both the Father and the disciples, is the one built on the word for a friend, suggesting warm personal affection. Elsewhere in John a different love word is more common. Ancient writers often used the two interchangeably, so how much weight the difference carries here is disputed.

28I came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

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

29His disciples said to him, "Look, now you are speaking plainly and not using word pictures.

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

30Now we know that you know everything, and that you do not need anyone to ask you questions. Because of this, we believe that you came from God."

30Now 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.

31Jesus answered them, "Do you believe now?

31Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

NoteThe Greek has no punctuation, so this line can be read either as a question ("Do you believe now?") or as a statement ("Now you believe"). Translators have to pick one; the ambiguity is in the original.

32Listen, a time is coming, and has already come, when you will be scattered. Each of you will go to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

32Behold, 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.

Note"Every man to his own" means each of you to your own home or your own belongings, the place you came from. The Greek is a shorthand phrase, literally "to his own things."

33I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But be brave: I have defeated the world."

33These 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.

Note"Tribulation" translates a word whose root sense is pressure or crushing, the squeezing of something under weight, and so hardship of any kind. "Be of good cheer" is stronger than it sounds to a modern ear: it is a command to take courage, not an invitation to cheer up. "Overcome" is in a tense that presents the victory as already accomplished.