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John 16
New King James Version

### Jesus Warns and Comforts His Disciples

16 “These things I have spoken to you, that you (A)should not be made to stumble. 2 (B)They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming (C)that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And (D)these things they will do [a]to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when [b]the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

“And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

### The Work of the Holy Spirit

5 “But now I (E)go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, (F)sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but (G)if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has (H)come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 (I)of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 (J)of righteousness, (K)because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 (L)of judgment, because (M)the ruler of this world is judged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, (N)but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, (O)the Spirit of truth, has come, (P)He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 (Q)He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 (R)All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He [c]will take of Mine and declare it to you.

### Sorrow Will Turn to Joy

16 “A (S)little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, (T)because I go to the Father.”

17 Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18 They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not [d]know what He is saying.”

19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and (U)lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into (V)joy. 21 (W)A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and (X)your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. (Y)Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, (Z)that your joy may be (AA)full.

### Jesus Christ Has Overcome the World

25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you (AB)plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 (AC)for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and (AD)have believed that I came forth from God. 28 (AE)I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

29 His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30 Now we are sure that (AF)You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this (AG)we believe that You came forth from God.”

31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 (AH)Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, (AI)each to his [e]own, and will leave Me alone. And (AJ)yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that (AK)in Me you may have peace. (AL)In the world you [f]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, (AM)I have overcome the world.”

#### Footnotes

1. John 16:3 NU, M omit to you
2. John 16:4 NU their
3. John 16:15 NU, M takes of Mine and will declare
4. John 16:18 understand
5. John 16:32 own things or place
6. John 16:33 NU, M omit will

#### Cross references

1. John 16:1 : Matt. 11:6
2. John 16:2 : John 9:22
3. John 16:2 : Acts 8:1
4. John 16:3 : John 8:19; 15:21; Acts 13:27; Rom. 10:2
5. John 16:5 : John 7:33; 13:33; 14:28; 17:11
6. John 16:6 : Matt. 17:23; [John 16:20, 22]
7. John 16:7 : Acts 2:33
8. John 16:8 : Acts 1:8; 2:1–4, 37
9. John 16:9 : Acts 2:22
10. John 16:10 : Acts 2:32
11. John 16:10 : John 5:32
12. John 16:11 : Acts 26:18
13. John 16:11 : [Luke 10:18]
14. John 16:12 : Mark 4:33
15. John 16:13 : [John 14:17]
16. John 16:13 : John 14:26; Acts 11:28; Rev. 1:19
17. John 16:14 : John 15:26
18. John 16:15 : Matt. 11:27; John 3:35
19. John 16:16 : John 7:33; 12:35; 13:33; 14:19; 19:40–42; 20:19
20. John 16:16 : John 13:3
21. John 16:20 : Mark 16:10; Luke 23:48; 24:17
22. John 16:20 : Luke 24:32, 41
23. John 16:21 : Gen. 3:16; Is. 13:8; 26:17; 42:14; 1 Thess. 5:3
24. John 16:22 : Luke 24:41; John 14:1, 27; 20:20; Acts 2:46; 13:52; 1 Pet. 1:8
25. John 16:23 : Matt. 7:7; [John 14:13; 15:16]
26. John 16:24 : John 17:13
27. John 16:24 : John 15:11
28. John 16:25 : John 7:13
29. John 16:27 : [John 14:21, 23]
30. John 16:27 : John 3:13
31. John 16:28 : John 13:1, 3; 16:5, 10, 17
32. John 16:30 : John 21:17
33. John 16:30 : John 17:8
34. John 16:32 : Zech. 13:7; Matt. 26:31, 56; Mark 14:27, 50; Acts 8:1
35. John 16:32 : John 20:10
36. John 16:32 : John 8:29
37. John 16:33 : [Is. 9:6; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14]
38. John 16:33 : 2 Tim. 3:12
39. John 16:33 : Rom. 8:37; [1 John 4:4]

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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