The Preacher's Bible

“I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble. ²They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God. ³They will do these things because they have not known the Father nor me. ⁴But 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. ⁵But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷Nevertheless 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. ⁸When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; ⁹about sin, because they don’t believe in me; ¹⁰about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; ¹¹about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.

¹²“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. ¹³However, 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. ¹⁴He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine and will declare it to you. ¹⁵All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine and will declare it to you. ¹⁶“A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.”

¹⁷Some 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’?” ¹⁸They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”

¹⁹Therefore 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’? ²⁰Most 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. ²¹A 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. ²²Therefore 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“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. ²⁴Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. 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. ²⁶In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you that I will pray to the Father for you, ²⁷for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. ²⁸I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

²⁹His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly, and using no figures of speech. ³⁰Now 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.”

³¹Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? ³²Behold, 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. ³³I 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.”