John 16:17-29

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 enquire amongst 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.