1“I have told you all this so that you will not turn away from the truth. 2You will be thrown out of the synagogue. In fact, the time is coming when someone may kill you. And they will think they are doing God a favor. 3They will do things like that because they do not know the Father or me. 4Why have I told you this? So that when their time comes, you will remember that I warned you about them. I didn’t tell you this from the beginning because I was with you. 5But now I am going to the one who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6Instead, you are filled with sadness because I have said these things. 7But what I’m about to tell you is true. It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Friend will not come to help you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will prove that the world’s people are guilty. He will prove their guilt concerning sin and godliness and judgment. 9The world is guilty as far as sin is concerned. That’s because people do not believe in me. 10The world is guilty as far as godliness is concerned. That’s because I am going to the Father, where you can’t see me anymore. 11The world is guilty as far as judgment is concerned. That’s because the devil, the prince of this world, has already been judged.
12“I have much more to say to you. It is more than you can handle right now. 13But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears. And he will tell you what is still going to happen. 14He will bring me glory. That’s because what he receives from me he will show to you. 15Everything that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said what the Holy Spirit receives from me he will show to you.”
The Disciples’ Sadness Will Turn Into Joy
16Jesus continued, “In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me.”
17After they heard this, some of his disciples spoke to one another. They said, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me’? And what does he mean by saying, ‘I am going to the Father’?” 18They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about these things. So he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant? Didn’t you understand when I said, ‘In a little while, you will no longer see me. Then after a little while, you will see me’? 20What I’m about to tell you is true. You will weep and mourn while the world is full of joy. You will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy. 21A woman giving birth to a baby has pain. That’s because her time to give birth has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain. She forgets because she is so happy that a baby has been born into the world. 22That’s the way it is with you. Now it’s your time to be sad. But I will see you again. Then you will be full of joy. And no one will take away your joy. 23When that day comes, you will no longer ask me for anything. What I’m about to tell you is true. My Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive what you ask for. Then your joy will be complete.
25“I have not been speaking to you plainly. But a time is coming when I will speak clearly. Then I will tell you plainly about my Father. 26When that day comes, you will ask for things in my name. I am not saying I will ask the Father instead of you asking him. 27No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me. He also loves you because you have believed that I came from God. 28I came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking plainly. You are using examples that are clear. 30Now we can see that you know everything. You don’t even need anyone to ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31“Do you believe now?” Jesus replied. 32“A time is coming when you will be scattered and go to your own homes. In fact, that time is already here. You will leave me all alone. But I am not really alone. My Father is with me.
33“I have told you these things, so that you can have peace because of me. In this world you will have trouble. But be encouraged! I have won the battle over the world.”
聖靈的工作
1「我把這些事告訴你們，以免你們失去信心。 2人們將把你們趕出會堂；時候將到，殺害你們的人還以為是在事奉上帝。 3他們這樣做，是因為他們根本不認識父，也不認識我。 4我把這些事提前告訴你們，是要叫你們到時候可以想起我曾跟你們講過這些事。我以前沒有告訴你們，那是因為我還跟你們在一起。
5「現在我要去差我來的父那裡，你們沒有人問我去哪裡。 6因為我把這些事告訴了你們，你們心裡充滿了憂愁。 7然而，我把實情告訴你們，我去對你們是有益的，因為如果我不去，護慰者就不會來，我去了就會派祂到你們這裡來。 8祂來了，就要在罪、義、審判方面責備世人。 9在罪方面責備他們，是因為他們不信我； 10在義方面責備他們，是因為我要去父那裡，你們再也看不到我了； 11在審判方面責備他們，是因為這世界的王受了審判。
12「我還有許多事情要告訴你們，可是你們現在不能明白。 13等到真理之靈來了，祂會引導你們，讓你們明白一切的真理。祂不憑自己說話，而是把祂所聽見的和有關將來的事告訴你們。 14祂也要把從我那裡領受的指示你們，使我得榮耀。 15因為父的一切都是我的，所以我才說祂要把從我那裡領受的指示你們。
轉憂為喜
16「不久，你們就見不到我了，再過不久，你們還會看見我。」
17幾個門徒彼此議論說：「祂說，『不久，你們就見不到我了，再過不久，你們還會看見我』，祂又說，『因為我要去父那裡』，這到底是什麼意思呢？ 18祂說『不久』是什麼意思呢？我們真不明白！」
19耶穌知道他們想問祂，就說：「你們在議論我剛才說的話是什麼意思嗎？ 20我實實在在地告訴你們，你們將痛哭、哀號，世人卻要歡喜；你們將憂愁，然而你們的憂愁將變為喜樂。 21婦人分娩時都會痛苦不已，但孩子生下來後，她就會因為這世界添了一個新生命而充滿歡樂，忘掉了生產的痛苦。 22同樣，現在你們有憂愁，但到我再見你們的時候，你們的心必歡喜，而且這份喜樂是誰也奪不去的。
23「到那一天，你們就什麼也不用問我了。我實實在在地告訴你們，你們奉我的名無論向父求什麼，祂都會賜給你們。 24你們從來沒有奉我的名求過什麼，你們現在求，就必得到，好使你們的喜樂滿溢。
勝過世界
25「我一直用比喻跟你們講這些事，不久，我就不再用比喻了，而是清楚地把父的事告訴你們。 26到那天，你們將要奉我的名祈求，我不是說我要為你們向父祈求。 27父愛你們，因為你們一直愛我，並且相信我來自上帝。 28我從父那裡來到這個世界，現在我要離開這個世界回到父那裡。」
29門徒說：「如今你直截了當地告訴我們，不再用比喻了。 30現在我們知道你無所不知，無需人向你發問，因此我們相信你來自上帝。」
31耶穌說：「你們現在相信嗎？ 32看啊！時候快到了，現在就是，你們將要分散，各自回家，只留下我一人。不過，我並非一人，因為父與我在一起。 33我把這些事告訴你們，是要叫你們在我裡面有平安。你們在世上會有苦難，但你們要放心，我已經勝過這個世界。」
