John 16:20

Listen to this carefully: After I ◄ leave you/die►, those who oppose God [MTY] will be happy, but you will be sad. But later you will stop being sad and you will become joyful.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Verily, 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.

In Context

19Jesus realized that we wanted to ask him about that. So he said to us, “You are asking [RHQ] each other what I meant when I said, ‘After a short time you will not see me, and then a short time after that you will see me again.’

21A woman who is about to bear a child feels pain, because that is what happens [MTY] at that time. But after her baby is born, she forgets that pain, because she is very joyful that her child has been born.

Read all of John 16

Cross References

Job 20:5wicked people like you do not continue to rejoice for a long time, ungodly people are happy only for a ◄moment/very short time► [HYP]?

Psalms 30:11But now you have healed me, and you have caused me to change from being sad to dancing joyfully. You have taken away the clothes that showed that I was very sad and you have given me clothes that showed that I was very joyful.

Psalms 97:11His light shines on righteous people; he causes those who are righteous to rejoice.

Isaiah 12:1At that time, you people of Jerusalem will sing this song: “Yahweh, we praise you! Previously, you were angry with us, but you are not angry now and you have comforted us.

Isaiah 61:3To all those in Jerusalem who mourn, he will give flower necklaces to wear; instead of ashes that they put on their heads to show that they are sad; he will cause them to rejoice [MTY] instead of being sad; he will enable them to be [MET] happy instead of being discouraged. They will be called “people who continually do what is right, people who are like tall/strong oak trees that Yahweh has planted” to show others that he is very great.

Jeremiah 31:9They will be crying as they return, and they will be praying to me. I will guide them along streams of water, on level paths where they will not stumble. I will do this because I am like a father to the Israeli people; it is as though Israel is my oldest son.”

Matthew Henry on John 16:17-23

Christ's Departure and Return; Sorrow and Joy Foretold. 16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 17 Then 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? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. 19 Now Jesus knew that they were… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study John 16:20