John 16:17 kjva — Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not…

King James Version with Apocrypha

"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?"

— John 16:17, King James Version with Apocrypha

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John 16:17 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “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?”

  • ASV

    “Some of his disciples therefore said one to another, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? ”

  • WEB

    “Some 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?'"”

  • NET

    “Then some of his disciples said to one another,“What is the meaning of what he is saying,‘In a little while you will not see me; again after a little while, you will see me,’ and,‘because I am going to the Father’?””

  • DRB

    “Then some of his disciples said one to another: What is this that he saith to us: A little while, and you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you shall see me, and, Because I go to the Father?”

  • BBE

    “So some of the disciples said one to another, What is this he is saying, After a little time, you will see me no longer; and then again, after a little time, you will see me? and, I am going to the Father?”

John 16 — Context

14

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

15

All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

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 desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

20

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.

John 16:17 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does John 16:17 say?
John 16:17 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “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?”
Where is John 16:17 in the Bible?
John 16:17 is found in the New Testament, in the book of John, chapter 16, verse 17.
Who wrote John?
John is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, son of Zebedee. It was written c. AD 85–95.
What is the book of John about?
John's Gospel opens not in Bethlehem but "in the beginning," declaring Jesus to be the eternal Word made flesh. Through seven sign-miracles and seven "I AM" sayings, it presents Jesus as the bread, the light, the way, and the resurrection — that we might believe and have life in his name.
What are the major themes of John?
John explores themes including Word Made Flesh, Belief, Eternal Life, I AM, Love. These themes shape the meaning and context of John 16:17.
What translation should I read John 16:17 in?
John 16:17 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize John 16:17?
John 16:17 reads (KJVA): “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?” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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