20. I tell you the truth, you will cry and be sad, but the world will be happy. You will be sad, but your sadness will become joy.
21. When a woman gives birth to a baby, she has pain, because her time has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain, because she is so happy that a child has been born into the world.
22. It is the same with you. Now you are sad, but I will see you again and you will be happy, and no one will take away your joy.
23. In that day you will not ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.
24. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy.
25. “I have told you these things indirectly in stories. But the time will come when I will not use stories like that to tell you things; I will speak to you in plain words about the Father.
26. In that day you will ask the Father for things in my name. I mean, I will not need to ask the Father for you.
27. The Father himself loves you. He loves you because you loved me and believed that I came from God.
28. I came from the Father into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29. Then the followers of Jesus said, “You are speaking clearly to us now and are not using stories that are hard to understand.