16:20a

Truly, truly, I tell you: This clause introduces a statement that Jesus wants to emphasize but is also surprising. See how you translated this elsewhere, for example in 3:3 and 10:7.

you will weep and wail: The verbs weep and wail have similar meanings. Both describe the wailing and crying that people regularly did for a dead person. The repeated verbs emphasize what Jesus said: Jesus’ disciples would be very sad. Some languages have other ways to emphasize a word. For example:

you will be very sad
-or-
you will have intense grief
-or-
grief will overcome you and you will wail

Jesus was referring to his death. In some translations it is more natural to indicate this. For example:

you will weep and mourn because of what will happen to me

you: The Greek text emphasizes this pronoun to contrast it with “the world,” which the Greek also emphasizes. The pronoun is plural and refers to Jesus’ disciples.

weep: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as weep means to cry openly, to wail aloud. For example:

cry (Contemporary English Version)

wail: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wail means to express grief over someone’s death. It implies a mourning ritual. Here are other ways to translate this verb:

mourn (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
have grief
-or-
be sad (Contemporary English Version)

16:20b

while the world rejoices: In contrast to the grief of Jesus’ disciples, unbelievers would experience joy at what would happen.

the world: The Greek text emphasizes this phrase to contrast it with “you” in 16:20a. The word world here, as often in John, refers to the people in the world who do not believe in Christ. For example:

unbelievers
-or-
my enemies

rejoices: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rejoices means “to celebrate” or “to be very happy.” Here are other ways to translate this verb:

will be happy (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
will be glad (Revised English Bible)

16:20c

Verses 21–22 will compare the distress of Jesus’ disciples after his death seen in 16:20c to the distress of a woman in labor. The situations are different in some ways, but it is important to find an expression that can describe both situations. You will want to use that expression here in 16:20c to make the comparison easier to understand.

You will grieve: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as You will grieve is literally “you will be sad/sorrowful/distressed.” Here it refers to the emotional pain of losing a loved one who dies. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

you will feel distress
-or-
you will suffer
-or-
you will know/experience suffering

You: The Greek text again emphasizes this pronoun, which is plural and refers to Jesus’ disciples.

but: In the Greek, the word that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as but indicates a strong contrast. Here the contrast is between the disciples’ pain and that pain turning to joy. The word but also indicates something unexpected. First they would have pain, but then something unexpected would happen: their pain would become joy, the opposite of pain.

your grief will turn to joy: This clause indicates that Jesus’ disciples would first suffer and then their suffering would become joy. (The verb phrase will turn to means “will become.”) The Greek text emphasizes the phrase your grief, which refers to the sorrow Jesus’ disciples would feel when he died. The word joy refers to what they would feel when he rose from the dead. For example:

your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
your sadness will become joy (New Century Version)

your grief…joy: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your grief refers to the disciples’ grief when Jesus would die. The word joy refers to the happiness and delight the disciples would feel when he rose from the dead. In some languages it may be natural to translate these emotions as adjectives. For example:

You will be sad, but later you will be happy. (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 16:20c

Some languages may not have one word that they can use for both emotional pain and physical pain. In those languages it may be helpful to use different words for “pain” in 16:20c. This may help connect the disciples’ emotional pain and a woman’s physical pain when giving birth. Jesus compares the two kinds of pain in the next verse. Here is one way to do that:

You will be intensely distressed, but that emotional pain will turn into joy.

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