< John 17 >
1 After Jesus said those things, he looked [up] toward heaven. Then he prayed, “[My] Father, it is now the time [MTY] [for me to suffer and die]. Honor me [as I do that], in order that I may honor you.
2 You gave me authority over all people, in order that I might enable all those whom you chose [to come] to me to live eternally. (aiōnios )
3 [The way for people] to live eternally is for them to know that you are the only true God, and to know that [I], Jesus, am the Messiah, the one you have sent. (aiōnios )
4 I have honored you here on this earth by completing all the work that you gave me to do.
5 [My] Father, now honor me when I am with you [again], by causing me to have the greatness I had when I was with you before the world began.”
6 “I have revealed [what] you [are like] to the people whom you brought to me from among those who do not belong to you [MTY]. Those [who came to me] belonged to you, and you brought them to me. Now they have obeyed your message.
7 Now they know that everything you have given me, [your message and your work], comes from you.
8 I gave them the message that you gave me, and they have accepted it. They now know for certain that I came from you. They now believe that you sent me.
9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for those [who do not belong to you] [MTY]. Instead, [I am praying] for those whom you have brought to me, because they belong to you.
10 All [the disciples] that I have belong to you, and all those who belong to you also belong to me. They have shown how great I am.
11 I will not be [staying] in the world any longer. I will be coming back to you. They, however, will be [here] in the world [among those who are opposed to you]. [My] Holy Father, protect them from spiritual harm by your power [MTY], the power that you gave me, in order that they may be united as we are united.
12 While I have been with them, I have [completely] protected them by the power [MTY] that you gave me. As a result, only one of them will be eternally separated from you. He is the one who was doomed to be eternally separated from you. [That has happened] to fulfill [what a prophet wrote] in the Scriptures [would happen].
13 [Father], now I am about to return to you. I have said these things while I am still [here] in the world in order that my [disciples] may fully experience being joyful, as I have been joyful.
14 I have given them your message. As a result, those who are opposed to you [MTY] have hated them, because [my disciples] do not belong to those who oppose you [MTY], just like I do not belong to those who oppose you [MTY].
15 I am asking you, not that you take them out of this world, but instead that you protect them from [Satan], the evil one.
16 They do not belong to those who are opposed to you [MTY], just like I also do not belong to them.
17 Set [my disciples] apart so that they may (completely belong to/serve) you, by [enabling them to live in accordance with] what is true. Your message is true.
18 Just like you sent me here into this world, now I surely will be sending them [to other places] in [MTY] the world.
19 I dedicate myself to completely belong to you, in order that they also may truly be dedicated {dedicate themselves} completely to you.”
20 “I am praying not only for these [eleven disciples]. I am praying also for those who [will] believe in me as a result of [hearing] their message.
21 [My] Father, [I want] all of them to be united, just like I am united with you because of my relationship with you, and as you are united with me because of your relationship with me. I also want them to be united with us. [I want that to happen] so that those who do not know you [MTY] may know that you sent me.
22 I have honored my disciples just like you honored me, in order that they may be united, as we are united.
23 I want them to be united just like they are united with me and as you are united with me. May they be completely united, in order that those who do not belong to you [MTY] may know that you sent me and that you have loved them just like you have loved me.
24 [My] Father, I want [the disciples] you have brought to me to [some day] be with me [in heaven], where I will be. I want them to see my greatness. I want them to see the greatness you gave me because you loved me. You gave me that greatness before you created the world.
25 [My] righteous Father, although the people who do not belong to you [MTY] do not know what you [are like], I know what you [are like], and my disciples know that you sent me.
26 I have revealed to them [what] you [are like], and I will continue to reveal to them [what] you [are like]. I will do that in order that they may love [others] just like you love me, and in order that I may be in them [by my Spirit].”
