"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
— John 14:27 (NIV)
John 14:27 is the "peace I leave with you" verse. This page gives the verse, when Jesus said it, and a plain reading. For more verses on the theme, see Bible verses about peace, Bible verses about anxiety, and Bible verses about fear.
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The verse
John 14:27 (NIV) reads: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
The King James says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." "Peace" is eirēnē (G1515), wholeness and rest. "Troubled" is tarassō (G5015), to stir up or agitate, and "afraid" is deiliaō (G1168), to be timid or lose heart.
When Jesus said it
Jesus spoke these words to his disciples at the Last Supper, the night before his crucifixion. The chapter opens the same way: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me" (John 14:1).
Just before verse 27 he promises the Holy Spirit: "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26). He returns to peace at the end of the same talk: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
What the verse is saying
Jesus is about to leave, and he gives the disciples his own peace as a parting gift. "Not as the world gives" means it does not depend on calm circumstances. He said it hours before his arrest, to men who were about to see their worst night.
Because of that gift, he tells them to do something: do not let your hearts be troubled. The peace is his to give, and receiving it is the answer to fear. For more on that, see Bible verses about comfort and Bible verses about Jesus.
Questions people ask
What does John 14:27 say?
In the NIV it says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." The KJV says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you."
Who said "Peace I leave with you"?
Jesus said it to his disciples at the Last Supper, the night before he was crucified (John 13-14).
What does "not as the world gives" mean?
The world's peace depends on things going well. Jesus gave his peace the night before the cross, so it rests on him, not on circumstances. John 16:33 adds, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Where does "let not your heart be troubled" come from?
It appears twice in John 14, in verse 1 and verse 27 (KJV). Verse 1 says, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."
What verse goes well with John 14:27?
1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Matthew 11:28 and Psalm 46:10 also speak to rest and peace in God.
