Mark 6:5-38

⁵He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

⁶And He marveled at their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

⁷Then He summoned the twelve and began to send them out, two by two, giving them authority over the unclean spirits as He did so.

⁸And He commanded them to take nothing for the road, except just a staff—no knapsack, no bread, no coin in the belt—

⁹but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics.

¹⁰And He said to them: “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from that place.

¹¹And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than for that city.”

¹²So they went out and started preaching that people should repent,

¹³and they were casting out many demons, and anointing with oil and healing many who were sick.

¹⁴Now King Herod heard of Him, because His name had become well known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead, and that is why the powers are at work in him.”

¹⁵Others said, “He is Elijah.” Still others said, “He is a prophet like one of the prophets.”

¹⁶But when Herod heard, he said: “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!”

¹⁷You see, Herod himself had ordered John arrested, and bound him in prison, on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her

¹⁸—John had kept saying to Herod, “It isn't lawful for you to have your brother's wife.”

¹⁹So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him; but she couldn't,

²⁰because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a just and holy man. And consulting him he would do many things; indeed, he would hear him with pleasure.

²¹Then an opportune day came when on his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his courtiers, the military commanders, and the chief men of Galilee.

²²When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those reclining with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”

²³He even swore to her, “Whatever you may ask me I will give you, up to half of my kingdom!”

²⁴So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”

²⁵Hurrying in directly to the king she requested, saying, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter!”

²⁶Though the king became very sorry, because of his oaths and of his guests he did not want to refuse her.

²⁷Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded the head to be brought. So he went and beheaded him in the prison,

²⁸brought the head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

²⁹Upon hearing of it, his disciples came, removed the corpse and placed it in a tomb.

³⁰Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and reported all to Him, both what they had done and what they had taught.

³¹Because so many were coming and going that they did not even have leisure to eat, He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.”

³²So they went away in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.

³³But many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and arrived before them, and came together to Him.

³⁴Well upon disembarking Jesus saw a large crowd and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He began to teach them many things.

³⁵When it was late in the day, His disciples came to Him and said: “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.

³⁶Send them away so they may go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”

³⁷But in reply He said to them, “You feed them!” They say to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and feed them?”

³⁸So He says to them: “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they knew they said, “Five, and two fish.”