Mark 6:7-25

⁷He called the Twelve to him, and began to send them out as his messengers, two and two, and gave them authority over foul spirits.

⁸He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey — not even bread, or a bag, or coins in their purse;

⁹but they were to wear sandals, and not to put on a second coat.

¹⁰“Whenever you go to stay at a house,” he said, “remain there until you leave that place;

¹¹and if a place does not welcome you, or listen to you, as you go out of it shake off the dust that is on the soles of your feet, as a protest against them.”

¹²So they set out, and proclaimed the need of repentance.

¹³They drove out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were infirm, and cured them.

¹⁴Now King Herod heard of Jesus; for his name had become well known. People were saying — “John the Baptizer must have risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are active in him.”

¹⁵Others again said — “He is Elijah,” and others — “He is a prophet, like one of the great prophets.”

¹⁶But when Herod heard of him, he said — “The man whom I beheaded — John — he must be risen!”

¹⁷For Herod himself had sent and arrested John, and put him in prison, in chains, to please Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because Herod had married her.

¹⁸For John had said to Herod — “You have no right to be living with your brother's wife.”

¹⁹So Herodias was incensed against John, and wanted to put him to death, but was unable to do so,

²⁰because Herod stood in fear of John, knowing him to be an upright and holy man, and protected him. He had listened to John, but still remained much perplexed, and yet he found pleasure in listening to him.

²¹A suitable opportunity, however, occurred when Herod, on his birthday, gave a dinner to his high officials, and his generals, and the foremost men in Galilee.

²²When his daughter — that is, the daughter of Herodias — came in and danced, she delighted Herod and those who were dining with him. “Ask me for whatever you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you”;

²³and he swore to her that he would give her whatever she asked him — up to half his kingdom.

²⁴The girl went out, and said to her mother “What must I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptizer,” answered her mother.

²⁵So she went in as quickly as possible to the king, and made her request. “I want you,” she said, “to give me at once, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist.”