Mark 6:7-25

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!”