Mark 6:6-30

New American Standard Bible

⁶ And He was amazed at their unbelief.

^(A)And He was going around the villages, teaching.

The Twelve Sent Out

^7 (B)And ^(C)He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out ^(D)in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; ^8 (E)and He instructed them that they were to take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no ^[a]bag, no money in their belt— ⁹ but ^[b]to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not wear two ^[c]tunics.” ¹⁰ And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you ^[d]leave town. ¹¹ Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, ^(F)shake the dust ^[e]off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them.” ^12 (G)And they went out and ^[f]preached that people are to repent. ¹³ And they were casting out many demons and ^(H)were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

John’s Fate Recalled

^14 (I)And King Herod heard about it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “^(J)John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” ¹⁵ But others were saying, “He is ^(K)Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is ^(L)a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶ But when Herod heard about it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent men and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of ^(M)Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “^(N)It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹ And ^(O)Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death, and could not do so; ²⁰ for ^(P)Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he had been protecting him. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; and yet he ^[g]used to enjoy listening to him. ²¹ An opportune day came when Herod, on his birthday, ^(Q)held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders, and the leading people ^(R)of Galilee; ²² and when the daughter of ^(S)Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and ^[h]his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” ²³ And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you, up to ^(T)half of my kingdom.” ²⁴ And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” ²⁵ Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶ And although the king was very sorry, because of his oaths and ^[i]his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard about this, they came and carried away his body, and laid it in a tomb.

^30 (U)The ^(V)apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught.