¹¹ The priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people: “This man deserves to die for prophesying against this city as you have all heard firsthand.”

¹² Jeremiah said to all the officials and to all the people, “The Lord sent me to prophesy to this temple and this city everything you have heard. ¹³ So now transform your ways and actions. Obey the Lord your God, and the Lord may relent and not carry out the harm that he’s pronounced against you. ¹⁴ But me? I’m in your hands. Do whatever you would like to me. ¹⁵ Only know for certain that if you sentence me to death, you and the people of this city will be guilty of killing an innocent man. The Lord has in fact sent me to speak everything I have said to you.”

¹⁶ Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man doesn’t deserve to die, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

²⁴ But Ahikam, Shaphan’s son, protected Jeremiah and wouldn’t let the people execute him.

Psalm 140

For the music leader. A psalm of David.

Death of John the Baptist

14 At that time Herod the ruler^[a] heard the news about Jesus. ² He said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He’s been raised from the dead. This is why these miraculous powers are at work through him.” ³ Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother Philip.

⁴ That’s because John told Herod, “It’s against the law for you to marry her.”

⁵ Although Herod wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd because they thought John was a prophet. ⁶ But at Herod’s birthday party Herodias’ daughter danced in front of the guests and thrilled Herod. ⁷ Then he swore to give her anything she asked.

⁸ At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a plate.” ⁹ Although the king was upset, because of his solemn pledge and his guests he commanded that they give it to her. ¹⁰ Then he had John beheaded in prison. ¹¹ They brought his head on a plate and gave it to the young woman, and she brought it to her mother. ¹² But John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.