²⁴ (This was before John was thrown into prison.)

The Ministry of Jesus Begins

¹² When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

³ For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip).

¹⁷ For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her.

Herod’s Confusion

⁷ When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,^[a] heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. ⁸ Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.

⁹ “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him.

¹⁹ John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,^[a] for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. ²⁰ So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.