The Sabbath Year

25 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai,^(A)

The Year of Jubilee^(A)(B)

⁸ “‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. ⁹ Then have the trumpet^(C) sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month;^(D) on the Day of Atonement^(E) sound the trumpet throughout your land. ¹⁰ Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty^(F) throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee^(G) for you; each of you is to return to your family property^(H) and to your own clan. ¹¹ The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee^(I) for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines.^{(J) 12} For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.

¹³ “‘In this Year of Jubilee^(K) everyone is to return to their own property.

¹⁴ “‘If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other.^{(L) 15} You are to buy from your own people on the basis of the number of years^(M) since the Jubilee. And they are to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. ¹⁶ When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price,^(N) because what is really being sold to you is the number of crops. ¹⁷ Do not take advantage of each other,^(O) but fear your God.^(P) I am the Lord your God.^(Q)

Psalm 67^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

John the Baptist Beheaded^(A)

14 At that time Herod^(B) the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,^{(C) 2} and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist;^(D) he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

³ Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison^(E) because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,^{(F) 4} for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”^{(G) 5} Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.^(H)

⁶ On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much ⁷ that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” ⁹ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted ¹⁰ and had John beheaded^(I) in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. ¹² John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it.^(J) Then they went and told Jesus.