¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod^[a] had married her.

¹⁹ But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done,^{(A) 20} added to them all by shutting up John in prison.

Messengers from John the Baptist

² When John heard in prison what the Messiah^[a] was doing, he sent word by his^[b] disciples^(A)

³ For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,^{(A) 4} because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”^{(B) 5} Though Herod^[a] wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet.^{(C) 6} But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod ⁷ so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” ⁹ The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; ¹⁰ he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. ¹² His disciples came and took the body and buried him; then they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee

¹² Now when Jesus^[a] heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,^(A)