Mark 6:14-29

The Voice

¹⁴ Jesus had become so well known that King Herod received reports of all that Jesus was doing. Some were saying^[a] that John the Baptist^[b] had been raised from the dead and that these mighty works were the fruits of his resurrection.

And still others said He was another of the prophets.

For the blood of John was on his hands. ^17-18 Herod had imprisoned John in the days before Jesus began His teaching. John had preached to Herod that he should not have married his own brother’s wife, Herodias, for so it is written in the Hebrew Scriptures: “It is not lawful for one to marry his brother’s wife.”^[c]

¹⁹ Herodias held a grudge against John and would have had him killed, but she couldn’t. ²⁰ Herod feared John as a holy and righteous man and did what he could to protect him. John taught hard truths,^[d] and yet Herod found he usually liked hearing them.

So Herod had put John in prison instead of executing him; ^21-22 and there John sat until Herod’s birthday, when the governor held a great state dinner. That night, Herod’s stepdaughter danced beautifully for the state officials; and the king proclaimed a solemn vow in the presence of his honored guests, military officers, and some of the leading men of Galilee.

²⁴ She went out and consulted with her mother, Herodias, who had only one great desire and told her daughter what she must say.

²⁶ Herod was horrified, but he had sworn an oath and could not break his word in front of his invited guests. ²⁷ So immediately he sent an executioner to the prison to behead John and bring them the head. ²⁸ It was brought to the girl upon a platter, and she took it to her mother.

²⁹ When John’s disciples were told of this, they came for his body and gave it a proper burial.