²⁸ And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”^(A)

²¹ And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.”^(A)

¹¹ Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹² He said to them, “Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? ¹³ But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.”

² and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.”

⁵ See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.^(A)

Herod’s Perplexity

⁷ Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,^{(A) 8} by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen.^{(B) 9} Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he tried to see him.^(C)

The Death of John the Baptist

¹⁴ King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’s^[a] name had become known. Some were^[b] saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” ¹⁵ But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”^{(A) 16} But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”^(B)

¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”^(A)