New Testament in a Year

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

6 ^(A)And Jesus went out from there and *came into ^[a](B)His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. ² And when the Sabbath came, He began ^(C)to teach in the synagogue; and ^(D)many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to this man, and such ^[b]miracles as these performed by His hands? ³ Is this man not ^(E)the carpenter, ^(F)the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not ^(G)His sisters here with us?” And they were taking ^(H)offense at Him. ⁴ And Jesus was saying to them, “^(I)A prophet is not without honor except in ^[c](J)his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” ⁵ And He could do no ^[d]miracle there except that He ^(K)laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He was marveling at their unbelief.

^(L)And He was going around the villages teaching.

The Twelve Sent Out

^7 (M)And ^(N)He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out ^(O)in pairs, and was giving them authority over the unclean spirits; ^8 (P)and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only—no bread, no ^[e]bag, no money in their belt— ⁹ but ^[f]to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two ^[g]tunics.” ¹⁰ And He was saying to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you ^[h]leave town. ¹¹ And any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, ^(Q)shake the dust ^[i]off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” ^12 (R)And they went out and ^[j]preached that men should repent. ¹³ And they were casting out many demons and ^(S)were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

The Death of John the Baptist

^14 (T)And King Herod heard it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “^(U)John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” ¹⁵ But others were saying, “He is ^(V)Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is ^(W)a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶ But when Herod heard it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of ^(X)Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “^(Y)It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ^19 (Z)Now Herodias was holding a grudge against him and was wanting to put him to death and was not able; ²⁰ for ^(AA)Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he was keeping him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; ^[k]but he ^[l]used to enjoy listening to him. ²¹ And a strategic day came when Herod on his birthday ^(AB)gave a banquet for his great men and ^[m]military commanders and the leading men ^(AC)of Galilee; ²² and when the daughter of ^(AD)Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and ^[n]his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” ²³ And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to ^(AE)half of my kingdom.” ²⁴ And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” ²⁵ And immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶ And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of ^[o]his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ And when his disciples heard this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.