Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

³ Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all manner of spiritual blessings in heavenly things by Christ, ⁴ accordingly as he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world was laid, to be holy and without blame before him through love. ⁵ And he predestined us through Jesus Christ to be his heirs, in accordance with his pleasure and will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of the grace with which he has made us accepted in the Beloved, ⁷ by whom we have redemption through his blood; that is, the forgiveness of sins, consonant with the riches of his grace, ⁸ which grace he shed on us abundantly in all wisdom and understanding.

⁹ And as it pleased him, he has made known to us the mystery of his will, ¹⁰ and purposed in himself to have it declared when the time was full come – namely that all things, both the things that are in heaven and also the things that are in earth, will be gathered together in Christ; ¹¹ that is to say, in him in whom we are made heirs. To this we were predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will, ¹² so that we who before believed in Christ will be to the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him also you (after you heard the word of truth, I mean the gospel of your salvation, in which you believed) were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ which is the earnest of our inheritance to redeem the purchased possession, and that to the laud of his glory.

¹⁴ And King Herod heard of Jesus (for his name was spread abroad) and said, John the Baptist has risen again from death, and therefore  miracles are wrought by him. ¹⁵ Others said, It is Elijah; and some said, It is a prophet, or like one of the prophets. ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of him, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he has risen back up from death. ¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent forth and seized John, and bound him and cast him into prison for the sake of Herodias, who was his brother Philip’s wife. For Herod had married her. ¹⁸ John said to Herod, It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. ¹⁹ So Herodias was laying in wait for him, and would have killed him. But she could not, ²⁰ because Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and gave him reverence. And he heeded him in many things, and heard him gladly.

²¹ But when an opportune day came, Herod on his birthday put on a supper for the lords, captains, and chief personages of Galilee. ²² And the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him. Then the king said to the maiden, Ask of me what you will, and I will give it to you. ²³ And he swore to her, Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you, even up to one half of my kingdom.

²⁴ And she went out and said to her mother, What should I ask for? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. ²⁵ And the maiden went in straightaway with haste to the king and asked, saying, I would like you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

²⁶ And the king was sorry. However, for his oath’s sake, and because of those who sat at supper also, he did not want to put her beside her purpose. ²⁷ And immediately the king sent the hangman and commanded John’s head to be brought in. And he went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the maiden, and the maiden gave it to her mother.

²⁹ And when John’s disciples heard of it, they came and took up his body and put it in a tomb.