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She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother told her, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist!”
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So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!”
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Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her.
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So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison,
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brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother.
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When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb.
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The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught.
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Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
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So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.
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But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.
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Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.