14
King Herod heard of all this (for the name of Jesus had become widely known), and he kept saying, "John the Baptizer has come back to life, and that is why these miraculous Powers are working in him."
15
Others asserted that He was Elijah. Others again said, "He is a Prophet, like one of the great Prophets."
16
But when Herod heard of Him, he said, "The John, whom I beheaded, has come back to life."
17
For Herod himself had sent and had had John arrested and had kept him in prison in chains, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her.
18
For John had repeatedly told Herod, "You have no right to be living with your brother's wife."
19
Therefore Herodias hated him and wished to take his life, but could not;
20
for Herod stood in awe of John, knowing him to be an upright and holy man, and he protected him. After listening to him he was in great perplexity, and yet he found a pleasure in listening.
21
At length Herodias found her opportunity. Herod on his birthday gave a banquet to the nobles of his court and to the tribunes and the principal people in Galilee,
22
at which Herodias's own daughter came in and danced, and so charmed Herod and his guests that he said to her, "Ask me for anything you please, and I will give it to you."
23
He even swore to her, "Whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom."
24
She at once went out and said to her mother: "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptizer," she replied.
25
The girl immediately came in, in haste, to the King and made her request. "My desire is," she said, "that you will give me, here and now, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist."
26
Then the King, though intensely sorry, yet for the sake of his oaths, and of his guests, would not break faith with her.
27
He at once sent a soldier of his guard with orders to bring John's head. So he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28
and brought his head on a dish and gave it to the young girl, who gave it to her mother.
29
When John's disciples heard of it, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.