Mark 6:17-33

New International Version

¹⁷ For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.^(A) He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”^{(B) 19} So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, ²⁰ because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.^(C) When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled^[a]; yet he liked to listen to him.

²¹ Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet^(D) for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.^{(E) 22} When the daughter of^[b] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” ²³ And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”^(F)

²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

²⁵ At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶ The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, ²⁸ and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. ²⁹ On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand^(G)(H)

³⁰ The apostles^(I) gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.^{(J) 31} Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,^(K) he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

³² So they went away by themselves in a boat^(L) to a solitary place. ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.