^17 (A)For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and ^(B)bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her.

¹⁹ But ^(A)Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, ²⁰ added this to them all, that ^(B)he locked up John in prison.

^2 (A)Now when John heard ^(B)in prison about the deeds of ^(C)the Christ, he sent word by ^(D)his disciples

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of ^(A)Tiberius Caesar, ^(B)Pontius Pilate ^(C)being governor of Judea, and ^(D)Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

³ For ^(A)Herod had seized John and bound him and ^(B)put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,^{[a] 4} because John had been saying to him, ^(C)“It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵ And though he wanted to put him to death, ^(D)he feared the people, because they held him to be ^(E)a prophet. ⁶ But when Herod's ^(F)birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, ⁷ so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” ⁹ And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. ¹⁰ He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, ¹¹ and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. ¹² And ^(G)his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

¹² Now when he heard that ^(A)John had been arrested, ^(B)he withdrew into Galilee.