15. Other people said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet. He is like the prophets who lived long ago.”
16. Herod heard these things about Jesus. He said, “I killed John by cutting off his head. Now he has been raised from death!”
17. Herod himself had ordered his soldiers to arrest John and put him in prison. Herod did this to please his wife Herodias. She had been married to Herod’s brother Philip, but then Herod married her.
18. John told Herod, “It is not right for you to be married to your brother’s wife.”
19. So Herodias hated John. She wanted him dead, but she was not able to persuade Herod to kill him.
20. Herod was afraid to kill John, because he knew that he was a good and holy man. So he protected him. He liked listening to John, although what John said left him with so many questions.
21. Then the right time came for Herodias to cause John’s death. It happened on Herod’s birthday. Herod gave a dinner party for the most important government leaders, the commanders of his army, and the most important people in Galilee.
22. The daughter of Herodias came to the party and danced. When she danced, Herod and the people eating with him were very pleased. So King Herod said to the girl, “I will give you anything you want.”
23. He promised her, “Anything you ask for I will give to you—even half of my kingdom.”
24. The girl went to her mother and asked, “What should I ask King Herod to give me?” Her mother answered, “Ask for the head of John the Baptizer.”
25. So right then the girl went back in to the king. She said to him, “Please give me the head of John the Baptizer. Bring it to me now on a plate.”