Mark 6:21–28

²¹Finally Herodias got her chance. It was on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a feast for all the chief government officials, the military commanders, and the leading citizens of Galilee. ²²The daughter of Herodiasⁱ came in and danced, and pleased Herod and his guests. So the king said to the girl, “What would you like to have? I will give you anything you want.” ²³With many vows he said to her, “I swear that I will give you anything you ask for, even as much as half my kingdom!”

²⁴So the girl went out and asked her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

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

²⁵The girl hurried back at once to the king and demanded, “I want you to give me here and now the head of John the Baptist on a dish!”

²⁶This made the king very sad, but he could not refuse her because of the vows he had made in front of all his guests. ²⁷So he sent off a guard at once with orders to bring John’s head. The guard left, went to the prison, and cut John’s head off; ²⁸then he brought it on a dish and gave it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.