Mark 6:1–29

Teaching at Nazareth

^1aJesus went out from there and came into ^1bHis hometown; and His disciples followed Him.

²When the Sabbath came, He began ^ato teach in the synagogue; and the ^bmany listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such ¹miracles as these performed by His hands?

³“Is not this ^athe carpenter, ^bthe son of Mary, and brother of ¹James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not ^cHis sisters here with us?” And they took ^doffense at Him.

⁴Jesus said to them, “^aA prophet is not without honor except in ^1bhis hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.”

⁵And He could do no ¹miracle there except that He ^alaid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

⁶And He wondered at their unbelief.

^aAnd He was going around the villages teaching.

The Twelve Sent Out

^7aAnd ^bHe summoned the twelve and began to send them out ^cin pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;

^8aand He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no ¹bag, no money in their belt—

⁹but ¹to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two ²tunics.”

¹⁰And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you ¹leave town.

¹¹“Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, ^ashake the dust ¹off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.”

^12aThey went out and ¹preached that men should repent.

¹³And they were casting out many demons and ^awere anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

John’s Fate Recalled

^14aAnd King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “^bJohn the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.”

¹⁵But others were saying, “He is ^aElijah.” And others were saying, “He is ^ba prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”

¹⁶But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

¹⁷For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of ^aHerodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her.

¹⁸For John had been saying to Herod, “^aIt is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

^19aHerodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so;

²⁰for ^aHerod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; ¹but he ²used to enjoy listening to him.

²¹A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday ^agave a banquet for his lords and ¹military commanders and the leading men ^bof Galilee;

²²and when the daughter of ^aHerodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and ¹his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.”

²³And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to ^ahalf of my kingdom.”

²⁴And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.”

²⁵Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of ¹his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her.

²⁷Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison,

²⁸and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

²⁹When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.