Mark 6:21–28

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.