Mark 6:1–29

A Prophet Without Honor

6:1–6pp—Mt 13:54–58

6Jesus left there and went to his hometown,^p accompanied by his disciples. ²When the Sabbath came,^q he began to teach in the synagogue,^r and many who heard him were amazed.^s

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? ³Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,^a Judas and Simon?^t Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.^u

⁴Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”^{v 5}He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on^w a few sick people and heal them. ⁶He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

6:7–11pp—Mt 10:1,9–14; Lk 9:1,3–5

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.^{x 7}Calling the Twelve to him,^y he began to send them out two by two^z and gave them authority over impure spirits.^a

⁸These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. ⁹Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. ¹⁰Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. ¹¹And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet^b as a testimony against them.”

¹²They went out and preached that people should repent.^{c 13}They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil^d and healed them.

John the Baptist Beheaded

6:14–29pp—Mt 14:1–12 6:14–16pp—Lk 9:7–9

¹⁴King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,^b “John the Baptist^e has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

¹⁵Others said, “He is Elijah.”^f

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,^g like one of the prophets of long ago.”^h

¹⁶But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

¹⁷For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.ⁱ He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. ¹⁸For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”^{j 19}So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, ²⁰because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.^k When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled^c; yet he liked to listen to him.

²¹Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet^l for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.^{m 22}When the daughter of^d Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” ²³And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”ⁿ

²⁴She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

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

²⁵At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, ²⁸and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. ²⁹On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.