24. The girl left and asked her mother, “What do you think I should ask for?”Her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist!”
25. The girl hurried back and told Herod, “Straight away on a dish I want the head of John the Baptist!”
26. The king was very sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests.
27. At once he ordered a guard to cut off John's head there in prison.
28. The guard put the head on a dish and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother.
29. When John's followers learnt that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.
30. After the apostles returned to Jesus, they told him everything they had done and taught.
31. But so many people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said, “Let's go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest.”