14. King Herod heard about Jesus, because Jesus was now famous. Some people said, “He is John the Baptizer. He must have risen from death, and that is why he can do these miracles.”
15. Other people said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet. He is like the prophets who lived long ago.”
16. Herod heard these things about Jesus. He said, “I killed John by cutting off his head. Now he has been raised from death!”
17. Herod himself had ordered his soldiers to arrest John and put him in prison. Herod did this to please his wife Herodias. She had been married to Herod’s brother Philip, but then Herod married her.
18. John told Herod, “It is not right for you to be married to your brother’s wife.”
19. So Herodias hated John. She wanted him dead, but she was not able to persuade Herod to kill him.
20. Herod was afraid to kill John, because he knew that he was a good and holy man. So he protected him. He liked listening to John, although what John said left him with so many questions.
21. Then the right time came for Herodias to cause John’s death. It happened on Herod’s birthday. Herod gave a dinner party for the most important government leaders, the commanders of his army, and the most important people in Galilee.