22. Herodias’s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”
23. He even swore [many things] to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.”
24. She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
25. The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
26. The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her.
27. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
28. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
29. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
30. The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.
31. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat.
32. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
33. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.
34. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
35. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late.