6. He was amazed at their lack of faith. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching.
7. He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
8. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
9. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
10. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
11. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.”
12. So they went off and preached repentance.
13. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
14. King Herod heard about it, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
15. Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”
16. But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”
17. Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
18. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19. Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.