14 Around that time, King Herod the Tetrarch heard the news about Yeshua 2 and he said to his slaves, “This must be Yohan-the-immerser having come back from the dead and so that’s why he can do all these miracles!”

3 [ref]Herod said this because he had previously had Yohan arrested and put in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 4 Yohan had been saying that it was against God’s law for Herod to take his brother’s wife. 5 Herod had been wanting to have Yohan executed, but he was afraid of the crowd because they considered Yohan to be a prophet.

6 However at Herod’s birthday celebration, Herodias’ daughter had danced in the middle of them all and had pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her anything that she requested.

8 The young woman was urged on by her mother to tell Herod that she wanted the head of Yohan-the-immerser on a plate.

9 The king was upset, but because of his oaths in front of the other guests, he commanded it to be so 10 and sent his soldiers to behead Yohan in prison. 11 So then his head was brought in on a plate and given to the young woman who then took it to her mother. 12 Hearing the news, Yohan’s followers went to the prison and collected his body and buried it. Then they went and told Yeshua.

14 [ref]Yeshua was now becoming well known and King Herod Antipas heard about him. He thought that maybe Yohan-the-immerser had come back to life and that’s why he was able to do miracles.

15 But others thought it was the promised return of Eliyyah, and yet others thought he must be another prophet like the ones in the Scriptures.

16 But hearing about Yeshua, Herod was telling people, “That Yohan who I had beheaded, he must have come back to life!” 17 [ref]Because Herod himself had had Yohan arrested and put in prison because he had married Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 18 Yohan had been telling him that it was wrong for him to marry his brother’s wife, 19 and so Herodias resented him enough to want to kill him, but Herod hadn’t be able to 20 because he respected Yohan as a righteous and holy teacher and so he kept him alive. He often enjoyed hearing from Yohan and thought a lot about what he said.

21 However, an opportunity came at Herod’s birthday celebration, when he threw a feast for his top officials and generals and for the leaders in Galilee. 22 The daughter of Herodias came in and danced for them, and the king and his party guests all enjoyed it. So the king said to the young woman, “Just ask me for anything and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he made an oath, “Even if you asked for half of my kingdom, I’d give it to you!”

24 So she went out and asked her mother what she should ask for. Her mother told her that she should ask for Yohan’s head.

25 So going back into the party, she said seriously to the king, “I would like the head of Yohan-the-immerser on a plate!”

26 The king was really upset with that, but because he had made loud oaths in front of all his guests, he couldn’t say no. 27 So he ordered an executioner to go out and return with Yohan’s head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought the head into the party on a plate and gave it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 When Yohan’s followers heard about this, they came and fetched his body and put it into a tomb.

7 [ref]Herod the ruler of the Galilean quarter heard about everything that was going on and was completely puzzled, because some people said that Yohan the immerser had come back to life, 8 while others said that Eliyyah had been spotted, and others that one of the other ancient prophets had come back to life. 9 “I beheaded Yohan,” King Herod said, “so who is this man that I’m hearing so much about?” So he tried to find a way to see him.