The life of Jesus
John the Baptist Beheaded
Herod Antipas orders John the Baptist to be beheaded after Herodias' daughter asks for his head on a platter, and the disciples then take the body and bury it.
Matthew 14,1-12
1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,
Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἤκουσεν Ἡρῴδης ὁ τετραάρχης τὴν ἀκοὴν Ἰησοῦ,
2and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him."
καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ· Οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής· αὐτὸς ἠγέρθη ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αἱ δυνάμεις ἐνεργοῦσιν ἐν αὐτῷ.
3For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
Ὁ γὰρ Ἡρῴδης κρατήσας τὸν Ἰωάννην ἔδησεν ⸀αὐτὸν καὶ ⸂ἐν φυλακῇ ἀπέθετο⸃ διὰ Ἡρῳδιάδα τὴν γυναῖκα Φιλίππου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ,
4since John had been telling him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."
ἔλεγεν γὰρ ⸂αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰωάννης⸃· Οὐκ ἔξεστίν σοι ἔχειν αὐτήν·
5Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.
καὶ θέλων αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι ἐφοβήθη τὸν ὄχλον, ὅτι ὡς προφήτην αὐτὸν εἶχον.
6On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests and pleased Herod so much
⸂γενεσίοις δὲ γενομένοις⸃ τοῦ Ἡρῴδου ὠρχήσατο ἡ θυγάτηρ τῆς Ἡρῳδιάδος ἐν τῷ μέσῳ καὶ ἤρεσεν τῷ Ἡρῴδῃ,
7that he swore an oath to give her whatever she asked.
ὅθεν μετὰ ὅρκου ὡμολόγησεν αὐτῇ δοῦναι ὃ ⸀ἐὰν αἰτήσηται.
8Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter."
ἡ δὲ προβιβασθεῖσα ὑπὸ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς· Δός μοι, φησίν, ὧδε ἐπὶ πίνακι τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ.
9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his guests he ordered that it be given to her.
καὶ ⸂λυπηθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς διὰ⸃ τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τοὺς συνανακειμένους ἐκέλευσεν δοθῆναι,
10He sent word and had John beheaded in the prison.
καὶ πέμψας ἀπεκεφάλισεν ⸀τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ·
11His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, and she took it to her mother.
καὶ ἠνέχθη ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πίνακι καὶ ἐδόθη τῷ κορασίῳ, καὶ ἤνεγκεν τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῆς.
12Then John's disciples came, took the body, and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
καὶ προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἦραν τὸ ⸀πτῶμα καὶ ἔθαψαν ⸀αὐτόν, καὶ ἐλθόντες ἀπήγγειλαν τῷ Ἰησοῦ.