Mark 6:14

Plain English Version

This is the story about what happened to John, the man that baptised people. The big boss over that country was Herod, and his brother was Philip. Philip’s wife’s name was Herodias. But Herodias left Philip, and Herod married her. John kept on telling Herod, “You are breaking God’s law. You shouldn’t have your brother’s wife.” Herodias hated John for saying that, and she wanted to kill him, but Herod sent some soldiers to grab John and keep him in jail, so Herodias couldn’t do anything to him. John was a good man, one of God’s own men, so Herod respected John, and he was a bit frightened of him too. Herod used to talk with John. He didn’t really understand John’s message, but he liked to listen to him. Some time later, Herod had a birthday party. All the leaders of Herod’s army, and the government bosses from Galilee country, they were all there at Herod’s party. Herodias’s daughter danced for them at that party. Herod and everybody else really liked to watch her dance. She made them really happy, so Herod made a strong promise to her. He told her, “I want to give you something really good. You can ask for anything. I will give you anything you ask for, even as much as half of this country. This is true. I’m not lying.” That young girl went outside and asked her mother, “What will I ask for?” Her mother said, “Go back in and ask the big boss to send a soldier to cut off John the Baptiser’s head and give it to you.” The girl ran back into the party and said to Herod, “I want you to give me John the Baptiser’s head on a big plate, and I want it right now.” When Herod heard her say that, he was really sad. But he didn’t want to break his promise. He didn’t want to feel shame in front of his friends, so he sent a soldier to cut off John’s head, and to bring it back to the girl on a big plate. The soldier went to the jail, and he cut off John’s head, and he brought it back to the party, and he gave it to the young girl, and then she gave it to her mother. John’s friends heard the bad news, so they came and got his body, then they took it away and buried it. Later lots of people heard about what Jesus was doing, and they talked about him all the time. Some people said, “Jesus is really Elijah, that old man that told God’s messages a long time ago. God made him alive again.” Some other people said, “Jesus is a man talking for God, just like those other men that told God’s messages a long time ago.” But some people reckoned, “Jesus is really John the Baptiser. God made John alive again, and God gave him power to do great things.” Herod heard those stories, and he said, “I got my soldiers to cut John’s head off, but this man, Jesus, he has to be John the Baptiser. I reckon God made him alive again.”

Cross References

Matthew 9:31

But they went away and told everybody in that country that Jesus made their eyes better.

Mark 1:28

Then all those people went out and told everyone about Jesus. Everyone in Galilee country heard that story about him.

Mark 1:45

But the man didn’t do what Jesus said. He went away and told everyone, “Jesus made me better.” After people heard the man’s story they went to Jesus from everywhere. Lots of people went to him and stood around him. So he couldn’t go into the towns any more, because there were too many people. So he had to stay out in the bush. But people still came from everywhere and found him, even in the bush.

Mark 8:28

They said, “They reckon you are one of God’s men that died, but then God made you come alive again. Some people reckon you are John the Baptiser. Other people reckon you are Elijah, that man that lived a long time ago. And other people reckon you are one of those other men that told God’s messages a long time ago.”

Luke 13:31

At that time, some of the Pharisee mob, that were strong for the Jewish law, they went to Jesus and said, “Herod, that big boss, he wants to kill you, so you have to run away. Get right away from here.”

Luke 7:17

Then they went and told lots of other people what they saw. So people in the towns near there, and people everywhere in Judea country, they heard that story. (We have not yet translated 7:18-35. You can read those stories and messages in Matthew 11:1-19.)

1 Thessalonians 1:8

And now people in lots of places have heard about Jesus. You see, other people told them about you. They told them that you listened to us when we came to your town, and that you turned away from the gods that are not real, and that now you only work for the true God, the one that is properly alive. And it’s not only the people in Macedonia and Akaya that have heard that story. Everywhere we go we find people that tell us about you, so we know that story has gone around to lots of places. We don’t have to tell anyone about you. They have already heard the story.