إنجيل القدّيس مرقس 29-14:6
وسَمِعَ المَلِكُ هِيرُودُسُ بِأَخبارِه، لأَنَّ اسمَهُ أَصبَحَ مَشهورًا، وكانَ أُناسٌ يقولون: «إِنَّ يوحنَّا المَعمَدانَ قامَ مِن بَينِ الأَموات، ولِذلك تَعمَلُ فيه القُدرَةُ على إِجراءِ المُعجِزات»
وقالَ آخرون: «إِنَّه إِيليَّا». وقالَ غَيرُهم: «إِنَّه نَبِيٌّ كَسائِرِ الأَنبِياء».
فلمَّا سَمِعَ هيرودُس قال: «هذا يوحَنَّا الَّذي قَطَعْتُ أَنا رأسَه قد قام».
ذلِكَ بِأَنَّ هيرودُسَ هذا كانَ قد أَرسَلَ إِلى يوحَنَّا مَن أَمْسَكَه وأَوثَقَه في السِّجْن، مِن أَجْلِ هيرودِيَّا امَرأَةِ أَخيهِ فيلِبُّس لأَنَّه تَزَوَّجَها.
فكانَ يوحَنَّا يقولُ لِهيرودُس: «لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ أَن تَأخُذَ امرَأَةَ أَخيك».
وكانَت هيرودِيَّا ناقِمَةً عليه تُريدُ قَتْلَه فلا تَستَطيع،
لأَنَّ هيرودُسَ كانَ يَهابُ يوحَنَّا لِعِلمِه أَنَّه رَجُلٌ بارٌّ قدِّيس. وكان يَحْميهِ. وإِذا استَمَعَ إِليه، وقَعَ في حَيرةٍ كَبيرة، وكانَ مع ذلِكَ يَسُرُّه الإِصغاءُ إِليه.
وجاءَ يومٌ مُوافِقٌ إِذ أَقامَ هيرودُسُ في ذِكْرى مَولِدِه مَأدُبَةً لِلأَشرافِ والقُوَّادِ وأَعْيانِ الجَليل.
فدَخَلَتِ ابنَةُ هيرودِيَّا هذه ورَقصَت، فأَعجَبَت هيرودُسَ وجُلَساءَه. فقال المَلِكُ لِلصَبِيَّة: «اُطلُبي مِنِّي ما شِئْتِ أُعطِكِ».
وأَقسَمَ لَها: «لأُعطِيَنَّكِ كُلَّ ما تَطلُبينَ مِنِّي، ولَو نِصفَ مَملَكَتي».
فخَرَجَت وسأَلَت أُمَّها: «ماذا أَطلُب؟» فقالت: «رأَسَ يوحَنَّا المَعمَدان».
فدَخَلَت مُسرِعَةً إِلى المَلِكِ وطَلَبَت فقالَت: «أُريدُ أَن تُعطِيَني في هذِه السَّاعَةِ على طَبَقٍ رأسَ يوحَنَّا المَعمَدان».
فاغتَمَّ الملِك، ولِكِنَّه مِن أَجلِ أَيمانِه ومُراعاةً لِجُلَسائه، لم يَشأ أَن يَرُدَّ طلَبَها.
فأَرسَلَ المَلِكُ مِن وقتِهِ حاجِبًا وأَمَرَهُ بِأَن يَأتيَ بَرأسِه. فمَضى وقطَعَ رأسَه في السِّجْن،
وأَتى بِرأسِ يوحَنَّا على طبَقَ، فأَعطاه لِلصَّبِيَّة والصَّبِيَّةُ أَعطَتْه لِأُمِّها.
وبَلَغَ الخَبَرُ تَلاميذُه، فجاؤوا فَحمَلوا جُثمانَه ووضَعوه في قَبْر
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6:17-29.
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.
John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
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.”
He even swore (many things) to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
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.”
The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.