25. Quickly the girl went back to the king. She said to him, “Please give me the head of John the Baptist. Bring it to me now on a platter.”
26. The king was very sad. But he had promised to give the girl anything she wanted. And the people eating there with him had heard his promise. So Herod could not refuse what she asked.
27. Immediately the king sent a soldier to bring John’s head. The soldier went and cut off John’s head in the prison
28. and brought it back on a platter. He gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
29. John’s followers heard about what happened. So they came and got John’s body and put it in a tomb.
30. The apostles that Jesus had sent out to preach returned. They gathered around him and told him about all the things they had done and taught.
31. Crowds of people were coming and going. Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, “Come with me. We will go to a quiet place to be alone. There we will get some rest.”
32. So they went in a boat alone to a place where there were no people.
33. But many people saw them leave and recognized them. So people from all the towns ran to the place where Jesus was going. They got there before Jesus arrived.
34. When he landed, he saw a great crowd waiting. Jesus felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.
35. It was now late in the day. Jesus’ followers came to him and said, “No one lives in this place. And it is already very late.